What the panel ordered
The Appeals Board affirmed the Findings and Award of June 17, 2021, finding that applicant sustained industrial injury causing permanent and total disability, and rejecting defendant's contentions regarding rating instructions and vocational opinions.
Defendant filed a timely petition for reconsideration of the WCJ's Findings and Award of June 17, 2021, which the Appeals Board granted to study the factual and legal issues. The Board issued a Decision After Reconsideration affirming the WCJ's decision.
What was disputed, and how it came out
Each issue the panel decided, with the reasoning it gave. An outcome is what this panel did on this record — not a rule, and not a prediction.
The facts that decided it
What the panel treated as outcome-determinative, and which side it favoured.
Dr. Conrad's impairment evaluation including grip loss measurements was reliable and supported a high permanent disability rating.
Favours Applicant prevailed
This formed the basis for the WCJ's rating instructions and the Disability Evaluator's recommended rating of 97% permanent disability, which the Board found supported by substantial evidence.