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HMSHost Corp. v. Frederic

DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL FIRST DISTRICT, STATE OF FLORIDA
May 29, 2012
CASE NO. 1D11-4956 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. May. 29, 2012)

Opinion

CASE NO. 1D11-4956

05-29-2012

HMSHOST CORPORATION/GALLAGHER BASSETT SERVICES INC., Appellants, v. GUERDA FREDERIC, Appellee.

H. George Kagan of Miller, Kagan, Rodriguez & Silver, P.L., West Palm Beach, for Appellants. Kimberly A. Hill of Kimberly A. Hill, P.L., Fort Lauderdale, for Appellee.


NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING AND

DISPOSITION THEREOF IF FILED

An appeal from an order of the Judge of Compensation Claims. Charles M. Hill, III, Judge. Date of Accident: June 13, 2010. H. George Kagan of Miller, Kagan, Rodriguez & Silver, P.L., West Palm Beach, for Appellants. Kimberly A. Hill of Kimberly A. Hill, P.L., Fort Lauderdale, for Appellee. PER CURIAM.

In this workers' compensation case, the Employer/Carrier appeals an order of the Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) awarding Claimant her own selection of a "one-time" change of physician under section 440.13(2)(f), Florida Statutes (2009). We reverse because, although we agree with the JCC that Claimant's purported petition for benefits constituted the "written request" required by section 440.13(2)(f), we hold the JCC erred in finding the Employer/Carrier (E/C) did not comply with the request within the five days section 440.13(2)(f) allows. The E/C's informing Claimant of a particular doctor's name within five days of receiving the request satisfied section 440.13(2)(f), even though the E/C did not contact the doctor. See Dorsch, Inc. v. Hunt, 15 So. 2d 836 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009); Harrell v. Citrus County Sch. Bd., 25 So. 3d 675 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010). We distinguish Pardo v. Denny's, Inc., 631 So. 2d 388 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994), on the ground that its facts involved the initial provision of care rather than, as here, the transfer of care.

REVERSED. WOLF, LEWIS, and THOMAS, JJ., CONCUR.


Summaries of

HMSHost Corp. v. Frederic

DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL FIRST DISTRICT, STATE OF FLORIDA
May 29, 2012
CASE NO. 1D11-4956 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. May. 29, 2012)
Case details for

HMSHost Corp. v. Frederic

Case Details

Full title:HMSHOST CORPORATION/GALLAGHER BASSETT SERVICES INC., Appellants, v. GUERDA…

Court:DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL FIRST DISTRICT, STATE OF FLORIDA

Date published: May 29, 2012

Citations

CASE NO. 1D11-4956 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. May. 29, 2012)