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Lennox Industries11/9/2005
Not Designated for Publication
Appellants, Lennox Industries, Inc., and ESIS, appeal the Workers' Compensation Commission's grant of benefits to appellee, Byron Owens. On appeal, they contend that the Commission's determination that appellee proved by a preponderance of the evidence that he sustained a compensable injury while employed by Lennox is not supported by substantial evidence. We affirm.
The standard of review in workers' compensation cases is well settled. We view the evidence and all reasonable inferences deducible therefrom in the light most favorable to the Commission's findings and affirm the decision if it is supported by substantial evidence. Geo Specialty Chem. v. Clingan, 69 Ark. App. 369, 13 S.W.3d 218 (2000). Substantial evidence is such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion. Air Compressor Equip. v. Sword, 69 Ark. App. 162, 11 S.W.3d 1 (2000). The issue is not whether we might have reached a different result or whether the evidence would have supported a contrary finding; if reasonable minds could reach the Commission's conclusion, we must affirm its decision. Geo Specialty, supra.
At the hearing, Byron Owens testified that he began working at Lennox in 1990; that he worked wherever he was needed; but that he normally ran a machine called an Amada, which punched holes in metal. On December 21, 1999, Owens's supervisor told him to "run some boards," and when he started doing that, his hands began hurting. He testified that after he ran the boards and returned to his machine, he felt a pop and then saw a knot on his right wrist; when he told his supervisor, he was sent to the nurse.
Owens admitted on cross-examination that he had not explained his injury as a "pop" during a previous deposition, but as a more gradual injury. However, he also stated on redirect that he had complained to the nurse on several occasions prior to December 21 about his hands and that she would give him ice packs and put cream on his wrists. He said that only after he showed the nurse the knot on his wrist on December 21 did the nurse send him to the doctor.
Lennox sent Owens to Dr. Heisen, who gave him an injection, some naproxen, and a splint for his right wrist; however, with the splint on his right wrist, Owens mainly used his left hand, and it also began to bother him. When Owens complained to the nurse about his left hand, she sent him back to Dr. Heisen, who gave him a splint for his left wrist and referred him to Dr. Hahn. Owens said at that point, his hands would fall asleep, even when he was driving, and that he could not sleep at night.
Dr. Hahn began giving Owens steroid injections in his wrists, which caused his hands to swell with fluid, and ordered physical therapy. Dr. Hahn then sent Owens to Dr. Miles for nerve conduction tests, and after that, Owens returned to Dr. Hahn for more steroid shots. Owens testified that he then saw Dr. Yelvington, who treated him for carpal tunnel with medication and therapy, and Dr. Daniels, who also prescribed similar treatment. Owens then went to Dr. Moore, who referred him to St. Vincent's for a vascular Doppler study, and then to Dr. Rutherford, who also performed a nerve-conduction test. After seeing Dr. Rutherford, Owens returned to Dr. Yelvington and Dr. Daniels, who continued to treat him for carpal tunnel with splints and therapy.
Owens said that he then saw Dr. Clark, who sent him to see Dr. Verma, who performed more nerve-conduction tests. Dr. Clark then performed surgeries on both of Owens's wrists, and later performed a second surgery on the left wrist.
The medical records indicate that Owens saw Dr. Heise
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