Supreme Court Reinstates Award to Diabetic Worker With Pre-Existing Foot Condition

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that a diabetic worker with a pre-existing foot condition was entitled to benefits for his disability from an acceleration of the condition caused by a work injury. Case: Traugott v. ARCTEC Alaska, No. S-17126, 06/12/2020, published. Facts: Joseph Traugott worked for ARCTEC Alaska, maintaining heating and ventilation systems at remote sites. Traugott worked 10-hour days, mostly on ladders, because the systems needing maintenance were overhead. Before he was hired in 2013, Traugott went through a pre-employment physical. He disclosed that he had diabetes. ...