Opinion ID: 880456
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: full legal redress

Text: Mr. Eastman next argues that he was denied full legal redress under the Occupational Disease Act because of the requirement that a worker be disabled for more than five days to receive compensation. He argues that had he remained off the job for more than five days, he would have received full compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act, but because he missed only two days of work, the statutory requirement arbitrarily denies him his right to full legal redress. We point out that the five day requirement appears under § 39-71-736, MCA (1985), of the Workers' Compensation Act, and no similar requirement is contained in the Occupational Disease Act as Mr. Eastman asserts. While the lower court concluded that the claimant suffered an injury under the Workers' Compensation Act, it further concluded that the injury was only temporary and did not continue to be disabling. Based on that evidence, the court held that claimant's injury was noncompensable and affirmed the Division's award under the Occupational Disease Act. Even if claimant had proved an injury which resulted in a disability of more than five days, under the medical evidence of this case he would not be entitled to compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act. The court found that the medical evidence established that his condition returned to its pre-exacerbation state following medical treatment which extended over just a few days. We therefore hold that claimant has failed to establish a denial of his right to full legal redress because he has not been denied any compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act.