Claim of Fonda v. Cambridge Filter Corp.
A claimant developed asbestosis from pre-1972 work-related asbestos exposure, diagnosed in 1991. Although the asbestosis did not cause pulmonary disability, the claimant developed a disabling panic or anxiety disorder due to the increased cancer risk. The Workers' Compensation Board denied benefits, ruling that pre-1974 asbestosis without total disability is non-compensable and a consequential anxiety disorder does not constitute an accident or occupational disease. The appellate court found that entitlement to compensation depends on whether the claimant was totally disabled by two inseparable causative agents, one of which was the asbestosis, especially since the Board had implied a causal link between asbestosis and the anxiety disorder. Because the Board failed to determine the extent of the claimant’s disability or the inseparability of the conditions, the decision was reversed and the matter remitted for further proceedings.