Court Expands Rule From Decision to Claims Without Combined Conditions

The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that when a worker’s impairment is caused entirely by a pre-existing condition that has not been claimed or has not combined with a compensable injury, she must be paid compensation as long as the new impairment is caused by the work injury. Case: In the Matter of Compensation of Robinette, Nos. 1801420 and A170673, 10/07/2020, published. Facts and procedural history: Theresa Robinette worked for the Oregon Homecare Commission, which had workers’ compensation insurance coverage with the SAIF Corp. Robinette received benefits based on a...