Filtered Decisions

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award allowing workers' compensation benefits to employee Mark Odom. The Commission also ruled on evidentiary issues, including sustaining the exclusion of employer's Exhibit L due to lack of proper foundation.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award allowing workers' compensation for David Hogenmiller's hearing loss and tinnitus, finding the ALJ properly admitted expert testimony from an audiologist regarding medical causation. The Commission rejected the employer/insurer's challenge to the admissibility of the audiologist's opinions, determining that non-physician experts with specialized knowledge in medical matters may qualify to testify on causation.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award of permanent total disability benefits, finding that the employee's left shoulder injuries identified on January 31, 2008, were natural and probable consequences of the original April 28, 2006 workplace accident. The employee's left shoulder injuries resulted from compensatory overuse of his left arm due to his primary right shoulder injury, making them compensable as a direct result of the original injury.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award allowing workers' compensation for an employee's work-related right knee injury from July 22, 2014, which required surgery and ongoing pain management. The decision was supported by unrebutted expert testimony that the employee remained symptomatic and required future medical care flowing from the compensable injury.

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award of workers' compensation benefits to Ronald Sanford for a left shoulder rotator cuff injury, with a supplemental correcting opinion clarifying the surgical history. The Commission found the ALJ's award of compensation was supported by competent and substantial evidence and in accordance with Missouri Workers' Compensation Law.

The Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award allowing workers' compensation benefits for Rossie P. Judd against DaimlerChrysler, rejecting the employer/insurer's motion to dismiss. The employee appealed the extent of her partial disability rating, claiming competent and substantial evidence supported a finding of more than 11.25% permanent partial disability of the body as a whole.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award allowing workers' compensation benefits for Rodney D. Deckard's back injury sustained when he slipped on ice on February 24, 2015, while employed by the Department of Natural Resources. The employee was awarded 35% permanent partial disability with temporary total disability payments of $14,134.44 and medical aid valued at $164,250.59.

The LIRC affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's final award denying compensation in this workers' compensation case, finding no benefits were awarded. The claim was ultimately denied, with the court noting that the claim regarding the Second Injury Fund was not filed within the time required by law.

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award denying workers' compensation benefits to James Collins. The Commission also addressed procedural issues regarding the timing of the award's issuance and mailing, concluding that the award was properly issued while the administrative law judge remained employed.

The Commission affirmed the ALJ's denial of workers' compensation benefits for an employee who injured her right knee while stepping onto a concrete step, finding the injury was not work-related. The employee failed to demonstrate that the risk causing her knee injury was related to her employment duties or was a hazard unique to her job as opposed to risks in normal nonemployment life.

The LIRC affirmed the ALJ's denial of workers' compensation benefits for Eugene A. Peacock's claim of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome as an occupational disease. The employee failed to establish by competent medical evidence a direct causal connection between his repetitive occupational exposure and the carpal tunnel condition.

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award of workers' compensation benefits to Michael Barnett for a neck disc herniation, finding the ALJ's reliance on the employee's credible description of repetitive job duties and early treatment records adequately established work-related causation. The Commission rejected the employer's arguments that medical opinions and treatment records failed to support a causal connection between the employee's work at Harley Davidson and his condition.

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award of workers' compensation benefits to Thomas Penning for a right wrist scaphoid fracture sustained in a May 13, 2013 work accident at Harley Davidson. The Commission found the employee's credible testimony and medical evidence, including radiological studies and treating physician diagnosis, supported that the accident was the prevailing factor causing the injury and necessitating all subsequent treatment including fusion and carpal tunnel release procedures.

The LIRC affirmed the ALJ's award of workers' compensation benefits for Jackie Taylor's right eye injury from February 11, 2009, finding credible medical evidence and employee testimony regarding permanent partial disability and synergistic effects with a preexisting knee condition. The Commission rejected the Second Injury Fund's arguments challenging the synergy finding and the consideration of the right knee as a preexisting permanent partial disability.

The Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award of workers' compensation to Vitaliano Rodas for an injury sustained on May 18, 2015, while performing maintenance and floor-setting work at Villa Bella Apartments in Kansas City, Kansas. The decision established employer-employee relationship despite the use of 1099 forms and found the injury fell within Missouri workers' compensation jurisdiction.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award allowing workers' compensation for an employee who sustained injuries falling during an off-duty obstacle course, finding the injuries arose out of and in the course of employment. The decision applies post-2005 Missouri statutory amendments that modified the legal tests for compensability and abrogated prior case law interpretations.

The Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award of workers' compensation benefits to Alvin Hellmann for a right elbow injury sustained in a slip and fall on a loading dock on October 17, 2012. The award includes 63 weeks of permanent partial disability compensation from the employer and permanent total disability benefits from the Second Injury Fund.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award denying compensation to employee James Anderson for a workplace injury that occurred on December 1, 2011. The case involved a claim against the Second Injury Fund, which requires evidence of work injury disability combined with preexisting disability to result in enhanced or total disability.

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award finding the employee's April 21, 2014 workplace injury compensable with permanent partial disability ratings of 25% left shoulder, 10% neck, 5% right knee, and 2.5% left ankle. Total compensation of $190,117.96 was awarded for medical treatment and temporary disability benefits already paid, with no future requirements awarded.

The Missouri LIRC affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award allowing workers' compensation benefits for Ryan Reddick's injury claim against Meineke Car Care. The Commission found the ALJ's decision was supported by competent and substantial evidence and complied with Missouri Workers' Compensation Law.

The Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award allowing workers' compensation for an employee who suffered a right ankle injury while attempting to escape after being locked inside the employer's courtyard at the end of his shift. The Commission concluded that the employee's injuries arose out of and in the course of employment, as his activities were sufficiently incidental to his work, and provided supplemental analysis regarding the 2005 legislative changes to Missouri Workers' Compensation Law.

The Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award allowing workers' compensation benefits to William R. Johnson for a back injury sustained on December 12, 2013, while loading firewood. The claim was settled for 15% permanent partial disability to the body as a whole, with the Second Injury Fund providing ongoing permanent total disability payments.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award of compensation for a work-related right hip strain injury sustained on April 11, 2013, finding the injury was the prevailing factor in the employee's condition. The employee was determined to be permanently and totally disabled based on the combination of the primary injury with preexisting disabilities and her age, education, and lack of transferable skills.

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's decision denying all workers' compensation benefits for Gary Page's left ankle injury that occurred on January 12, 2011. Although the injury arose out of and in the course of employment, it was determined to be non-compensable under Missouri workers' compensation law.

The Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award allowing workers' compensation benefits for Gary Page's left ankle and right knee injuries sustained on October 3, 2008, when he jumped from a runaway truck with failed brakes. The employer and insurer were ordered to pay $66,566.57 in permanent partial disability benefits (70% for left ankle, 35% for right knee) plus ongoing medical treatment.