Entrekin v. Lasseter

Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama

Etowah County | 185 So. 3d 479 | June 26, 2015


Sheriff Appeals Court's Expansion of Medical Expense Liability Beyond Initial Agreement

Todd Entrekin, sheriff of Etowah County, challenged a court decision mandating payment for lumbar spine treatments of Jerry Frederic Lasseter, a former sheriff's deputy injured in 2010. The 2013 settlement between the two parties specified a lump-sum payment of $22,500 for Lasseter's thoracic spine injury, exempting the sheriff from future compensation but holding him liable for related medical expenses.

In 2014, Lasseter pressed for lumbar spine treatments, referencing coverage by Meadowbrook Insurance Group (MIG) for earlier treatments. The sheriff argued that the initial agreement only covered thoracic treatments, which the trial court overruled. Drawing parallels with the Central Gas case, where a worker received back injury compensation under an agreement citing only a foot injury, Lasseter claimed similar entitlements.

However, the court noted clear differences. The Central Gas judgment was non-specific, whereas Lasseter's was distinctly tied to the thoracic injury. Lasseter lacked evidence connecting his lumbar issues to the 2010 thoracic injury. Further references by Lasseter, like the Alabama Farmers Cooperative case, were deemed irrelevant as the cited cases did not necessitate detailing liabilities for unrelated injuries in settlements. The court deduced that Lasseter's agreement strictly pertained to the thoracic injury, rendering the trial court's verdict incorrect. The judgment was subsequently overturned, and the matter was returned for reevaluation.

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