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Sears v. Macon Water Authority11/2/2005
RUFFIN, C. J., JOHNSON, P.J., and BARNES, J.
On November 22, 2002, while employed as a painter by the Macon Water Authority, Stanley Sears fell twelve to fifteen feet from a ladder and sustained several fractured bones and other injuries. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital and admitted. On November 26, two days after his release from the hospital, Sears suffered a heart attack. The Water Authority acknowledged that the accident arose out of and in the course of Sears' employment but, in its notice to controvert, challenged Sears' claim that the employer was also responsible for paying for "the following medical treatment/tests" related to the heart attack. According to the Water Authority, Sears' heart attack stemmed from a pre-existing condition, was personal in nature, and did not arise out of or in the course of employment. Therefore, the Water Authority urged, expenses related to the heart attack were not compensable.
A hearing was held to determine whether the Water Authority would be required to pay the heart attack-related expenses. The parties stipulated that if the administrative law judge found the heart attack compensable, then the Water Authority would be obligated to pay the medical bills listed in Claimant's Exhibit C-7.
The administrative law judge issued an award finding the heart attack was related to Sears' work injury. In the award, the judge noted that the day after the fall, doctors advised Sears to discontinue taking a blood thinner he had been taking for his heart condition because surgery was necessary for his injuries. A cardiologist testified that after the blood thinner was reduced, Sears' arteries became more susceptible to clotting, and the trauma from the fall made him more susceptible to chemical changes which would have failed to prevent clotting. Sears also took pain medicine for his injuries from the fall, which the cardiologist said may have masked some of his chest discomfort. In the cardiologist's opinion, the heart attack was caused by a combination of Sears' pre-existing heart disease, physical stress from the fall, fractured bones, pain, reduction of blood thinning medication, and the chemical changes brought on by the trauma. The administrative law judge held that the fall constituted an aggravation of Sears' coronary artery disease, and resulted in the heart attack. The judge ordered the Water Authority to pay the medical expenses listed in Exhibit C-7. The judge made no findings regarding any other medical expenses.
The Water Authority appealed the decision to the Appellate Division of the State Board of Worker's Compensation, and the award was affirmed.
The Water Authority then appealed the Appellate Division's decision to the Superior Court of Bibb County. The superior court affirmed the award, but added that the Water Authority is "not required to pay any future medical expenses related to Claimant's heart condition." Sears moved for reconsideration, requesting that the court remove the language regarding future medical expenses because that issue was never presented to or ruled upon by the administrative law judge or Appellate Division. The court refused to modify the language, and Sears filed an application for discretionary appeal. We granted the application.
On appeal, Sears argues that the superior court exceeded its jurisdiction by deciding an issue never addressed at the administrative level. We agree that the superior court erred in holding that the Water Authority would not have to pay any future medical expenses related to Sears' heart condition, and reverse the judgment in that regard.
It is clear from our review of the record that the question of whether any med
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