A medical panel's acceptance that a worker suffers persistent pain symptoms is not inconsistent with a conclusion that the worker has current work capacity; the critical evaluative judgment is whether the pain is of such nature, severity and extent as to preclude work. Reasoning by necessary inference is permissible in medical panel reasons and is not 'bootstrap' reasoning. The standard of legal reasonableness applies to the formation of binding opinions by medical panels, though the test remains stringent and does not open the door to merits review.
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 69 later cases that cite this judgment.
6 of the 69 citing cases carry a classified treatment. How each court treated it is available to signed-in members.