Supreme Court Upholds 5% PPD Award for Worker's Hydraulic Press Accident

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld a determination that a worker was entitled to only a 5% permanent partial disability award for his hand injury from a hydraulic press accident. Case: Smith v. ArcelorMittal, No. 23-633, 10/30/2024, published. Facts: Jared Smith worked for ArcelorMittal. He suffered injuries to his hand in August 2020 when it was caught in a hydraulic press. A claims administrator for ArcelorMittal’s insurance carrier accepted liability for the injuries. In July 2021, Smith underwent an evaluation by Dr Victoria Langa, who assigned a 5% whole-person impairment ra...