Attorney's Undisclosed Conversations With Doctors Lead to Denial of Widow's Claim

A New York appellate court upheld the dismissal of a widow’s claim for benefits because her witnesses' testimony was tainted by undisclosed communications with her attorney. Case: Matter of the Claim of Goutermout v. County of Oswego, No. 532039, 05/27/2021, published. Facts and procedural history: Terri Goutermout’s husband died at work. She filed a workers’ compensation claim, supported by the opinions of Drs. Stephen Nash and Karl Hafner. Nash, an independent medical examiner, opined that the man's death was employment-related. Hafner was th...