Hiles v. STATE COMPENSATION DEPARTMENT

SCHWAB, C, J.

Claimant has appealed a circuit court judgment reversing an order of the hearing officer in a proceeding for compensation for an alleged occupational disease, silicosis. After his claim for compensation was denied by the State Compensation Department, claimant filed with the Workmen’s Compensation Board a request for a hearing. At the request of the claimant, and upon stipulation of the parties, the hearing officer split the hearing into two phases. The first phase was to determine whether claimant had been subject to exposure to silica dust for sufficient periods of time to…