International Paper Co. v. Melton

I concur with the majority opinion. However, I write specially to address an issue that concerns this court's opinion in Oden v. GulfStates Steel, Inc., 797 So.2d 1093 (Ala.Civ.App. 2001) — a case that I authored — and the subsequent reliance on that case made inUnited Defense, L.P., v. Willingham, 829 So.2d 771 (Ala.Civ.App. 2002) — a case now relied upon by International Paper and by Judge Pittman in his dissent.

In Oden, the worker contended that he had suffered an injury through repeated trauma to the cervical spine in the line and course of his employment as a crane operator. Expert…