THE BOARD’S CONCLUSION, BASED UPON EXPERT TESTIMONY, THAT CLAIMANT’S STROKE WAS CAUSED BY PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND NOT THE WORK CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE STROKE WAS SUPPORTED BY SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE DISTURBED ON APPEAL (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department determined there was substantial evidence, in the form of expert testimony, that claimant’s stroke was caused by pre-existing medical conditions and not the particular conditions of work on the day the stroke happened. Because there existed substantial evidence to support the Workers’ Compensation Board’s ruling, the court cannot disturb it:

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Claimant’s medical expert, Lester Ploss, opined that claimant’s stroke was causally-related to his employment given that, on the day of his stroke, claimant had a prolonged lack of sleep, was under time constraints to drive to Pennsylvania and performed very arduous labor while teaching a class. The record, however, establishes that on a regular work day, claimant awoke around 2:00 a.m., drove to work in the Bronx and worked from approximately 4:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. cutting meat. Although claimant drove to Pennsylvania on the day in question, the record establishes that he worked substantially the same hours as a normal work day. In addition, the general manager testified that the drive to Pennsylvania was divided and included stops along the way. Furthermore, although claimant did not typically teach, the manner of cutting meat was substantially similar to his regular duties in the Bronx, where he did assist others in their technique of cutting meat. Naunihal Singh, a neurologist who reviewed claimant’s medical records, opined that claimant’s stroke was not related to any aspect of employment but was a direct result of claimant’s preexisting medical conditions, including hypertension, cognitive heart failure, cardiomegaly and an irregular heart. The Board’s decision was based upon the credibility, or lack thereof, of the medical testimony with regard to the events leading to claimant’s stroke. Inasmuch as this Court defers to the credibility determinations of the Board with regard to medical evidence and witness testimony, we find that there is substantial evidence in the record to support the Board’s decision that claimant’s stroke did not arise out of or in the course of his employment … . Matter of Devis v Mountain States Rosen LLC, 2018 NY Slip Op 00370, Third Dept 1-18-18

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAW (THE BOARD’S CONCLUSION, BASED UPON EXPERT TESTIMONY, THAT CLAIMANT’S STROKE WAS CAUSED BY PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND NOT THE WORK CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE STROKE WAS SUPPORTED BY SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE DISTURBED ON APPEAL (THIRD DEPT))