McIndoe v. Department of Labor & Industries

— In these consolidated cases, the Department of Labor and Industries seeks review of a Court of Appeals decision ordering payment of permanent partial disability benefits plus attorney fees and costs for occupationally-induced hearing losses sustained by the workers. The Department contends that such an award constitutes double recovery because the workers filed their claims after they had been awarded permanent total disability pensions. We affirm on the basis that the hearing losses were sustained before the unrelated injuries that resulted in the pensions and the claims were filed within…