Worker’s Original Eye Injury Was Compensable But Not Subsequent Eye Issues

A worker was injured when foreign material was blown into her eyes while she was unloading a truck in an industrial yard. The WCB approved her claim for bilateral eye injuries but found that she wasn’t entitled to additional benefits for subsequent eye issues. The worker appealed. The Appeals Commission found that the weight of the medical evidence showed that the worker’s compensable injury was resolved by the time she returned to modified work. Her ongoing bilateral eye symptoms including vision loss and ongoing eye irritation weren’t related to her compensable workplace incident and thus she wasn’t entitled to additional benefits [2015-0466 (Re), 2015 CanLII 79639 (AB WCAC), Dec. 3, 2015].