Court Rulings

Workers' compensation—Claimant who leaves former position of employment for a new position does not forfeit temporary total disability compensation eligibility.

CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS, DIVISION II APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF BECKHAM COUNTY, STATE OF OKLAHOMA HONORABLE DOUG HAUGHT, TRIAL JUDGE ¶ 0 The trial court judgment (1) ordered father — a prison inmate — to reimburse the Oklahoma Department of Human Services for monies allegedly paid to mother for the support of child under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program and (2) set his continuing/future child support obligation at $109 per month. Father appealed and the Court of Civil Appeals affirmed. Held: The trial court erred in entering a judgment for AFDC reimbursement without being presented evidence to show the amount of AFDC payments to mother. Further, although under Oklahoma's child support statutes (a) appellant's present lack of income and earning capacity due to his incarceration, coupled with his lack of assets, did not mandate that the trial court use zero for his gross monthly income in figuring his child support obligation and (b) it was proper for the trial court to attribute a gross monthly income to him based on the minimum wage for a 40 hour work-week, error occurred in setting the child support obligation at $109 per month because there was no evidence concerning mother's gross monthly income. CERTIORARI PREVIOUSLY GRANTED; COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS' OPINION VACATED IN PART; TRIAL COURT JUDGMENT REVERSED IN PART AND MATTER REMANDED FOR FURTHER PROCEEDINGS.

<bold>Workers' Compensation — occupational disease —</bold> <bold>specific traumatic event</bold> <block_quote> The Industrial Commission erred in a workers' compensation case by concluding that plaintiff employee bus driver's ulnar nerve entrapment neuropathy and cervical spine condition were compensable occupational diseases and that the injury to the cervical spine qualified as a specific traumatic incident, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion, because: (1) the Commission applied an incorrect legal standard in finding plaintiff's ulnar neuropathy and cervical spine condition to be compensable occupational diseases pursuant to N.C.G.S. § <cross_reference>97-53</cross_reference>(13) and the cervical spine condition to be a specific traumatic incident pursuant to N.C.G.S. § <cross_reference>97-2</cross_reference>(6); (2) plaintiff failed to establish that his employment placed him at a greater risk of contracting either his ulnar nerve entrapment or his cervical spine condition than the general public; and (3) the evidence is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements enunciated by the General Assembly in N.C.G.S. § <cross_reference>97-2</cross_reference>(6) that a specific traumatic incident occurred when plaintiff presented evidence that he experienced pain on a particular date but he presented no evidence linking that pain to the occurrence of an injury, and none of plaintiff's evidence establishes a specific traumatic incident of the work assigned that can be construed as an injury by accident to plaintiff's back.</block_quote> <block_quote> Justice MARTIN did not participate in the consideration or decision of this case.</block_quote>

RAJAH, 25 I&N Dec. 127 (BIA 2009) ID 3662 (PDF) (1) In determining whether good cause exists to continue removal proceedings to await the adjudication of a pending employment-based visa petition or labor certification, an Immigration Judge should determine the alien's place in the adjustment of status process and consider the applicable factors identified in Matter of Hashmi, 24 I&N Dec. 785 (BIA 2009), and any other relevant considerations. (2) An alien's unopposed motion to continue ongoing removal proceedings to await the adjudication of a pending employment-based visa petition should generally be granted if approval of the visa petition would render him prima facie eligible for adjustment of status. (3) The pendency of a labor certification is generally not sufficient to warrant a grant of a continuance.