JCC Awards Compensability and Medical Care After Employer Fails to Defend Claim

In Jermaine Davis v. Alfred Watson Construction, LLC, OJCC Case No. 25-015910JW, the claimant sought acceptance of compensability, authorization of treatment, and fees and costs for back and right-knee injuries from a July 3, 2023 motor-vehicle crash that occurred while he and coworkers were traveling for work.

Judge Jonathan E. Walker noted that the employer did not participate in the litigation and that its defenses had already been stricken by prior order. With no employer evidence to rebut the claim, the JCC accepted Davis’s sworn testimony that the crash happened in the course and scope of employment, that the employer knew about it because the owner came to the accident scene, and that Davis continued to suffer work-related pain.

The final order grants compensability, authorizes medical treatment and care for the work injuries, and awards attorney’s fees and costs. The decision is a straightforward reminder that an employer’s failure to appear and defend can leave uncontested testimony and basic records enough to secure compensability and treatment benefits.

Source: Compensation Order