Panel Reverses Decision Denying Benefits in Silicosis-Related Rheumatoid Arthritis Case

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A court of appeals has remanded a ruling denying dependency benefits for a widow whose husband died after battling rheumatoid arthritis that a court had previously determined was caused by work-related silicosis. Sorcan v. USX Corp., No. n/a (Minn. Workers' Comp. Ct. App.).

In a decision issued recently, the Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals reversed a compensation judge's decision to adopt a defendant-employer's proposed findings, which the defendant had submitted at the court's request. The court said that the decision to enter the order verbatim constituted reversible error.

'The judge's verbatim adoption of a …