Stevie Michael Holmes v. Replacement Parts Inc. and Zurich American Insurance Company

── Stevie Michael Holmes v. Replacement Parts Inc. and Zurich American Insurance Company ── Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal Date: May 20, 2026 Author: COX Category: General Judgment rendered May 20, 2026. Application for rehearing may be filed within the delay allowed by Art. 2166, La. C.C.P. No. 56,777-WCA COURT OF APPEAL SECOND CIRCUIT STATE OF LOUISIANA ***** STEVIE MICHAEL HOLMES Plaintiff-Appellee versus REPLACEMENT PARTS INC. Defendants-Appellants AND ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY ***** Appealed from the Office of Workers’ Compensation, District 1-E Parish of Ouachita, Louisiana Trial Court No. 23-03646 Brenza Irving Jones Workers’ Compensation Judge ***** ANZELMO LAW Counsel for Appellants By: Donald J. Anzelmo LAW OFFICES OF STREET & STREET Counsel for Plaintiffs- By: C. Daniel Street Appellees, Stevie Michael Holmes, Dale Annette Lenard Holmes, Stevie Michael Holmes, Jr., and Dustin Dean Holmes ***** Before COX, STEPHENS, and ELLENDER, JJ. STEPHENS, J., This appeal arises out of an amended judgment issued by the workers’ compensation judge (“WCJ”) from the Office of Workers’ Compensation Court, District 1E, State of Louisiana, on January 15, 2026, following a hearing on a motion for reconsideration filed by the claimant, Stevie Michael Holmes (“Holmes”), on August 1, 2024. This judgment amended a previous ruling of the WCJ’s which had granted a motion for reconsideration in favor of substituted plaintiffs, Dale Annette Lenard Holmes, Stevie Michael Holmes, Jr., and Dustin Dean Holmes,1 ordering defendants, Replacement Parts Inc. and Zurich American Insurance Company, to pay for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment for claimant’s neck injury which had previously been found compensable and his left shoulder injury which was found to be compensable.2 For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the judgment of the WCJ. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY At the time Holmes was involved in a work-related accident on April 28, 2023, he was employed by Bumper to Bumper (Replacement Parts) as a delivery driver. On July 27, 2023, Holmes filed a “Disputed Claim for Compensation” Form 1008 alleging that Replacement Parts and Zurich, its workers’ compensation insurer/benefits administrator, refused to provide 1 Following claimant’s death, his surviving wife and children were substituted as party plaintiffs in this action. 2 The amended judgment was necessary based on this Court’s finding during a jurisdictional check that the judgment from which defendants had appealed was not a final judgment as it did not set forth the specific medical bills and amounts to be paid by defendants. medical treatment for his left shoulder as requested by his treating orthopedic surgeon. Holmes sought the recommended treatment/benefits, as well as imposition of penalties and an award of attorney fees and costs. On September 6, 2023, Holmes filed a motion for medical treatment. In their answer filed on September 13, 2023, defendants admitted that Holmes was injured in an employment-related accident and that compensation benefits had been paid for a period of temporary disability. However, they d