G.R. No. 182430 December 4, 2009 LEOPOLDO ABANTE, Petitioner,
vs.
KJGS FLEET MANAGEMENT MANILA and/or GUY DOMINGO A. MACAPAYAG, KRISTIAN GERHARD JEBSENS SKIPSRENDERI A/S,Respondents.
FACTS:
Sometime in June, 2000, while carrying equipment on board the vessel, petitioner slipped and hurt his back, petitioner was brought to a hospital whereupon he was diagnosed to be suffering from "lower back pain r/o old fracture lesion 4th lumbar body." Nevertheless, he was still declared to be fit for restricted work and was advised to see another doctor in the next port of call. Unable to bear the pain, petitioner was, on his request, repatriated to the Philippines on July 19, 2000.
On July 21, 2000, petitioner reported to KJGS and was referred to a company-designated physician, Dr. Roberto D. Lim (Dr. Lim), at the Metropolitan Hospital. After a series of tests, he was diagnosed to be suffering from "Foraminal stenosis L3-L14 and central disc protrusion L4-L5" on account of which he underwent Laminectomy and Discectomy on August 18, 2000, the cost of which was borne by KJGS. He was discharged from the hospital 10 days later, but was advised to continue physical therapy. He was seen by Dr. Lim around 10 times from the time he was discharged until February 20, 2001 when he was pronounced fit to resume sea duties. He, however, refused to sign his Certificate of Fitness for Work.
Petitioner later sought the opinion of another doctor, Dr. Jocelyn Myra R. Caja, who diagnosed him to have "failed back syndrome" and gave a grade 6 disability rating --- which rating rendered him medically unfit to work again as a seaman and called for the award of US$25,000.00 disability benefits --- drawing him to file on April 27, 2001 a Complaint before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), for disability compensation in the amount of US$25,000.00.
ISSUE:
Whether Abante is entitled to disability benefits.
RULING:
Yes,
Section 20 (B) (3) of the POEA Standard Employment Contract of 2000 provides:
SECTION 20. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR INJURY AND ILLNESS
The liabilities of the employer when the seafarer suffers work-related injury or illness during the term of his contract are as follows:
x x x x
3. Upon sign-off from the vessel for medical treatment, the seafarer is entitled to sickness allowance equivalent to his basic wage until he is declared fit to work or the degree of permanent disability has been assessed by the company-designated physician but in no case shall this period exceed one hundred twenty (120) days.
For this purpose, the seafarer shall submit himself to a post-employment medical examination by a company-designated physician within three working days upon his return except when he is physically incapacitated to do so, in which case, a written notice to the agency within the same period is deemed as compliance. Failure of the seafarer to comply with the mandatory reporting requirement shall result in his forfeiture of the right to claim the above benefits.
If a doctor appointed by the seafarer disagrees with the assessment, a third doctor may be agreed jointly between the Employer and the seafarer. The third doctor’s decision shall be final and binding on both parties. (emphasis supplied)
Clearly, the above provision does not preclude the seafarer from getting a second opinion as to his condition for purposes of claiming disability benefits.
In the present case, it is undisputed that petitioner immediately consulted with a physician of his choice after initially having been seen and operated on by a company-designated physician. It was after he got a second opinion and a finding that he is unfit for further work as a seaman that he filed the claim for disability benefits.
Yes,
Section 20 (B) (3) of the POEA Standard Employment Contract of 2000 provides:
SECTION 20. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR INJURY AND ILLNESS
The liabilities of the employer when the seafarer suffers work-related injury or illness during the term of his contract are as follows:
x x x x
3. Upon sign-off from the vessel for medical treatment, the seafarer is entitled to sickness allowance equivalent to his basic wage until he is declared fit to work or the degree of permanent disability has been assessed by the company-designated physician but in no case shall this period exceed one hundred twenty (120) days.
For this purpose, the seafarer shall submit himself to a post-employment medical examination by a company-designated physician within three working days upon his return except when he is physically incapacitated to do so, in which case, a written notice to the agency within the same period is deemed as compliance. Failure of the seafarer to comply with the mandatory reporting requirement shall result in his forfeiture of the right to claim the above benefits.
If a doctor appointed by the seafarer disagrees with the assessment, a third doctor may be agreed jointly between the Employer and the seafarer. The third doctor’s decision shall be final and binding on both parties. (emphasis supplied)
Clearly, the above provision does not preclude the seafarer from getting a second opinion as to his condition for purposes of claiming disability benefits.
In the present case, it is undisputed that petitioner immediately consulted with a physician of his choice after initially having been seen and operated on by a company-designated physician. It was after he got a second opinion and a finding that he is unfit for further work as a seaman that he filed the claim for disability benefits.
No comments:
Post a Comment