McIntosh, Sarah Kaye v. Randstad

2015 TN WC 123
CourtTennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims
DecidedSeptember 24, 2015
Docket2015-08-0106
StatusPublished

This text of 2015 TN WC 123 (McIntosh, Sarah Kaye v. Randstad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McIntosh, Sarah Kaye v. Randstad, 2015 TN WC 123 (Tenn. Super. Ct. 2015).

Opinion

FILED September 24, 2015 TX COl."RTOF WORKERS' C O~IPE:\" SATIO:\" CLAD I S

Time: 2:45 Pl\f

COURT OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS AT MEMPHIS

Sarah Kaye Mcintosh, ) Docket No.: 2015-08-0106 Employee, ) v. ) State File No.: 24706-2015 ) Randstad, ) Date of Injury: March 23, 2015 Employer, ) and ) Judge Jim Umsted ) ESIS, ) Insurance Carrier. )

EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER CONTINUING BENEFITS PREVIOUSLY ORDERED AND DENYING MOTION TO TERMINATE BENEFITS

THIS CAUSE came before the undersigned Workers' Compensation Judge on September 9, 2015, upon the Motion to Terminate Benefits and Request for Expedited Hearing filed by Randstad, the Employer, on August 14, 2015. Randstad requests that the Court determine whether it is obligated to continue providing medical and/or temporary disability benefits as ordered by the Court on July 13,2015.

The undersigned Workers' Compensation Judge conducted an in-person Motion to Terminate Benefits and Expedited Hearing on September 9, 2015. Considering the positions of the parties, the applicable law, and all of the evidence submitted, the Court concludes that Randstad is obligated to continue providing the benefits ordered on July 13, 2015.

ANALYSIS

Issues

At the hearing on Randstad's motion, the parties agreed the following issues should be addressed:

1 1. Whether Ms. Mcintosh's claim for injuries is compensable. 2. Whether Rands tad has complied with the Court's order dated July 15, 2015. 3. Whether Dr. Alday is an authorized physician pursuant to statute and the Court's order ofJuly 13, 2015. 4. Whether Dr. Alday's medical opinion on causation is entitled to a statutory presumption of correctness. 5. Whether the Court should terminate the benefits ordered on July 13, 2015. 6. Whether the Court should order Ms. Mcintosh to reimburse Rands tad for benefits already paid.

Evidence Submitted

The Court admitted into evidence the following exhibits:

Exhibit 1: Form C-42 "Agreement Between Employer/Employee Choice of Physician;" Exhibit 2: Medical Records of Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics; Exhibit 3: Medical Records ofDr. Ronald Terhune; and Exhibit 4: Affidavit of Christie Hays, attorney for Randstad.

The Court marked the following exhibits for identification only:

Exhibit 5: Unsigned letter from Randstad to Ms. Mcintosh dated April 8, 2015; and Exhibit 6: Unsigned letter from Randstad to Ms. Mcintosh dated August 10, 2015.

The Court allowed the parties to file the affidavit of Dr. David L. Cannon after the conclusion of the hearing on September 9, 2015, and admitted the affidavit into evidence, as follows:

Exhibit 7: Affidavit of Dr. David L. Cannon.

The Court designated the following as the technical record:

• Petition for Benefit Determination (PBD), filed April16, 2015; • Dispute Certification Notice (DCN), filed May 28, 2015; • Expedited Hearing Order, filed July 13, 2015; • Request for Expedited Hearing, filed August 14, 2015; and • Motion for Termination of Benefits (with attachments), dated August 14, 2015. 2 The Court did not consider attachments to the above filings unless admitted into evidence during the Expedited Hearing. The Court considered factual statements in the above filings or any attachments thereto as allegations unless established by the evidence.

Ms. Mcintosh provided in-person testimony.

History of Claim

Ms. Mcintosh claimed she injured her wrists on March 23, 2015, after filing thousands of files over a period of a few days. Randstad provided authorized treatment with Baptist Minor Medical Center (BMMC), where the doctor diagnosed "acute carpal tunnel syndrome" and referred Ms. Mcintosh to an orthopedic specialist. BMMC also placed work restrictions on Ms. Mcintosh as of April 1, 2015. Randstad accommodated Ms. Mcintosh's light-duty work status until April 10, 2015. Randstad did not accommodate her work restrictions after that date. Ms. Mcintosh filed a Request for Expedited Hearing, and on July 13, 2015, the Court issued an Order finding Ms. Mcintosh presented sufficient evidence to conclude she would likely prevail at a trial on the merits. Accordingly, the Court ordered Randstad to provide a panel of orthopedic surgeons for evaluation and/or treatment of the injury of March 23, 2015. The Court also ordered Randstad to pay Ms. Mcintosh past and ongoing temporary disability benefits.

Pursuant to the Court's order, Randstad provided a panel of orthopedic surgeons consisting of Dr. David L. Cannon at Campbell Clinic, Dr. W. Lee Moffatt at East Memphis Orthopedic Group, and Dr. Riley Jones at Memphis Orthopedic Group. On July 20, 2015, Ms. Mcintosh selected, "Dr. David L. Cannon" as her authorized physician.

Randstad scheduled an appointment for Ms. Mcintosh to see Dr. Cannon on August 3, 2015. Ms. Mcintosh testified that, on the morning of August 3, she received a telephone call from staff at Campbell Clinic, who told her Dr. Cannon would not see her. Instead, Dr. Michael Alday, an occupational medicine physician at Campbell Clinic, would see her. The affidavit of Dr. Cannon explained that his policy is to refer new patients with alleged work-related injuries to an occupational medicine physician for an evaluation. Dr. Cannon noted he would only see the patient if the occupational medicine physician determines the injury is work-related. In this case, Dr. Cannon never personally saw Ms. Mcintosh and, instead, referred her to Dr. Alday for evaluation.

Ms. Mcintosh went to the medical appointment with Dr. Alday on August 3, 2015. She testified Dr. Alday performed a physical examination and x-rayed her wrists. Dr. Alday reported Ms. Mcintosh's chief complaint was bilateral wrist and hand pain, which Ms. Mcintosh said began on March 23, 2015, after six days of increased workload pulling heavy folders. He reported that, in his opinion, her symptoms were not likely the

3 result of any employment-related activity. He could not state whether she had carpal tunnel syndrome without confirmation by electrodiagnostic studies. This test was not performed. He opined that highly repetitive work, such as work performed in an assembly plant, caused "advanced carpal tunnel syndrome," and individuals in a clerical setting were not routinely at high risk for developing repetitive motion injuries. He opined her employment at Randstad did not contribute more than fifty percent to her current symptoms. In his report, Dr. Alday described himself as "a board certified occupational medicine physician."

Ms. Mcintosh's Contentions

Ms. Mcintosh contends her carpal tunnel condition is a compensable, work-related injury. She is requesting a panel of orthopedic physicians for treatment. She has not worked since April 10, 2015, and remains unable to work because of her injury. Consequently, she also requests an award of temporary disability benefits.

Randstad's Contentions

Randstad contends the claim is not compensable. Dr. Alday opined he did not believe Ms. Mcintosh's injury arose "primarily out of and in the course and scope of employment" as required by Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-102(13) (2014). Randstad further contends it complied with the Court's order by paying temporary disability benefits and providing a panel of orthopedic surgeons. According to Randstad, Dr. Alday should be an authorized treating physician because Dr. Cannon, the physician selected by Ms. Mcintosh from the panel, referred her to him. Furthermore, Randstad argues the Court should presume Dr. Alday's opinion on causation is correct because he is an authorized treating physician. Finally, Randstad asserts that, because Ms. Mcintosh's claim is not compensable, the Court should terminate its order for benefits, and require Ms.

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Related

§ 50-6
Tennessee § 50-6
§ 50-6-102
Tennessee § 50-6-102(13)(B)
§ 50-6-116
Tennessee § 50-6-116
§ 50-6-204
Tennessee § 50-6-204(a)(3)(G)

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2015 TN WC 123, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcintosh-sarah-kaye-v-randstad-tennworkcompcl-2015.