Tomlinson v. Puget Sound Freight Lines, Inc.

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Armstrong, J.

James Tomlinson fell down a flight of stairs and injured his arthritic left knee while working for Puget Sound Freight Lines, Inc. (PSFL). After total knee replacement surgery, he filed a claim for permanent partial disability compensation under the Industrial Insurance Act.1 Three orthopedic surgeons opined that Tomlinson’s left knee merited a 75 percent permanent partial disability award. The doctors also agreed that degenerative arthritis in Tomlinson’s knee caused a preexisting 50 percent permanent partial disability. Accordingly, the Department of Labor and Industries…