Opinion ID: 1528539
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Board's First Decision

Text: On March 22, 1996, Steen filed a Petition to Determine Compensation Due before the Board. The Board convened an evidentiary hearing on July 9, 1996. The Board denied Steen's petition on October 28, 1996. Steen appealed to the Superior Court. The primary issue on the first appeal to the Superior Court was the proper legal standard of proximate causation to apply in examining Steen's claim for workers' compensation. At the first hearing, the Board accepted the parties mutual agreement to apply the but for standard of proximate causation. The Superior Court held that the Board erred, as a matter of law, by not using the substantial factor standard of proximate cause to evaluate Steen's claim. Therefore, the Superior Court issued an opinion reversing the decision of the Board and remanding the case to the Board for a new hearing.