Arms v. SAIF Corp.

Claimant suffered a compensable spinal injury at the C5-6 level while working for employer in 2003. He received spinal fusion and discectomy surgery for that condition. While claimant was being treated for that injury, imaging revealed a preexisting degenerative disc disease at the C6-7 level. In 2010, claimant’s surgeon recommended discectomy and fusion surgery for the preexisting C6-7 disease. Claimant requested that SAIF, employer’s workers’ compensation insurer, authorize that surgery, asserting that the 2003 surgery had worsened the C6-7 degeneration. SAIF denied compensability of the…