Saunderlin v. E.I. Dupont Co.

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

GARIBALDI, J.

These four cases require us to interpret the Workers’ Compensation Act, N.J.S.A. 34:15-36, which defines permanent partial disability. The questions presented are: (1) whether the statutory definition’s requirement of “demonstrable objective medical evidence” applies to claims of psychiatric disability; (2) if so, what constitutes demonstrable objective medical evidence of psychiatric disability; and (3) whether there is sufficient evidence in these cases to meet this requirement and thus to support petitioners’ awards of permanent partial…