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Marie Lafleur v. The Arbor Holding Company LLC d/b/a Barrington Terrace of Fort Myers and United Wisconsin Insurance Company, 18-0381 (2019)

Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida Number: 18-0381 Visitors: 18
Filed: Jun. 12, 2019
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL STATE OF FLORIDA _ No. 1D18-0381 _ MARIE LAFLEUR, Appellant, v. THE ARBOR HOLDING COMPANY LLC d/b/a BARRINGTON TERRACE OF FORT MYERS and UNITED WISCONSIN INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellees. _ On appeal from an order of the Judge of Compensation Claims. Frank Clark, Judge. Date of Accident: November 23, 2014. June 12, 2019 RAY, J. In this workers’ compensation case, Claimant appeals an order of the Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) denying Claimant the right to select th
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          FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
                 STATE OF FLORIDA
                 _____________________________

                         No. 1D18-0381
                 _____________________________

MARIE LAFLEUR,

    Appellant,

    v.

THE ARBOR HOLDING COMPANY
LLC d/b/a BARRINGTON TERRACE
OF FORT MYERS and UNITED
WISCONSIN INSURANCE
COMPANY,

    Appellees.
                 _____________________________


On appeal from an order of the Judge of Compensation Claims.
Frank Clark, Judge.

Date of Accident: November 23, 2014.

                          June 12, 2019


RAY, J.

     In this workers’ compensation case, Claimant appeals an
order of the Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) denying
Claimant the right to select the doctor who would serve as her one-
time change of physician available under section 440.13(2)(f),
Florida Statutes (2014). We reverse on the authority of Myers v.
Pasco County School Board, 
246 So. 3d 1278
(Fla. 1st DCA 2018), *
because the record does not contain sufficient evidence to support
the JCC’s finding that the Employer/Carrier’s authorization of an
anesthesiologist, although made within five calendar days of
Claimant’s request for a one-time change, satisfied their statutory
obligation to provide a physician in the “same” specialty as the
previously authorized physician who specializes in physical
medicine and rehabilitation. Section 440.13(2)(f) contemplates
that the originally authorized physician be “in the same specialty
as the changed physician.” Myers held that “[a] physician who
provides similar services in a different specialty does not qualify as
a doctor in the ‘same specialty’ because—quite simply—‘same’ is
different than ‘similar.’” 
Id. at 1279.
    REVERSED and REMANDED for further proceedings in
accordance with this opinion.

ROBERTS and WINSOR, JJ., concur.

                  _____________________________

    Not final until disposition of any timely and
    authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
    9.331.
               _____________________________


Cory J. Pollack, Fort Myers, and Bill McCabe, Longwood, for
Appellant.

Robert C. Barrett and McKensey M. Sims of Rissman, Barrett,
Hurt, Donahue, McLain & Mangan, P.A., Orlando, for Appellees.




    *The JCC did not have the benefit of the Myers opinion before
rendering the order under review.

                                  2

Source:  CourtListener

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