American Hospice Management Holdings, L.L.C. v. Julia Ann Piggott

COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA

Present: Judges Humphreys, Huff and Senior Judge Clements

AMERICAN HOSPICE MANAGEMENT

HOLDINGS, L.L.C. AND AMERICAN

HOME ASSURANCE COMPANY

MEMORANDUM OPINION * v. Record No. 1851-11-2 PER CURIAM JANUARY 24, 2012 JULIA ANN PIGGOTT

FROM THE VIRGINIA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COMMISSION (S. Vernon Priddy III; Two Rivers Law Group, P.C., on brief), for appellants.

(Vincent L. Robertson, Sr., on brief), for appellee.

American Hospice Management Holdings, L.L.C. (hereinafter referred to as employer) appeals a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Commission ordering the employer to authorize surgery requested by Julia Ann Piggott (claimant). Employer contends the commission erred by 1) ordering the authorization for the surgery, (2) rejecting employer’s argument that claimant failed to prove the surgery was necessary and causally related to her awarded condition of “strain-lumbar,” and (3) by “expanding [claimant’s] compensable condition beyond the awarded condition . . . .”

We have reviewed the record and the commission’s opinion and find that this appeal is without merit. Accordingly, we affirm for the reasons stated by the commission in its final opinion. See Piggot v. American Hospice Management Holdings, L.L.C., VWC File No. 232-30-16 (Aug. 15, 2011). We dispense with oral argument and summarily affirm because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the Court and argument would not aid the decisional process. See Code § 17.1-403; Rule 5A:27.

Affirmed.