Petersen v. State Accident Insurance Fund Corp.

Claimant appeals from an order by the Workers’ Compensation Board (Board) reducing an award of permanent total disability made by the referee to 50 percent permanent partial disability for low back injuries.

In August, 1978, at the age of 61, claimant incurred an acute lumbar sacral strain while driving a truck. Claimant did not finish the fifth grade and has worked as a logger and heavy equipment driver all his life. He has never worked inside a mill.

A myelogram performed in November, 1978, revealed a defect at the L4-5 level. Shortly thereafter, a bilateral partial laminectomy was performed…