Goddard v. Liberty Northwest Ins. Corp.

Claimant seeks review of an order of the Workers’ Compensation Board, issued pursuant to the board’s own motion authority, ORS 656.278, in which the board held, inter alia, that it lacked statutory authority to award claimant permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits. Claimant contends that ORS 656.278(2)(d) unambiguously authorizes an award of such benefits where, as here, the injured worker’s condition worsened after his aggravation rights had expired and he underwent surgery to address that worsening, resulting in additional permanent disability. We disagree and, consequently, affirm.

In…