You’ve probably seen — or at least heard about — some pretty outrageous employee requests for workers’ comp to cover certain medical expenses that may have a loose connection at best to a workplace injury. Wait until you hear about this.

A judge has ordered workers’ comp to pay for an obese worker’s gastric bypass surgery, saying it’s compensable under Oregon law.

Edward Sprague injured his knee in 1976. He reinjured it in 1999.

Also during that time span, Sprague’s weight went from 225 to 350 pounds.

Doctors told Sprague his weight would prevent successful treatment of the knee condition, so he sought workers’ comp medical benefits for the weight-loss surgery.

The insurance carrier argued that the claim wasn’t compensable because the obesity wasn’t caused by his 1976 accident.

But the state comp board and court ruled that Sprague’s bypass surgery should be paid for by workers’ comp. The court said the injury was more than a minor cause of Sprague’s need for gastric surgery. 

Tags: injury, surgery, workers' comp