COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA
Present: Judges Bray, Annunziata and Frank
POLLY B. NORRIS
MEMORANDUM OPINION*
v. Record No. 3067-99-4 PER CURIAM
JULY 5, 2000
FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
FROM THE VIRGINIA WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION
(Polly B. Norris, pro se, on briefs).
(Michael N. Salveson; Hunton & Williams, on
brief), for appellee.
Polly B. Norris (claimant) contends that the Workers'
Compensation Commission erred in finding that she was not
entitled to an award of permanent and total disability benefits
under Code § 65.2-503 on the grounds that (1) she failed to
present evidence of a specific impairment rating; and (2) no
evidence proved that she suffered from Reflex Sympathetic
Dystrophy ("RSD") which rendered her permanently and totally
disabled. 1 Upon reviewing the record and the briefs of the
* Pursuant to Code § 17.1-413, recodifying Code
§ 17-116.010, this opinion is not designated for publication.
1
We note that no evidence in the record supports claimant's
accusations of fraud and deceit against her physicians, the
commission, appellee, and appellee's counsel. Accordingly, we
will not address those accusations, but will address only the
merits of her claim. Moreover, we will only address those
issues decided by the commission. The sole issue before the
commission was whether claimant was entitled to an award of
permanent and total disability benefits. Accordingly, we will
parties, we conclude that this appeal is without merit.
Accordingly, we summarily affirm the commission's decision. See
Rule 5A:27. 2
On appeal, we view the evidence in the light most favorable
to the prevailing party below. See R.G. Moore Bldg. Corp. v.
Mullins, 10 Va. App. 211, 212, 390 S.E.2d 788, 788 (1990).
Unless we can say as a matter of law that claimant's evidence
sustained her burden of proof, the commission's findings are
binding and conclusive upon us. See Tomko v. Michael's
Plastering. Co., 210 Va. 697, 699, 173 S.E.2d 833, 835 (1970).
In holding that claimant failed to prove permanent and
total disability causally related to her January 1989
compensable injury by accident, the commission found as follows:
[T]he record is devoid of a specific rating
or quantified assessment of the functional
loss of use of the claimant's legs or other
body member. No physician has assigned a
permanent disability rating. Neither Dr.
[William S.] Berman, Dr. [Virgil] Balint,
nor Dr. [Roger V.] Gisolfi gave an actual
rating to any body part as permanently
impaired. Dr. [Maged H.] Hussein's vague
opinion that the claimant is "100%
disabled," without specification as to
not address claimant's arguments regarding the status of her
treating physician.
2
We have reviewed employer's motion to strike and disregard
all evidence and references to evidence not of record included
in claimant's briefs and claimant's response to that motion. In
reviewing the commission's decision, we considered only the
evidence properly before the commission and contained in its
record when it made its decision.
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whether it applies to a rating member of the
body, is inadequate to sustain her burden of
proof.
The evidence does not support a finding
of total incapacity due to RSD. For
example, Dr. Balint failed to find any focal
neurogenic weaknesses or objective RSD
symptoms. His evaluations noted the absence
of long-term RSD symptoms, such as abnormal
hair and nail growth. Dr. Balint believed
that if the claimant had suffered from RSD,
she had recovered and become stable. He
agreed that she was functionally, totally,
and permanently disabled. However, Dr.
Balint had no diagnosis for the alleged
disability. . . .
Similarly, Dr. Gisolfi found no
clinical findings of RSD and opined that he
could not explain the claimant's pain
complaints. . . . In addition, repeated
diagnostic studies have not documented RSD
findings. Dr. [Abraham] Cherrick's EMG
testing showed a normal left lower
extremity. Two whole body bone scans taken
on December 31, 1997, and on October 2,
1998, were normal. Dr. Hussein's April 30,
1998, letter fails to adequately rebut the
evidence to the contrary.
The commission's factual findings are amply supported by
the medical records. In its role as fact finder, the commission
was entitled to give more weight to the records and opinions of
Drs. Balint and Gisolfi than those of Dr. Hussein. "Medical
evidence is not necessarily conclusive, but is subject to the
commission's consideration and weighing." Hungerford Mechanical
Corp. v. Hobson, 11 Va. App. 675, 677, 401 S.E.2d 213, 215
(1991). The commission articulated appropriate justification
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for accepting the opinions of Drs. Balint and Gisolfi and
rejecting the opinions of Dr. Hussein.
Absent evidence of any specific disability rating 3 for the
loss of use of claimant's legs and in light of the opinions of
Drs. Balint and Gisolfi, we cannot find as a matter of law that
claimant's evidence sustained her burden of proving permanent
and total disability causally related to her compensable
industrial injury. Accordingly, we affirm the commission's
decision.
Affirmed.
3
In order to receive compensation under Code § 65.2-503,
claimant is required to present evidence of the specific
percentage of permanent loss of the alleged disabled member.
See Cafaro Constr. Co. v. Strother, 15 Va. App. 656, 661-62, 426
S.E.2d 489, 492-93 (1993).
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