In a case of first impression, the Court of Appeals of Maryland determined that the phrase “definite proof” in the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act applies to the quality of evidence a claimant must submit as part of their burden of production.

David Strothers, a United Parcel Service employee, developed a hernia in the course of his employment in September 2019 and filed a claim with the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission. According to the appeals court’s Dec. 1 opinion, the commission granted his request and found that Strothers sustained the hernia during his employment, that the current hernia was a result of accidental injury, and that he was totally disabled from Sept. 20, 2019, through Jan. 21, 2020.