Appeals Court Upholds Award of Benefits to Wife of Former Steel Worker

FRANKFURT, Ky. - A Kentucky appeals court has affirmed an award of benefits to the wife of a former steel worker who died from asbestosis, determining that a workers' compensation board committed harmless error in dismissing the employer's appeal. AK Steel Corporation v. Moore, No. 2004-CA-000507 (Ky. Ct. App.).

The state's Court of Appeals on Aug. 20 held that a decision to award total permanent disability benefits as a result of Earl Moore's asbestos-related condition should not be disturbed, despite the board's apparent error. Moore's employer, who challenged the award on several grounds, named Moore's estate as a party in …