Bennett v. Liberty Northwest Ins. Corp.

The Workers’ Compensation Board found that claimant’s employment with Siltec, his last employer, was not the major contributing cause of his hearing disability or any worsening of it. Consequently, it held that claimant had failed to establish the compensability of his condition as to Siltec.1 The majority reverses, holding:

“Accordingly, claimant must show that employment conditions, which may include conditions to which he was exposed at Caterpillar, were the major contributing cause of his hearing loss. If he does that, he may rely on the last injurious exposure rule to prove the…