Poor Economy Hurts Claimant's Attempt to Obtain More Benefits

A claimant's testimony that the downtrodden economy hurt his job search prevented him from obtaining additional indemnity benefits, a New York appellate court determined. Case: Leslie v. Eastman Kodak Co., No. 511741, 11/17/11, published. Facts: Jerald Leslie, an employee at Eastman Kodak, experienced work-related injuries to both shoulders in 1999. (The court opinion does not describe how Leslie's injuries occurred.) He underwent shoulder surgery in April 2004 and September 2004. Procedural History: In February 2006, a workers' compensation law judge awarded him a 55% scheduled lo...