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Goodwill retail worker’s heat-related fall compensable - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Goodwill retail worker’s heat-related fall compensable by Louise Esola Claims Disputes , Workers Comp Coverage , Workplace Safety Aug 13, 2026 A West Virginia appeals court found that a Goodwill Industries employee who said he passed out because of excessive workplace heat suffered a compensable injury. In Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA Area Inc. v. Stowell , the Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia on Aug. 6 affirmed a Workers’ Compensation Board of Review decision overturning the denial of Larry Stowell’s claim. Mr. Stowell, a retail clerk, was sweeping the floor of a Goodwill store on July 1, 2025, when he became dizzy, lost consciousness and fell into a clothing rack. He reported injuries to his head, left elbow and right arm. Mr. Stowell said the store was excessively hot because its air conditioner was not working properly. He was taken by a friend to a hospital emergency room, where a doctor classified his injuries as occupational. Goodwill’s store manager said the incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. and that no other employees reported excessive heat that day. The company argued that the evidence did not confirm Mr. Stowell suffered a personal injury arising from his employment. The appeals court said Mr. Stowell’s account that a malfunctioning air conditioner caused him to overheat and pass out was unrefuted. The absence of complaints from other workers did not disprove his account, and no medical evidence contradicted the treating doctor’s finding that the injury was occupational, the court said. The court also rejected Goodwill’s argument that the incident should be analyzed as a “neutral risk,” finding that West Virginia precedent distinguishes workplace slips, trips and falls from activities requiring that analysis. The case was remanded to the claim administrator to determine the compensable conditions and Mr. Stowell’s entitlement to temporary total disability benefits. 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