Court Opinion

ID: 9645198
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 21:16:07.136706+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:24.743147
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Mr. Justice Cohen :
In the recently decided case of Petrone v. Moffat Coal Co., 427 Pa. 5, 233 A. 2d 891 (1967), we deter*459mined that in a situation arising under the Occupational Disease Act, Act of June 21, 1939, P. L. 566, §301 (e), 77 P.S. §1401 (e), when a claimant is found physically capable of performing light work of a general character, the burden is upon the parties from whom compensation is sought to show that such work is available to the claimant.
The instant case does not involve that situation, since here a definite determination was made by the Workmen’s Compensation Board that the claimant was 40% disabled by a back injury suffered in an accident at work. The record discloses that an impartial physician appointed by the Board testified unequivocally that there was a disability percentage of 85 to J¡0 percent and that this disability was applicable to any type of work. The Board adopted 40% as its finding. Its action was affirmed by the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County and the Superior Court.
The long established practice in Workmen’s Compensation litigation heretofore accepted a percentage of disability without the requirement of additional proof. I would not change that practice.
I dissent.