Claim of De Salvo v. Prudential Insurance
The claimant, an insurance salesperson, stopped working in January 1992, citing disability from hypertension and an anxiety disorder. Initial medical reports from Dr. Andrew Greenberg and an unnamed psychiatrist suggested that the claimant's high-stress job exacerbated his hypertension and caused a psychiatric condition. A Workers’ Compensation Law Judge initially found prima facie evidence for these conditions. However, the carrier's medical expert, Carl Friedman, attributed the hypertension to lifestyle factors. After further proceedings, including the Workers’ Compensation Board restoring the case to allow the claimant to present more evidence, the claim was ultimately denied. The appellate court affirmed this decision, concluding that the claimant failed to provide competent medical evidence to establish a causally related psychiatric disability and that his own physician's report indicated his hypertension was not caused by his job.