Board panel rescinds Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) decision finding separate and distinct injuries

• Posted By: Harvey Brown
• February 3, 2020

This is a Board panel decision

This is a very significant case for workers’ compensation principles.

The applicant worked for the employer for more than 30 years. He filed a cumulative trauma for orthopedic, hearing loss and cardiovascular injuries. The defendant accepted the hearing loss and heart injuries and denied the rest.

The case went to trial and the Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) found injury to the orthopedics, hearing loss and heart. The parties stipulated at a later hearing to 64 per cent permanent disability for the cardiovascular injury and 45 per cent permanent disability for the orthopedic injuries. The WCJ ruled that the internal and orthopedic injuries were separate and issued two separate permanent disability awards. The WCJ reasoned that the cardiovascular injury was unrelated to physical work while the orthopedic was related to physical work. This justified separate permanent disability awards.

The applicant petitioned for reconsideration. The applicant contended there
was a prior decision that there was a determination of only one cumulative
trauma period. The applicant contended you only get a single combined award for orthopedic and cardiovascular injuries.

The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) found there was only one cumulative trauma and the applicant was entitled to a combined award which would result in a life pension. Since there was a previous determination of the cumulative trauma period this could not be relitigated.

Case:

• Posted In: Disability, Petition