Opinion ID: 1284911
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: was plaintiff's back condition an occupational disease bringing him within the purview of mcla 418.431; msa 17.237(431)?

Text: Defendant Michigan Plating contends that regardless of when the injury is deemed to have occurred, plaintiff is barred from recovery from it by MCLA 418.431; MSA 17.237(431), which reads in part: No compensation shall be payable for an occupational disease if the employee at the time of entering into the employment of the employer by whom the compensation would otherwise be payable, or thereafter, wilfully and falsely represents in writing that he has not previously suffered from the disease which is the cause of the disability or death. (Emphasis added.) As stated in part I of this opinion, plaintiff did not disclose his prior back problem in the employment application to Michigan Plating, despite the fact that the application contained the question, [h]ave you ever been treated for a back condition? Plaintiff admitted in his testimony that he intentionally answered in the negative to increase the probability of obtaining employment. MCLA 418.431; MSA 17.237(431) precludes the recovery of compensation only when there has been wilful nondisclosure of an occupational disease. Plaintiff asserts that his prior back condition was a traumatic injury and not an occupational disease; the WCAB agreed: Plaintiff sustained a previous single-event injury to his back (compensable by virtue of chapter 3) during the course of his employment with Grand Rapids Die Casting. Plaintiff had a prior back injury but not an occupational back disease (chapter 4) and therefore § 418.431 is not applicable. The question of medical causation of plaintiff's disability is a question of fact, Galac v Chrysler Corp, 63 Mich App 414, 416; 235 NW2d 359 (1975), as is a determination that an injured employee's disability results from a single-event injury and subsequent aggravation, as opposed to an occupational disease, Morgan v Win Schuler's Restaurant, 64 Mich App 37, 40; 234 NW2d 885 (1975). Because the findings of the appeal board as to these factual determinations are supported by competent evidence, we affirm. In 1937, the following definition of occupational disease was added to part VII, now chapter 4, of the Worker's Disability Compensation Act: Sec. 1. Definition. Whenever used in this act: