No Benefits for Shepherd With Delay in Treatment for Appendicitis

An Oregon appellate court upheld the denial of a sheepherder’s claim for benefits for his appendicitis. Case: In the Matter of Compensation of Vilca-Inga, Nos. 2005820 and A177556, 08/09/2023, unpublished. Facts: Elvin R. Vilca-Inga experienced abdominal pain while working in the mountains as a sheepherder. The following day, he notified his employer about the pain and was taken to a local clinic and then to a hospital approximately 90 miles away.  Vilca-Inga underwent an appendectomy for acute appendicitis with perforation. Procedural history: Vilca-Inga filed a workers’ ...