ACOUSTI ENGINEERING CO. OF FLORIDA; PENINSULAR FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, APPELLANTS,
v.
JOHN H. SHIVERS, APPELLEE
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In a workers' compensation case, the appellate court affirmed an order awarding temporary total disability benefits and continued medical treatment to a claimant whose condition had deteriorated since an earlier finding of permanent partial disability. The court rejected the employer/carrier's argument that temporary benefits could not be awarded without an explicit modification petition based on changed condition.
The court affirmed the award of temporary total disability benefits and continued medical treatment, finding that the claimant demonstrated a change in condition from his previous 40% permanent partial disability status, as evidenced by psychiatric symptoms rendering him unable to work as of November 30, 1979.
[1] An employer and carrier who participate in a hearing without objection to the relief requested cannot later complain about the award of that relief.
[2] A claimant may be awarded temporary total disability benefits and further medical treatment even after a prior award of permanent disability benefits, upon a finding of a…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“despite the claimant's request that the modification petition be held in abeyance, the hearing was nevertheless allowed to proceed upon the request for additional temporary total disability benefits and medical treatment. The appellants were on notice as to the relief requested and voluntarily participated in the hearing.”
Establishes that employer/carrier had notice and participated voluntarily, waiving any procedural objection
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceClaimant suffered a compensable work injury on July 8, 1976. In September 1977, he was found 25% permanently partially disabled. By July 1978, permane…
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SHAW, Judge.
The claimant suffered a compensable accident on July 8,1976. Claim was filed, and on September 27, 1977, an order was entered finding claimant 25% permanently partially disabled. His condition continued to deteriorate, and a Petition for Modification was filed alleging change of condition. On July 20, 1978, permanent disability was increased to 40%. In September of 1979, another Petition for Modification was filed alleging a further change of condition. This petition was noticed for hearing on January 3,1980, at which time claimant/appellee requested that the petition be held in abeyance and sought temporary total disability commencing September 1, 1979, continued medical treatment by Dr. Royce Jackson, evaluation by Dr. Frank Davis, medical treatment if indicated, and attorney’s fees and costs. No objection was voiced by the employer/carrier. It was established that Dr. Royce Jackson, a psychiatrist, saw the claimant on November 30, 1979 and diagnosed his condition as post-traumatic depressive reaction with paranoia. The claimant was severely depressed, agitated, anxious, nervous, suicidal and paranoid. Dr. Jackson recommended that he be seen by Dr. Frank Davis, a neurosurgeon. The carrier was ordered to pay temporary total disability benefits from November 30,1979 for the duration of said disability, furnish further medical treatment as the nature of the injury and the progress of recovery may require, furnish psychiatric treatment through Dr. Royce Jackson and examination and evaluation through Dr. Frank Davis. Costs were assessed against the carrier and jurisdiction was retained for the purpose of awarding an appropriate attorney’s fee.
The appellant argues that once there had been an order entered finding MMI and awarding permanent disability benefits there can be no subsequent order awarding temporary compensation absent a showing of change of condition or mistake of fact via a modification hearing. The instant situation does not accommodate such a neat resolution, for despite the claimant’s request that the modification petition be held in abeyance, the hearing was nevertheless allowed to proceed upon the request for additional temporary total disability benefits and medical treatment. The appellants were on notice as to the relief requested and voluntarily participated in the hearing. They are now in a poor position to complain because the deputy awarded the relief dictated by the evidence.
Dr. Jackson opined that on November 30, 1979, the claimant was suffering post-traumatic depressive reaction to the extent that he was nervous, suicidal and paranoid. This opinion was accepted by the deputy commissioner who found that “[s]ince November 30, 1979, the claimant has been in need of medical treatment and unable to work.” In other words, the deputy found that the claimant, who was only 40% permanently partially disabled on July 20, 1978, now has a functional impairment from a psychological or psychiatric standpoint that renders him temporarily totally disabled and in need of additional medical treatment. Clearly he has found a change in condition notwithstanding his assertion that a change of condition was not at issue. This finding is supported by competent substantial evidence.
The order is, accordingly, affirmed.
ERVIN and WENTWORTH, JJ., concur.
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Univ. Inns & Ins. Co. of N. Am. v. Belva Joyce Davis, 413 So. 2d 128 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982)…the Deputy Commissioner’s failure to rule specifically on whether the requirements of Section 440.28 were met was not fatal, had there been competent substantial evidence to support modification. Acousti Engineering Co. of Florida v. [*130] Shivers, 391 So. 2d 792 (Fla. 1st DCA 1980). However, no evidence whatsoever of a mistake of fact or change of condition since the January 29, 1979 order was presented below; the testimony and medical reports produced were merely cumulative of evidence of Davis’ psychiatri…
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Smith v. James Pirtle Constr. Co. & Md. Cas. Co., 405 So. 2d 290 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981)…not an order for medical examination would be a modification of a prior order finding maximum medical improvement and denying medical benefits (cf. Bryant v. Elberta Crate & Box Co., 156 So. 2d 844 (Fla.1963), and Acousti Engineering Co. v. Shivers, 391 So. 2d 792 (Fla. 1st DCA 1980)), the correctness of the order refusing medical evaluation in this case as in Elberta “must be tested by whether the claimant adequately demonstrated that such ... benefits were reasonably required by the ‘. . . nature of the inj…
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Emergency ONE, Inc. v. Kenith V. Williams, 431 So. 2d 251 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983)…an award of permanent partial disability has been made for the same injury- id. at 270. The holding in Smitty’s is not limited to situations in which the claimant is recovering from post-MMI remedial surgery. See Acousti Engineering Co. v. Shivers, 391 So. 2d 792 (Fla. 1st DCA 1980).1 The record in this case shows that on May 22, 1981, claimant’s treating physician released him for work without limitations, and the order recognizes that date as maximum medical improvement. After examinations in early June t…
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