NWCDN Members regularly post articles and summary judgements in workers’ compensations law in your state.
Select a state from the dropdown menu below to scroll through the state specific archives for updates and opinions on various workers’ compensation laws in your state.
Contact information for NWCDN members is also located on the state specific links in the event you have additional questions or your company is seeking a workers’ compensation lawyer in your state.
On November 15, 2019, the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals released its opinion inEx parte Sea Coast Disposal, Inc., in response to a Petition for Writ of Mandamus. The employer argued there was insufficient evidence to support the trial court’s determination that the employee’s neck and back claims were compensable. Regarding the neck, the Court of Appeals reviewed the evidence, consisting of medical records, medical expert testimony, and the testimony of both plaintiff and his father-in-law, regarding the onset of symptoms, including swelling in the plaintiff’s neck. The Court of Appeals determined that there was “substantial evidence” supporting the trial court’s finding of compensability. The Court of Appeals then reviewed the evidence regarding the low back, including an almost one-year delay in the onset of symptoms, infrequent complaints, and no supporting causation opinion from a medical expert. The Court of Appeals held that there was not “substantial evidence” for the trial court to have reasonably inferred that the low back injury was compensable. The Petition for Writ of Mandamus was granted in part and denied in part.
------------------
About the Author
This article was written by Karen E. Cleveland, Esq. of Fish Nelson & Holden, LLC. Fish Nelson & Holden is a law firm dedicated to representing employers, self-insured employers, and insurance carriers in workers’ compensation cases and related liability matters. Fish Nelson & Holden is a member of The National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN). If you have any questions about this submission, please contact Cleveland by emailing her atkcleveland@fishnelson.com or by calling her directly at 205-332-1599.