Allcorn v. Tap Enterprises, Inc.

• Decision Date: 26 February 2009
• Docket Number: No. SD 29311.,SD 29311.
• Citation: 277 S.W.3d 823
• Parties: Allen ALLCORN, Claimant-Appellant, v. TAP ENTERPRISES, INC., and Travelers Commercial Casualty Co., Respondents-Respondents.
• Court: Missouri Court of Appeals

277 S.W.3d 823

Allen ALLCORN, Claimant-Appellant, v. TAP ENTERPRISES, INC., and Travelers Commercial Casualty Co., Respondents-Respondents.

No. SD 29311.

Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, Division Two.

February 26, 2009.

Randy Charles Alberhasky of The Alberhasky Law Firm, P.C., Springfield, MO, for Appellant.

Patricia L. Musick and Douglas M. Greenwald, McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, P.A., Springfield, MO, for Respondent.

GARY W. LYNCH, Chief Judge.

Allen Allcorn, ("Claimant") appeals the decision of the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission ("Commission") denying any compensation from Tap Enterprises, Inc., ("Employer") and its insurer Travelers Commercial Casualty Co. for an alleged occupational disease suffered by Claimant. The Commission affirmed the decision of the Administrative Law Judge ("ALJ"), on the ground that Claimant failed to give proper notice to his Employer in accordance with section 287.420.¹ Claimant appeals the decision of the Commission in three points, each alleging that the Commission improperly applied the law as amended in 2005. Reaching the merits of points one and two only, we find that Claimant did not provide notice according to a strict construction of section 287.420; however, we find that the Commission based its finding of prejudice to Employer on evidence from an incorrect time period. We reverse the decision of the Commission and remand to the Commission to make factual findings consistent with this opinion.

Factual and Procedural Background

Claimant's continuous period of employment with Employer was between February 1, 2004 and April 14, 2006. Employer is a company that sells tools throughout the United States at temporary locations such as trade shows or similar events. Large semi-trucks are used to transport the merchandise to new events. At each event, the tools are manually unloaded and set up for display for the day of the sale, before being manually reloaded into the truck at night. Claimant was hired to drive a truck and was also part of a crew responsible for loading and unloading the tools each day, which would take from 2 to 4 hours daily. The tools could range in weight from 35 to 150 pounds. Claimant worked seventeen days on the road followed by seventeen days off. During the seventeen consecutive days worked, Claimant worked for twelve to fifteen hours at a time. Claimant testified that, prior to this employment, he had not had any back problems and had never sought any medical care for his back.

Shortly after Claimant began working for Employer, Claimant began experiencing pain in his lower back causing him to seek medical treatment. The relevant events are summarized in the timeline below.

                February 1, 2004:          First day of employment
                February 17, 2004:    Claimant presented himself for treatment at the Burton Creek Medical Clinic
                                           reporting back pain. The doctor's notes indicate that "[t]he onset of the pain
                                           has been sudden and has been occurring in a persistent pattern for two weeks
                                           The course has been increasing and occurs more in the early morning. The
                                           pain is characterized as a dull ache." It was specifically noted that Claimant
                                           had "no knowledge of injury to back but has been doing a lot of heavy lifting
                                           with his new job as a truck driver." Claimant was given medication and liver
                                           tests were ordered
                February 24, 2004:         Claimant followed up at the Ozarks Medical Center complaining of back pain
                                           "onset 3 weeks worse today." The pain was described as a "[t]ight ache to
                                           sharp." Claimant was prescribed medication and told to avoid strenuous
                                           activity
                February 25, 2004:         Claimant returned to the Burton Creek Medical Clinic again complaining of
                                           back pain, persistent and increasing for about a month, with stiffness but no
                                           radiation, "precipitated by nothing." Claimant was given Darvocet and instructed
                                           to follow up in six months
                March 17, 2004:            Claimant received a prescription of hydrocodone for low back pain
                April 19, 2004:            Claimant returned for treatment of persistent low back pain, increasing, in an
                                           "intermittent pattern for 3 months." Based on this visit, an MRI was
                                           scheduled.
                May 19, 2004:              An MRI of the lumbar spine was performed indicating "[multi-level degenerative
                                           disk disease extending from L3 to SI" with a "[l]arge right foraminal disk
                                           herniation at L3-L4 with annular tear and mass effect on the exiting nerve
                                           root[,]" and [s]maller left sided foramina disk herniation at L4-L5 which may
                                           effect exiting nerve."
                                           After the MRI, Claimant was referred to Dr. Green for surgical evaluation;
                                           however, due to a lack of health insurance or other means to pay for the
                                           treatment, Claimant was unable to schedule an appointment with Dr. Green.
                                           Claimant continued to work as before.
                November 16, 2004:         Hydrocodone prescription renewed for 30 days.
                Fall, 2005:                Claimant was promoted to Team Supervisor. Claimant testified that at first
                                           his new job did not require as much hard labor because he was managing other
                                           employees, however, eventually, Claimant was required to do as much work as
                                           before in order to "pick up the slack" of other employees who were not
                                           performing well.
                April 14, 2006:            Last day of employment. Claimant requested medical leave early in April of
                                           2006. Shortly after making this request, Claimant was terminated. There is
                                           some evidence Claimant was terminated due to a shortage in his register.
                                           There is also evidence Claimant was terminated simply because the company
                                           no longer needed as many workers.
                

                April 16, 2006:            Claimant returned to Burton Creek Medical Clinic with a complaint of back
                                           pain. Medical records indicate that at this time Claimant has "[p]resent—back
                                           pain (has been working for Cummins tools lifting a lot of machinery and doing
                                           fine) and radiculopathy (down left leg at times (not hurting today) just wants
                                           referral). [Patient] wants to know if he can go see Dr. Green again—he went
                                           about a year ago and didn't have insurance and they told him to come back
                                           when he did have it." The requested referral was made.
                May 4, 2006:               Claimant was seen by Dr. Green at Ozarks Neurosurgical Associates at the
                                           request of Dr. Martin. Claimant reported back pain, "chronic, but intermittent
                                           problem with an acute exacerbation. The event that precipitated this pain was
                                           job-related repetitive lifting of stock. He states the current episode started 2
                                           years ago with progressive worsening of symptoms." The pain worsened with
                                           walking, standing, lifting, twisting, pushing heavy objects, pulling loads and
                                           prolonged sitting. Dr. Green ordered an MRI and prescribed pain medication.
                May 30, 2006:              A second MRI was performed with similar findings to the May 19, 2004 MRI.
                                           In addition to the previous findings, "[l]eft paracentral annular tear unassociated
                                           with disc protrusion at L4-L5, new from prior exam" and Spondylolisthesis
                                           of L5 on SI was noted.
                June 15, 2006:             Claimant filed Original Claim for Compensation alleging injury to "back, spine,
                                           both shoulders, both feet and both legs" due to exposure to "repetitive lifting,
                                           bending and squatting." This claim alleged a date of accident or occupational
                                           disease of January 31, 2004.
                July 26, 2006:             Employer filed a Report of Injury indicating that it had received notice of the
                                           January 31, 2004 injury.
                August 8, 2006:            Employer filed its Answer to Claim for Compensation, raising as a defense
                                           Claimant's failure to give notice to Employer and Insurer of his alleged
                                           accidental or work-related injury, as claimed, and as required in Section
                                           287.420, RSMo Cum.Supp.2005.
                September 25, 2007:        At the request of Claimant's attorney, Dr. Paff evaluated Claimant. Dr. Paff's
                                           report noted the gradual onset of back pain without a specific triggering event,
                                           following the beginning of employment in January of 2004. Dr. Paff opined
                                           that Work exposure "through April of 2006" was the prevailing factor in
                                           causing the two-level disk herniation. Dr. Paff testified that the initial work
                                           exposure from February 1, 2004—February 17, 2004 was sufficient to cause a
                                           repetitive trauma injury to the back.
                November 9, 2006:          Claimant filed an Amended Claim for Compensation alleging injury to back,
                                           spine, both shoulders, both feet, and both legs due to exposure "to repetitive

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