Lopez v. Martin County School Board: ACL Surgery Denied Under MCC and Hindrance Analysis

JCC denied Rommel Lopez authorization for ACL revision surgery after finding that his accepted June 3, 2025 left-knee accident involved the LCL tear, not the preexisting ACL graft condition.

The order credited testimony that the ACL laxity was not caused by the work accident and that the proposed surgery was meant to reduce a possible future risk to the repaired meniscus rather than remove a present hindrance to recovery from the compensable injury. Fees and costs were also denied, and the January 30, 2026 petition was dismissed with prejudice. OJCC Case No. 26-002324GJJ.

Source: Compensation Order