Idaho Court Rejects PTSD Appeal in Worker’s Fryer Accident

The Idaho Supreme Court has ruled that a former Idaho cook who tripped and fell into a deep fat fryer can’t claim worker’s compensation for psychological trauma he claims to have suffered in the accident.

Thirty-six-year-old Matthew Mazzone was working at a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Idaho Falls in 2005.

During a Nov. 13 shift, Mazzone suffered a severe burn on his right arm when he tripped and plunged it into a 360-degree deep fat fryer.

Mazzone eventually returned to work following extensive surgery and treatment, but claimed that he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the accident.

Idaho Supreme Court justices sided with the Idaho Industrial Commission, however, saying its rejection of Mazzone’s claim of a compensable psychological injury pursuant was supported by substantial and competent evidence.