224344.pdf

Edgardo I. Mabalot, a seafarer, filed a complaint against Maersk Crewing, Inc. and/or A.P. Moller A/S for payment of permanent total disability benefits, moral and exemplary damages, and attorney's fees. Mabalot was diagnosed with "Supraspinatus and Subscapularis Tendinosis; Anterior Labrum Attenuation; Subacromial-Subdeltoid Bursitis; Frozen Shoulder Left" after experiencing pain on his left shoulder while on board. The company-designated physician, Dr. Alegre, assessed Mabalot with a Grade 11 interim disability, while an independent doctor, Dr. Jacinto, declared him permanently and totally disabled. The Labor Arbiter initially awarded Mabalot disability benefits corresponding to Grade 11, but the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) modified the decision, granting Mabalot permanent total disability benefits and attorney's fees. The Court of Appeals later set aside the NLRC's decision, reinstating the Labor Arbiter's ruling, which awarded Mabalot only Grade 11 disability benefits. Mabalot then filed a petition for review on certiorari with the Supreme Court.