Supreme Court Says Logger Proved Occupational Disease

The Idaho Supreme Court ruled that a logger met his burden of proving he had developed an occupational disease affecting his back. Stephen Lowery worked in the logging industry for most of his adult life. In the early 1990s, Lowery suffered an L5-S1 disc herniation and bulging disc at L4-5, which he related to his employment. He underwent back surgery in 1993 and received a 10% impairment rating. In 2002, Lowery injured his back again. A magnetic resonance imaging scan showed degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 with associated left-sided foraminal stenosis. Mild disc bulg...