Long v. SAIF Corporation

A Workers' Compensation Board's decision is supported by substantial evidence and reason when it is based on an expert's opinion that is supported by medical tests and opposing experts.

A surviving spouse appealed the decision of the Workers’ Compensation Board. The board denied the deceased spouse’s cardiac arrest claim. The surviving spouse argued on appeal that SAIF’s opinion of the medical records was flawed and so the Board’s order, relying on that opinion, lacked substantial reason. The deceased spouse had a heart attack while at work, but a cardiologist expert for SAIF concluded that the heart attack (and then death) was the result of medical issues unrelated to the man’s employment and his work that day was not even a material contributing factor to the heart attack. Workers’ Compensation Board decisions much be supported by substantial evidence and reason. The Court held that the Board’s decision to give greater weight to SAIF’s expert was reasonable because medical tests and one of the other expert’s testimony supported that expert’s conclusions and so the decision had substantial reason. Affirmed.