ISMAIL OUASSADDINE, Employee/Appellant,
v.
ROSEMOUNT AEROSPACE, INC. and BERKLEY RISK ADM’RS CO., LLC, Employer-Insurer/Respondents\
and
TRIA ORTHOPAEDIC CTR., MINN. DEP’T OF LABOR & INDUS./VRU, and AM. ACCOUNTS C/O METRO. ANESTHESIA NETWORK, LLP, Intervenors.
No. WC19-6255
Minnesota Workers Compensation
Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals
July 22, 2019
CAUSATION
– SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE. Substantial evidence, including
well-founded expert medical opinion and medical records,
supported the compensation judge’s finding that the
employee did not sustain a Gillette injury to his
left wrist and a consequential injury to his right wrist.
Joshua
E. Borken, Law Office of Joshua Borken, St. Paul, Minnesota,
for the Appellant.
Mark
A. Kleinschmidt and Scott G. Ferriss, Cousineau, Waldhauser
& Kieselbach, P.A., Mendota Heights, Minnesota, for the
Respondents.
Determined by: David A. Stofferahn, Judge, Gary M. Hall,
Judge, Deborah K. Sundquist, Judge
Compensation Judge: Kathleen Behounek
Affirmed.
OPINION
DAVID
A. STOFFERAHN, Judge.
The
compensation judge found that the preponderance of the
evidence failed to establish that the employee sustained work
injuries to his wrists. The employee has appealed. We affirm
the compensation judge.
BACKGROUND
Ismail
Ouassaddine, the employee, began working for the employer in
October 2012. The employee worked on a production line
assembling and testing electronic devices. Assembly required
the use of a variety of hand tools and testing of the devices
was done throughout the assembly process. Generally, the
employee held the parts in his left hand, using his right
hand to assemble and handle tools. The units were not heavy
but required constant repetitive use of both hands.
The
employee began having left wrist pain on July 31, 2014. He
sought medical attention that same day from Dr. Comfort
Oniyah. Dr. Oniyah diagnosed a left wrist sprain, recommended
minimal use of the left hand, and prescribed physical
therapy. The therapy relieved the employee’s symptoms
and in September 2014 he was allowed to work without
restrictions.
The
employee’s left wrist pain returned in October 2014.
Dr. Oniyah referred him to an orthopedist, Dr. Daniel Marek,
at Twin Cities Orthopedics. Dr. Marek saw the employee on
November 20, 2014. The examination was generally
unremarkable, and Dr. Marek diagnosed ulnar impaction
syndrome. Dr. Marek provided a cortisone injection to the...
