Court: Employer Didn't Rebut Heart-Lung Presumption

A judge of compensation claims erred in finding that an employer rebutted a presumptive claim because the Citrus County Sheriff's Office and Florida Sheriff's Risk Management Fund failed to carry their burden of establishing that the causes of a sergeant's heart condition were exclusively nonoccupational, an appellate court ruled. The 1st District Court of Appeal said the standard for rebutting the so-called "heart-lung" presumption is demanding and requires showing that the disabling impairment was caused entirely by nonwork factors. "Evidence showing that nonoccu...