Case Law Database

JOSEPH HERNANDEZ vs. PLEASANT VALLEY STATE PRISON, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILATION, STATE COMPENSATION INSURANCE FUND

This case concerns Joseph Hernandez's workers' compensation claim for heart trouble against Pleasant Valley State Prison. The applicant's claim was initially denied but subsequently granted after reconsideration. The defendant's Petition for Reconsideration was denied by the Appeals Board. The core issue revolved around the timing of the applicant's hypertension diagnosis, with the defense relying on a non-existent medical record to establish it as pre-existing. The Board found the defendant failed to rebut the statutory heart trouble presumption for correctional officers.