Buddenberg v. Southcoast Lumber

In this workers’ compensation case, the issue is whether the Director of the Department of Insurance and Finance (the Director) exceeded his statutory authority in the adoption of certain standards for the evaluation of permanent partial disability. We conclude that the Director did not exceed his authority in the manner urged by claimant.

Before 1987, the rating of extent of disability under the workers’ compensation laws was carried out on an ad hoc basis. The Director had promulgated “guidelines” for the rating of the extent of various kinds of disability, but the Court of Appeals had held…