Greenslitt v. City of Lake Oswego

The issue in this case is whether an employer or claimant who is dissatisfied with a referee’s attorney fees award must take the dispute to the Workers’ Compensation Board or to circuit court. Claimant successfully resisted employer’s denial of the compensability of his occupational disease claim before a referee, and on employer’s appeal the Board affirmed on compensability. However, it reduced the referee’s attorney fees award, and claimant seeks review of that portion of its order. We hold that the Board was the proper forum for the attorney fees dispute under the facts of this case and,…