Decision  Alan K. Havill v. Mead Westvaco/Willow Mill and Onyx Specialty Paper, Inc.

Date:	09/06/2012
Organization:	Department of Industrial Accidents
Docket Number:	DIA Board Nos. 000252-03, 008393-10
Location:	Boston

• Employee: Alan K. Havill
• Employer: Mead Westvaco/Willow Mill, Onyx Specialty Paper, Inc.
• Insurer: Mead Westvaco Corp. (Self Insurer), AIM Mutual Insurance Co.

The employee began working for Mead in 1998, performing work requiring intensive, continuous and repetitive use of his hands, arms and upper body. On January 4, 2003, the employee slipped and fell on ice in the employer’s parking lot, sustaining bilateral wrist fractures and ligamentous injuries. (Dec. 5.) Mead accepted his claim and paid compensation pursuant to §§ 34 and 35 for various periods of incapacity from 2003 through 2006, and medical benefits until November 30, 2009, when the company was sold. During that time, the employee had multiple surgeries on his wrists and hands.¹ He returned to work after each surgery, but the pain in his hands and wrists never entirely went away. (Dec. 5-6.)

¹ The employee had surgery on both scaphoid bones. He returned to work eight weeks later, but within six months experienced bilateral carpal tunnel problems. When cortisone injections were unsuccessful, he had carpal tunnel surgery, first in one hand and then the other. Again, he returned to work, but continued to have pain in both hands; he treated with muscle relaxants and pain medication, and missed work when the pain was too severe. Eventually, he had further surgery to remove the screws in both wrists and bury the nerve in the muscle in the left wrist. However, his pain continued. (Dec. 5-6, 7.)