Murray American Energy, Inc. v. Connie Titus

CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 19, 2021
Docket19-1067
StatusPublished

This text of Murray American Energy, Inc. v. Connie Titus (Murray American Energy, Inc. v. Connie Titus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Murray American Energy, Inc. v. Connie Titus, (W. Va. 2021).

Opinion

STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA FILED March 19, 2021 SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS EDYTHE NASH GAISER, CLERK SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS OF WEST VIRGINIA MURRAY AMERICAN ENERGY, INC., Employer Below, Petitioner

vs.) No. 19-1067 (BOR Appeal No. 2054120) (Claim No. 2018016155)

CONNIE TITUS, Claimant Below, Respondent

MEMORANDUM DECISION Petitioner Murray American Energy, Inc., by Counsel Denise D. Pentino and Aimee M. Stern, appeals the decision of the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Board of Review (“Board of Review”). Connie Titus, by Counsel Robert L. Stultz, filed a timely response.

The issues on appeal are an additional compensable condition and medical benefits. The claims administrator added right hip sprain to the claim on September 21, 2018. On September 24, 2018, it denied authorization of an evaluation by Scott Schweizer, M.D. The claims administrator denied a left shoulder MRI on October 12, 2018. On December 5, 2018, it denied a referral to a pain clinic and a physical therapy consultation. On December 6, 2018, the claims administrator denied physical therapy and injections. The Workers’ Compensation Office of Judges (“Office of Judges”) modified the September 21, 2018, decision to reflect that right hip labral tear is a compensable condition. It also reversed the remainder of the claims administrator’s decisions and authorized the requested medical treatment in its March 29, 2019, Order. The Order was affirmed by the Board of Review on October 18, 2019.

The Court has carefully reviewed the records, written arguments, and appendices contained in the briefs, and the case is mature for consideration. The facts and legal arguments are adequately presented, and the decisional process would not be significantly aided by oral argument. Upon consideration of the standard of review, the briefs, and the record presented, the Court finds no substantial question of law and no prejudicial error. For these reasons, a memorandum decision is appropriate under Rule 21 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.

Ms. Titus, a coal miner, was injured in the course of her employment on January 12, 2018, when the bus she was driving in a coal mine struck another bus. She sought immediate treatment at Wheeling Hospital Emergency Room. Ms. Titus reported that she was traveling about fifteen 1 miles per hour and was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of her accident. She stated that she had pain in her right thigh, knee, and hip. A left shoulder x-ray showed no acute findings. A CT scan of the cervical spine showed multilevel disc narrowing and spurring but no acute injury. Ms. Titus was diagnosed with right hip, right knee, and acute lumbar sprains. The Employees’ and Physicians’ Report of Injury was also completed that day at Wheeling Hospital and indicates Ms. Titus was injured when she was struck head on by a bus. The diagnoses were right hip strain, right knee sprain, lower back strain, unspecified head injury, and left shoulder pain.

Ms. Titus was treated for her compensable injury by Ross Tennant, FNP, on January 15, 2018. She reported significant pain in her lower back and right hip, extending to her right leg and foot. Ms. Titus had no left shoulder pain. Mr. Tennant diagnosed closed head injury, lumbar strain, and right hip contusion. On January 22, 2018, Ms. Titus reported pain in her mid and lower back, a burning sensation in her right thigh, and numbness in her right toes. Ms. Titus’s right hip pain had improved. The claim was held compensable for low back strain, right hip strain, and right knee sprain on January 26, 2018.

On January 29, 2018, Ms. Titus reported lower back and right hip pain to Mr. Tennant. She was diagnosed with closed head injury, lumbar strain, right hip contusion, cervical thoracic sprain, and left shoulder sprain. Physical therapy was recommended for the cervical and left shoulder sprains. A right hip MRI was performed on February 2, 2018, and showed a possible labral injury.

Ronald Fadel, M.D., performed a Record Review on February 3, 2018, in which he opined that cervicalgia should be added to the claim. He found that Ms. Titus struck her head at the time of her injury and reported head/neck pain when she sought treatment. Dr. Fadel found no neurological injury. Ms. Titus was seen at Hudson Premier Physical Therapy on February 5, 2018, for cervical and left shoulder sprains caused by a work-related accident. Ms. Titus reported that she did not have cervical or left shoulder problems prior to the injury. The claims administrator authorized physical therapy for a cervical strain. On February 6, 2018, Ms. Titus returned to Dr. Titus who noted that a lumbar MRI showed disc bulging at L5-S1. A right hip MRI showed no acute injury.

David Soulsby, M.D., performed an independent medical evaluation on March 6, 2018, in which he noted that Ms. Titus complained of pain in her chest, right hip, and lower back. Dr. Soulsby diagnosed lumbar sprain, mild to moderate lumbar degenerative disc disease, cervical sprain, and left shoulder sprain and found that Ms. Titus had not reached maximum medical improvement. He recommended a left shoulder MRI and opined that Ms. Titus’s pain likely resulted from any injury to the soft tissues at the upper end of her mastectomy scar. Dr. Soulsby opined that Ms. Titus sustained soft tissue cervical and low back sprains and that the right hip contusion was consistent with bursitis.

A March 23, 2018, left shoulder MRI showed degenerative changes but no evidence of acute injury or internal derangement. On March 28, 2018, Mr. Tennant reviewed the MRI and diagnosed degenerative changes. On April 2, 2018, he diagnosed left shoulder sprain and degenerative changes. It was noted that Ms. Titus was seen by Dr. Abbott, an orthopedic surgeon, who opined that she may have sustained a cervical injury. Ms. Titus sought treatment with Jeffrey 2 Abbott, M.D., on April 3, 2018, for right hip and left shoulder injuries. Dr. Abbott diagnosed right hip labrum tear, radiculopathy, neck pain, and acute left shoulder pain. Ms. Titus had positive left shoulder impingement sign. A left shoulder MRI showed acromioclavicular joint disease. A cervical MRI was performed on April 29, 2018, and showed narrowing of the C5-6 foramina, which could affect the C5 and C6 nerve roots. There was no spinal canal stenosis. A right hip MRI performed the following day revealed a posterior labrum tear extending to the superior labrum.

Ms. Titus returned to Mr. Tennant on May 4, 2018. It was noted that a cervical MRI showed narrowing of the foramina at several levels, which could be affecting left C5-6 nerve roots. A right hip arthrogram showed a posterior labrum tear. On June 19, 2018, Ms. Titus reported continued hip pain that was aggravated by physical therapy to Mr. Tennant. The following day, Ms. Titus was seen by Dr. Abbott, who noted that she was referred to University of Pittsburg Medical Center for possible hip surgery and for a neurosurgical consultation. A cervical MRI was performed on April 29, 2018, which showed narrowing of the C5-6 foramina, that could affect the C5 and C6 nerve roots. There was no spinal canal stenosis. A right hip MRI showed a posterior labrum tear extending to the superior labrum on April 30, 2018.

On June 11, 2018, Robert Marsh, M.D., treated Ms. Titus for neck pain, bilateral arm pain, tingling, and numbness, as well as pain radiating into the right shoulder and forearm. Dr. Marsh diagnosed cervical spondylosis and radiculopathy. On August 11, 2018, he noted that a cervical MRI showed mild, age-appropriate degenerative changes that were not advanced enough for surgery. Dr. Marsh opined that Ms. Titus likely had a tear of the cervical or trapezius muscle. He stated that the condition can be difficult to treat and had a long healing period. He recommended an epidural steroid injection.

Dr.

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Related

Barnett v. State Workmen's Compensation Commissioner
172 S.E.2d 698 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
Murray American Energy, Inc. v. Connie Titus, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murray-american-energy-inc-v-connie-titus-wva-2021.