Supreme Court Upholds Denial of PPD for Worker's Hearing Loss

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld a denial of permanent partial disability benefits for a worker with hearing loss. Case: O’Dell v. Nicholas County Board of Education, No. 25-123, 09/10/2025, published. Facts: Mark O’Dell worked for the Nicholas County Board of Education as a carpentry teacher, school bus operator, building contractor and carpenter. In October 2022, he underwent an audiogram by Dr. Robert Marsh that revealed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Dr. Christoper White prepared a report in November 2022, concluding that O’Dell’s hearing loss was d...