Employee's Stroke Not Related to Work

Successfully defended a national thermographic inspection company in litigation surrounding an employee’s alleged stroke and disability. ​The claimant asserted that, while on a job for the company, he suffered a work-related stroke, secondary to long periods of travel. It was discovered that the claimant had a congenital hole in his heart. He alleged that traveling for the company caused plaques in his circulatory system to dislodge and damage his heart, leading ultimately to a stroke. The defense argued that the claim had no jurisdictional nexus to the Commonwealth and presented evidence which proved that the claimant was not traveling long distances prior to the occurrence of the stroke and that the stroke condition itself did not arise from a work-related cause or injury. The Workers’ Compensation Judge dismissed the claim based on lack of causal medical evidence and lack of jurisdiction.