Lawmakers Pass Bill to Treat Hernia as Occupational Disease

Hernias could be a compensable occupational disease in Maryland, under a bill heading to the governor’s desk. The House of Delegates on Tuesday voted 127-9 to pass Senate Bill 839, by Sen. Benjamin F. Kramer, D-Montgomery. The Senate voted 45-0 to pass the bill March 17. The bill would allow hernias that result from repetitive trauma to be considered occupational diseases covered by workers’ compensation. While hernias resulting from a specific injury are compensable, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, in the 2020 decision Greer v. Montgomery County, held that they ...