**Logistics Firm Must Pay for Worker’s Spine Surgery**
A Tennessee appeals board ruled that Capstone Logistics must cover lumbar fusion surgery for employee Kathy Goad, even though doctors disagree on how much her workplace injury contributed to her need for the operation. The board also rejected her request for extra temporary disability pay.
Goad hurt her back in a September 2023 accident at a Capstone facility. She had a preexisting spine condition called spondylolisthesis that had never caused problems before. After the accident, her authorized doctor recommended fusion surgery but later said the need for the procedure was more than half due to natural aging. An independent doctor hired by Goad said the work injury made her condition unstable and was the main reason she needed surgery.
The board sided with Goad on the surgery, finding the accident aggravated her preexisting condition enough to make the operation compensable. However, it upheld the denial of extra disability benefits, leaving that issue for a later hearing. The ruling clarifies that Tennessee employers can be on the hook for surgery even when a worker’s underlying condition plays a role in the need for treatment.
**Bottom Line:** A workplace aggravation of a prior condition can still force an employer to pay for major surgery.
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10933396/goad-kathy-v-capstone-logistics-llc/
How might this decision affect how carriers handle claims involving preexisting back conditions?