In re the Claim of Ziegler v. Chenango County Self-Insurance Plan
The Workers’ Compensation Board affirmed a decision granting benefits to a volunteer firefighter who sustained a permanent partial disability after being struck by a car while directing traffic in December 1990. The claimant was found to have a 75% loss of earning capacity. The employer contended that the 74-year-old retired claimant had no earning capacity to lose, but this was rejected by the court, as expert medical witnesses substantiated his capacity for gainful employment before and after the accident, albeit with limitations due to his injuries.