McKay v. Hillhouse, Inc., 011321 MEWC, 18-02-13-61

• Case Date: January 13, 2021
• Court: Maine

CATHY McKAY, Employee v. HILLHOUSE, INC., Employer and MEMIC, Insurer WCB No. 18-02-13-61 Maine Workers Compensation Decisions State Of Maine Workers' Compensation Board January 13, 2021           DOI: 08-22-2018           ELIZABETH ELWIN, HEARING OFFICER WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD          DECREE          1. Pending before the Board are the employee's Petition for Award of Compensation and for Payment of Medical and Related Services, both dated June 17, 2020, based on an asserted August 22, 2018 date of injury to her bilateral knees.          2. At the time of the injury, Ms. McKay worked as a charge nurse for the employer. On the date of injury, she was assisting a CNA with moving a patient using a Hoyer lift. In the process of pulling the lift back off the bed, the bar fell on her left leg. A short time later, she was helping to transfer a "dead weight" lady when she fell back into bed. Ms. McKay fell back with her striking the same area of her left leg on the metal bed rail.          3. Ms. McKay developed a large hematoma on her left calf that was slow to resolve, but by October 12, 2018, she was discharged from medical care. Up to that time, the records document no complaints of knee pain.          4. In August, 2019, Ms. McKay returned to her primary care doctor at Augusta Internal Medicine with complaints of left knee pain. She was referred to Central Maine Orthopedics where she was seen by Dr. Patrick Fallon on June 10, 2020. His note indicates that Ms. McKay has had (knee) pain since August 22, 2018. However, that is not supported by the medical records for treatment during that earlier timeframe. Dr. Fallon noted advanced degenerative changes in the left knee which he did not believe were caused by the lateral calf pain she had experienced as a result of the work incident. He ordered an EMG which was normal. He sent her for another left knee MRI which revealed a medial meniscus...