Stocklin, YZ v. Barrett Distribution

2019 TN WC 20
CourtTennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims
DecidedFebruary 6, 2019
Docket2017-08-1014
StatusPublished

This text of 2019 TN WC 20 (Stocklin, YZ v. Barrett Distribution) 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
Stocklin, YZ v. Barrett Distribution, 2019 TN WC 20 (Tenn. Super. Ct. 2019).

Opinion

FILED Feb 06, 2019 10:20 AM(CT) TENNESSEE COURT OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS

TENNESSEE BUREAU OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION IN THE COURT OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS AT MEMPHIS

YZ STOCKLIN, ) Docket No. 2017-08-1014 Employee, ) v. ) BARRETT DISTRIBUTION, ) State File No. 59533-2015 Employer, ) and ) AMGUARD INSURANCE CO., ) Judge Joshua Davis Baker Carrier. )

COMPENSATION HEARING ORDER

The Court convened a compensation hearing on January 24, 2019. The main legal issue is whether Mr. Stocklin is permanently and totally disabled. Considering his anatomical impairment, physical limitations and pain, work history, testimony and the local job market, the Court holds Mr. Stocklin is permanently and totally disabled.

History of Claim

Mr. Stocklin, born October 13, 1959, is a fifty-nine-year-old resident of Shelby County, Tennessee. He graduated high school and has an associate’s degree in criminal justice. After graduating, he worked for one year as a prison guard. He applied for a state trooper position but did not get the job. Afterward, Mr. Stocklin worked warehouse jobs and eventually worked for Barrett Manufacturing. He worked for Barrett for fifteen years and was promoted to warehouse manager before suffering a severe injury.

On July 17, 2015, Mr. Stocklin arrived at Barrett early and noticed that the entrance’s large metal gate, weighing approximately 2,500 pounds, was only partially opened. He stopped his car to open the gate. As he opened it, the gate support collapsed, and the gate fell on him. Mr. Stocklin suffered near-amputation of his left foot at the ankle and also injured his back and left knee. He immediately went to the hospital for surgery. Barrett accepted the claim, and several physicians treated Mr. Stocklin. Dr. Francis Camillo diagnosed a low back vertebral fracture and treated him conservatively. Dr. Edward Perez performed two surgeries to Mr. Stocklin’s left ankle to treat his open wound and insert hardware to repair his compound fracture. Dr. Frederick Azar diagnosed a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear and performed arthroscopic surgery after conservative treatment failed. In total, his injuries collectively resulted in fourteen- percent whole body impairment.1

Dr. Perez and Dr. Azar both restricted Mr. Stocklin to sedentary work. In addition to this restriction, Dr. Perez certified that he could not return to his prior occupation due to the severity of his injury. However, he also stated that Mr. Stocklin “can work in many other things that do not require the physical amount of work relative to his previous job.” Dr. Perez placed Mr. Stocklin at maximum medical improvement on April 20, 2017. Mr. Stocklin never returned to Dr. Perez after his release.

Mr. Stocklin testified that the accident continues to cause intense pain requiring medication. He cannot sit or stand for long periods of time and must switch positions often to relieve his pain. He only sleeps about four hours per night, and the pain medication makes him drowsy. Mr. Stocklin described being in a “fog” after taking the medication, which was testimony his wife echoed. Mr. Stocklin stated that when he drove his daughter to school—a trip of only seven miles—he sometimes fell asleep in the car line. For this reason and due to his inability to sit for extended periods, Mr. Stocklin testified he cannot travel.

Mr. Stocklin missed a significant amount of work due to his injuries and received temporary disability benefits during his absence. He earned $1,217.57 per week, resulting in a weekly compensation rate of $730.53.

Two vocational experts, Dr. David Strauser and Mr. David Earl Stewart, evaluated Mr. Stocklin and reached opposite conclusions. Dr. Strauser determined that Mr. Stocklin experienced “a complete loss of earning capacity” because of the accident and could only perform sedentary work. He testified that although Mr. Stocklin has a college education, solid work history, and managerial experience in a warehouse setting, his constant pain in conjunction with his inability to walk without a cane and maintain a seated or standing position for more than a few minutes at a time prohibit him from finding and maintaining a new job. He also said the constant pain would make it hard for him to learn the requirements of a new position.

1 Dr. Perez assigned eight-percent impairment, Dr. Azar assigned one percent, and Dr. Camillo assigned five percent. 2 Mr. Stewart stated that Mr. Stocklin suffered a forty-six percent vocational disability based on his physical limitations, education and work history. Mr. Stewart did not factor in Mr. Stocklin’s complaints of pain, non-prescribed use of a cane, and use of pain medication when reaching his opinion, since he considered these factors too subjective to incorporate into the analysis.

Despite finding that Mr. Stocklin suffered only a forty-six percent vocational disability, Mr. Stewart identified only eleven open positions in the greater Memphis area suitable for Mr. Stocklin. Five of these eleven positions were in the security industry. Dr. Strauser testified that Mr. Stocklin could not maintain any of the identified jobs.

In addition to the positions Mr. Stewart identified, Barrett also engaged Work Finders to seek a position for Mr. Stocklin. Work Finders contacted him in the fall of 2018 to discuss an opportunity as a warehouse manager. Mr. Stocklin said that he received the call without warning and had no idea who Work Finders represented, so he declined.

Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

Mr. Stocklin must prove all elements of his case by a preponderance of the evidence. Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-239(c)(6) (2018). As the parties agreed, Mr. Stocklin suffered a compensable accident resulting in permanent impairment and has the right to future medical treatment for his injuries.

Permanent Disability

The central legal issue is whether he is permanently and totally disabled. The Court finds that he is.

When an injury “totally incapacitates the employee from working at an occupation that brings the employee an income, the employee shall be considered totally disabled[.]” Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-207(4)(B). The assessment of permanent total disability is based on numerous factors, including the employee’s skills and training, education, age, local job opportunities, and the capacity to work at the kinds of employment available in the disabled condition. Roberson v. Loretto Casket Co., 722 S.W.2d 380, 384 (Tenn. 1986). Although a rating of anatomical disability by a medical expert is also one of the relevant factors, “the vocational disability is not restricted to the precise estimate of anatomical disability made by a medical witness.” Henson v. City of Lawrenceburg, 851 S.W.2d 809, 812 (Tenn. 1993). In addition, the employee’s “own assessment of [his] physical condition and resulting disability is competent testimony that should be considered[.]” McIlvain v. Russell Stover Candies, Inc., 996 S.W.2d 179, 183 (Tenn. 3 1999).

In considering these factors, the Court holds that Mr. Stocklin cannot find and maintain work to provide income because of his constant pain, physical limitations, age, work history, and the local job market. Mr. Stocklin can neither sit nor stand for more than a short period of time, and he uses a cane to walk. The Court noticed that throughout the hearing, Mr.

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Related

Smith v. U.S. Pipe & Foundry Co.
14 S.W.3d 739 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 2000)
McIlvain v. Russell Stover Candies, Inc.
996 S.W.2d 179 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1999)
Henson v. City of Lawrenceburg
851 S.W.2d 809 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1993)
Roberson v. Loretto Casket Co.
722 S.W.2d 380 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1986)

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2019 TN WC 20, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stocklin-yz-v-barrett-distribution-tennworkcompcl-2019.