Brandon Brantley v. Personnel Placements

This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The plaintiff contends that he got a piece of metal in his eye on Friday, August 25, 1995 at approximately 11: P.M., while working for the defendant, and that he has suffered a compensable injury to his eye. The trial court found the plaintiff had failed to prove the injury was work related. We affirm the judgment of the trial court. The plaintiff testified a piece of metal got in his eye while he was working. He testified he received the injury at 11: P.M., and he searched for his supervisor to report the injury but was unable to find him. He testified he left work as a result of the pain. The plaintiff testified he drove from work to a friend's house and took Tylenol for the pain. The friend did not testify in the case. The plaintiff's time card showed he had checked out at 8:5 P.M. He claimed he was present at work after 8:5 P.M., but he had no explanation for why his card did not show he had checked back into work. The significant medical evidence in this case was given by Dr. James A. Price, an ophthalmologist. Dr. Price saw the plaintiff on August 29, 1995 and found him to have a pseudomonas corneal ulcer -- the pseudomonas being the bacteria which causes the damage. When asked if a piece of metal that had gotten into the eye would have caused the ulcer, Dr. Price was of the opinion that this would be consistent with the condition he found. The plaintiff had not told Dr. Price he had gotten a piece of metal in his eye. Dr. Price testified the plaintiff had lost 9 percent of the vision in his left eye. The trial judge dismissed the case because he found "the plaintiff had failed to carry his burden of proof of causation." From a reading of the record it seems clear the trial judge found the plaintiff failed to show he sustained an injury by accident as he alleged, because he did not credit the plaintiff's testimony. 2