LORI L. PAWLOWICZ, Employee,
v.
FITGERS ON THE LAKE and STATE FUND MUT. INS. CO., Employer-Insurer/Appellants.
Minnesota Workers Compensation
Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
January 26, 1999
HEADNOTES
CAUSATION
- MEDICAL TREATMENT. Substantial evidence supports the
compensation judge's finding that the employee's 1995
work injury was a substantial contributing cause of the
employee's need for medical treatment in 1997.
Affirmed.
Determined by: Hefte, J., Wilson, J., and Wheeler, C.J.
Compensation Judge: Gregory A. Bonovetz
OPINION
RICHARD C. HEFTE, Judge
The
employer and insurer appeal the compensation judge's
finding that the employee's need for medical treatment in
1997 was causally related to her November 14, 1995, work
injury. We affirm.
BACKGROUND
On
November 14, 1995, Lori Pawlowicz (employee) sustained an
admitted low back injury while working as a housekeeper for
Fitgers on the Lake (employer), a hotel, which was insured
for workers' compensation liability by State Fund Mutual
Insurance Company (insurer). Before starting to work for
the employer in March 1995, the employee had occasional
incidents involving back pain. In 1991, the employee
deflected a falling box and experienced low back pain
including tightness and muscle spasm. She was treated
with a muscle relaxant and the pain resolved within two
weeks. In 1993, the employee experienced sharp back pain
after getting up too fast from a couch and was treated in an
emergency room with medication. No follow-up treatment
was required and the pain resolved in about three
days. In January 1994, the employee reported low back
pain and was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. The
employee testified that she experienced no low back pain
between January 1994 and November 14, 1995.
Before
the November 14, 1995, work injury, the employee was able to
perform all of her work activities without any problems with
her low back. These activities included vacuuming,
moving furniture, bending, washing floors, dusting,
restocking the rooms, and...
