Tehle v. Alpine Plumbing

State Compensation Mutual Insurance Fund (State Fund) appeals from an order and judgment of the Montana Workers’ Compensation Court. The court held that Michael Tehle (Mike) suffered a total loss of wages due to work-related injuries, despite the fact that his plumbing business actually increased gross income receipts. The court determined that Mike was entitled to temporary total disability benefits. We affirm.

We review the following dispositive issue:

Whether the Workers’ Compensation Court erred in determining that Mike suffered a total loss of wages.

Sometime in 1985, Mike and his wife…