Mathel v. Josephine County

This case involves the interpretation of provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Law, ORS chapter 656, relating to types of compensable claims. Claimant is a corrections officer at the Josephine County jail. He had hypertension, which had been under control for many years. On August 23, 1990, after experiencing two days of abnormally high stress at work, claimant suffered an episode of acute hypertension culminating in a myocardial infarction (heart attack). He filed a workers’ compensation claim. His employer denied the claim.

After a hearing, the referee found that claimant’s heart attack…