Claimant K.S. suffered a work injury while employed as a dock worker for Forward Air, Inc., when unloading a skid off the top of a truck. The work injury resulted in neck pain radiating down the left arm, headaches, a C4-5 disc protrusion and left foraminal stenosis, brachial neuritis or radiculopathy, cervical segmental dysfunction, left C6 radiculopathy, right C6 radiculopathy, and left C5 radiculopathy.
Travelers Insurance filed a Utilization Review Request challenging Dr. Albert Skocik’s medical treatment of Claimant K.S. for the work injury, which found treatment from January 9, 2009 and into the future to be unreasonable and unnecessary. Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C., filed an appeal, or Petition to Review Utilization Review Determination, which was granted in the injured workers’ favor by the Workers’ Compensation Judge. In awarding the payment of Dr. Skocik’s medical bills, the Judge believed Dr. Skocik over Travelers’ medical witness, Dr. Brian Tarola, that the injured workers’ medical treatment was reasonable and necessary for the work injury.
Workers’ Compensation Judge, sitting in Harrisburg, PA, Dauphin County, awarded the payment of Dr. Albert Skocik’s unpaid medical bills from January 9, 2009 and into the future and costs of litigation.
