Taylor v. TGI Friday's, Inc., 108 So. 3d 698 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013). · Go Syfert
Taylor v. TGI Friday's, Inc., 108 So. 3d 698 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
“an ema's opinion . . . is presumed to be correct unless the jcc finds and articulates clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.”
1 citation event across 1 distinct court.
Strongest positive: Ruben Rodriguez v. Tallahassee Fire Department/ City of Tallahassee (fladistctapp, 2018-03-15)
Top citers, strongest first. 1 distinct citer. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Ruben Rodriguez v. Tallahassee Fire Department/ City of Tallahassee
Fla. Dist. Ct. App. · 2018 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
an ema's opinion . . . is presumed to be correct unless the jcc finds and articulates clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Richard R. TAYLOR
v.
TGI FRIDAY'S, INC. and Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc.
No. 1D11-6356.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Feb 22, 2013.
108 So. 3d 698
Kenneth B. Schwartz, West Palm Beach, for Appellant., Rosemary Wilder of Marlow, Connell, Abrams, Adler, Newman & Lewis, Coral Gables, for Appellees.
Lewis, Nortwick, Swanson.
Cited by 1 opinion  |  Published
1 passage pin-cited by 1 case
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Citer courts: District Court of Appeal of Fl… (1)
PER CURIAM.

In this workers’ compensation appeal, Richard Taylor, Claimant, argues that the Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) erred by denying Claimant’s claim for payment of medical bills related to the symptoms Claimant demonstrated when he presented to the hospital for treatment. Because the expert medical advisor (EMA) testified that the compensable injury was the major contributing cause (MCC) of the collection of symptoms that led to the treatment provided to Claimant, and because the JCC failed to cite clear and convincing evidence sufficient to reject the presumed correctness of the EMA’s opinion, we REVERSE.

An EMA’s opinion has nearly conclusive effect, Pierre v. Handi Van. Inc., 717 So.2d 1115 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998), and is presumed to be correct unless the JCC finds and articulates clear and convincing evidence to the contrary. See § 440.13(3)(c), Fla. Stat. (2006); see also Amos v. Gartner, Inc., 17 So.3d 829 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009). Although the JCC states that she relied upon the EMA’s medical[*699] opinions regarding the nature of Claimant’s condition and need for treatment, the JCC miseharacterized the EMA’s deposition testimony relative to the MCC of the collection of symptoms that led to the treatment provided at Memorial Hospital West. Even though the EMA opined that Claimant’s compensable injury was not the MCC requiring the installation of a permanent pacemaker in Claimant, the EMA testified that Claimant’s compensable injury was the MCC of the collection of symptoms that led to treatment provided at Memorial Hospital West. Absent clear and convincing evidence to reject same, the JCC erred in finding that Claimant’s com-pensable accident was not the MCC of the collection of symptoms that led to the treatment provided at the hospital. Accordingly, Claimant is entitled to payment for all reasonable and medically necessary services related to the collection of symptoms Claimant presented with on March 11th, based on the testimony from the EMA. Accordingly, the order on review is reversed and remanded for entry of an order consistent with this opinion.

REVERSED and REMANDED.

VAN NORTWICK, LEWIS, and SWANSON, JJ., concur.