In this case, Thomas Hayes, a custodian at Vintage Pharmaceuticals, sued for workers' compensation benefits after an injury to his foot in a forklift accident. After a trial, the lower court found Hayes had suffered a nonscheduled injury to his body as a whole and awarded permanent total-disability benefits for a nonscheduled injury. Vintage Pharmaceuticals appealed this decision, and the Court of Civil Appeals reversed the judgment based on a different interpretation of the Act.
The Supreme Court of Alabama here reviewed the case, specifically to determine whether the Court of Civil Appeals' decision conflicted with prior decisions. The Supreme Court found that there was substantial evidence to support the lower court's conclusion that the injury's effects extended beyond the foot and interfered with the effective functioning of Hayes's body as a whole. Therefore, the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals and remanded the case for further proceedings.
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