Loretta Simon

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award of workers' compensation benefits for Leliah Baxter, who sustained a repetitive strain injury to both wrists while working on a General Motors assembly line on October 8, 2004. The employee was awarded compensation for 30% permanent partial disability of each wrist, plus additional compensation for multiplicity of injury and disfigurement.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's temporary award allowing compensation for an employee struck by a vehicle in the employer's parking lot at the end of her work day on December 18, 2008. The injury was deemed to arise out of and in the course of employment because the employee would not have crossed paths with the negligent driver but for her employment.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's award allowing workers' compensation benefits for Woodrow Ward, who suffered a thoracic back, right wrist, and right shoulder injury after falling 15 feet from a rooftop on June 16, 2003. The claimant was awarded permanent partial disability compensation totaling $59,837.31 for injuries rated at 25% PPD of the thoracic spine, 22.5% PPD of the right shoulder, and 17.5% PPD of the right wrist.

The Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award denying all workers' compensation benefits, finding that the employee's alleged carpal tunnel syndrome from loading and unloading portable toilets was not a compensable injury under Missouri workers' compensation law. No compensation, medical benefits, or Second Injury Fund liability were awarded.

The Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's decision denying all workers' compensation benefits to Paul Gruenert for an alleged lifting injury occurring on April 16, 1999. The claim was denied because the injury did not arise out of and in the course of employment, and no compensable injury was found.

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award allowing workers' compensation benefits for Joseph Becherer's right groin injury sustained on September 16, 2002 while using a pipe wrench. The Commission found the injury compensable under Missouri law with permanent disability rated at 20% body as a whole for the groin injury and 4% for aggravation of pre-existing psychiatric condition.

The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's award of workers' compensation to Elizabeth Caccia-Nelson for a low back and hip injury sustained on February 11, 2000, while lifting a cauldron of icing at Dierberg's Markets. The claimant was awarded 20 weeks of permanent partial disability compensation totaling $5,401.60 for 5% permanent partial disability.

The Commission affirmed the administrative law judge's denial of workers' compensation benefits for an employee claiming psychiatric injury due to work-related stress from events on August 31, 2001. The employee failed to prove that any medical condition was causally related to the alleged workplace events, with credible medical evidence supporting that no psychiatric disorder resulted from the work incident.