Sprauer v. The Club at Admiral Cove: PT, Dr. Laux Follow-Up, and Medications Granted

In Brian Sprauer v. The Club at Admiral Cove/Zenith Claims Solutions, OJCC Case No. 26-008203GJJ, Judge Gregory J. Johnsen issued a Final Compensation Order after an October 8, 2026 final hearing. The claimant suffered a February 2, 2024 work accident while lifting a divot box filled with wet sand and sought continued medical care for accepted thoracic and low-back injuries, including physical therapy, a follow-up with Dr. Gary Laux, and Meloxicam and Tizanidine.

The employer/carrier had accepted the accident, low back pain, thoracic herniated nucleus pulposus, and abdominal wall strain, but later denied additional treatment on major-contributing-cause and medical-necessity grounds. The JCC found no sufficient evidence of a later intervening accident or competing cause that broke the causal chain. The order rejected the treating surgeon's unsupported opinion that the work accident was no longer the major contributing cause and credited evidence that the requested care remained tied to the compensable thoracic injury.

The JCC granted authorization for physical therapy twice weekly for four weeks, a follow-up appointment with Dr. Laux, and the prescribed Meloxicam and Tizanidine. Attorney's fees and costs were also granted for the benefits secured, while the petitions were otherwise dismissed with prejudice except for fee and cost issues.

Source: Compensation Order