Opinion
A95A1817.
DECIDED MAY 24, 1996.
Workers' Compensation. Haralson Superior Court. Before Judge Fudger.
Wilson, Strickland Benson, Warner R. Wilson, Jr., Samuel T. Brannan III, for appellant.
Murphy, Murphy Garner, Stephen E. Garner, for appellee.
Following our grant of a discretionary appeal, The Arrow Company appealed the superior court's judgment requiring The Arrow Company to pay certain medical and prescription drug expenses following an unauthorized referral to a specialist by Smith's authorized physician. We reversed because we found that Wright v. Overnite Transp. Co., 214 Ga. App. 822 ( 449 S.E.2d 167) controlled disposition of the appeal, and because we found that the amendments to OCGA § 34-9-201 and the State Board of Worker's Compensation Rules were inapplicable because Smith's injury occurred before the effective dates of the amendments.
The case is now before this court again because, after granting certiorari, our Supreme Court remanded the case for reconsideration in light of this court's subsequent decisions in Porter v. Ingles Market, 219 Ga. App. 145 ( 464 S.E.2d 212) and Barnes v. City of Atlanta Police Dept., 219 Ga. App. 139 ( 464 S.E.2d 609), which held the amendment to OCGA § 34-9-201 should be applied retroactively. Accordingly, upon reconsideration in light of this court's whole court precedent in Barnes, supra, the prior judgment of this court in this case is vacated, and pursuant to the judgment of this court, as expressed in the holding in Barnes, supra, as applied to this case, the judgment of the superior court is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed. Johnson and Smith, JJ., concur.