Opinion ID: 1144859
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: application of the presumption to firefighters' condition or impairment

Text: The Court of Appeals stated that there was no evidence that firefighting aggravated the claimant's underlying condition, and, therefore, under the standards established in Weller v. Union Carbide, 288 Or. 27, 602 P.2d 259 (1979), the claimant's symptoms were noncompensable. [8] The statutes relevant to the decision in Weller v. Union Carbide, supra , were ORS 656.005(8), 656.802(1)(a), and 656.804, which make an injury, disease or infection compensable if it either requires medical services or results in disability. [9] The code provisions concerning firefighters, ORS 656.802(1)(b) and (2), were not considered in the Weller opinion. ORS 656.802(1)(b) provides that an occupational disease means death, disability or impairment of health of firemen   . (emphasis added) The language in ORS 656.802(2) provides that any condition or impairment of health, arising under 656.802(1)(b) is presumed to result from a fireman's employment. This language is markedly different from the terms injury, disease, or infection, and includes in the presumption of compensability a worsening of symptoms as well as a worsening of the underlying disease. To read the words impairment of health to exclude symptomatology would ignore the all-inclusive phrase chosen by the legislature. The condition of worsening of pain, if it requires medical services or results in disability, is compensable in the case of a firefighter if the other requirements of the statute are met. The holding in Weller v. Union Carbide, supra , is inapplicable to the firefighters' presumption in ORS 656.802(1)(b) and (2). The Court of Appeals' holding on this issue is reversed. Reversed and remanded to the Court of Appeals for factual determination of the compensability of claimant's heart-related and lung-related disabilities or impairments of health in light of our holding as to the effect of the statutory presumption.