Opinion ID: 34642
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: became unable to continue his longshore work.

Text: The claimant, Raymond Veles, worked as a longshoreman for the employer, Cooper T/ Smith, Inc. (“Cooper”). During the course Because the ALJ concluded that the injuries of his work, on November 26, 1999, a “cheat- arose from a work-related accident, that er pipe” broke loose and collided with his Veles’s knee injury resulted in permanent disknee, causing him to fall. Veles duly informed ability, and that his back injury resulted in a Cooper of his injury. temporary disability, the ALJ concluded that Veles was due appropriate benefits. The ALJ Somewhat later, after pain lingered in his also decided that Veles had reached maximum knee, Veles visited his family physician, who medical improvement for his knee injury on examined the resulting swollen, bruised knee November 12, 2001, and keyed his receipt of and recommended physical therapy. After benefits accordingly, including temporary total therapy and medication failed to provide relief disability payments from November 26, 1999, to pain, Veles’ treating orthopedist, Bryan, to November 11, 2001, and permanent total gave him to an MRI, tentatively concluding he disability compensation thereafter. The had torn meniscus. An independent Benefits Review Board (“BRB”) affirmed. Department of Labor physician, Butler, Cooper and the carrier petition for review, concluded that the knee problems arose from arguing that the ALJ’s findings are not the aggravation of Veles’s pre-existing supported by substantial evidence. chondromalacia, a diagnosis confirmed by Bryan during arthroscopic surgery in III. November 2000. As a result of back We review decisions of the BRB for errors problems, Veles also had back surgery in of law. Like the BRB, we may gainsay the February 2002 under Gerzbein’s care. ALJ’s findings of fact only if they are unsupported by substantial evidence.