This appeal arises pursuant to the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, TEX. LAB. CODE ANN. § 401.001 et seq. (1989 Act). A contested case hearing (CCH) was held on December 4, 2019, in (city), Texas, with (administrative law judge) presiding as the administrative law judge (ALJ). The ALJ resolved the disputed issues by deciding that: (1) the compensable injury sustained on (date of injury), does not extend to left-hand tenosynovitis; (2) the appellant (claimant) reached maximum medical improvement (MMI) on November 15, 2018; and (3) the claimant’s impairment rating (IR) is zero percent.  The claimant appealed, disputing the ALJ’s determinations of extent of injury, MMI, and IR. The respondent (self-insured) responded, urging affirmance of the disputed extent-of-injury condition, MMI, and IR determinations.

DECISION

Reversed and remanded for reconstruction of the record.

Section 410.203(a)(1) requires the Appeals Panel to consider the record developed at the CCH. No audio recording of the CCH is available for review. The file does not contain a transcript or an audio recording of the proceeding. Consequently, we reverse and remand this case to the ALJ who presided over the December 4, 2019, CCH, if possible, for reconstruction of the CCH record. See Appeals Panel Decision (APD) 190446, decided May 1, 2019.

Pending resolution of the remand, a final decision has not been made in this case. However, since reversal and remand necessitate the issuance of a new decision and order by the ALJ, a party who wishes to appeal from such new decision must file a request for review not later than 15 days after the date on which such new decision is received from the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation, pursuant to Section 410.202 which was amended June 17, 2001, to exclude Saturdays and Sundays and holidays listed in Section 662.003 of the Texas Government Code in the computation of the 15-day appeal and response periods.  See APD 060721, decided June 12, 2006.

The true corporate name of the insurance carrier is SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT (a self-insured governmental entity) and the name and address of its registered agent for service of process is

PEDRO MARTINEZ, SUPERINTENDENT
141 LAVACA STREET
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78210.

Margaret L. Turner
Appeals Judge

CONCUR:

Cristina Beceiro
Appeals Judge

Carisa Space-Beam
Appeals Judge