Workers’ Comp Upheld for Maine Man who Died on Treadmill

Maine’s highest court has upheld workers’ compensation benefits for the widow of a Salvation Army worker who died from a heart attack while on a treadmill at home.

The court on Thursday unanimously rejected the Salvation Army’s appeal of workers compensation benefits granted to the widow of Gregory Sullwold, who worked from his home in Brunswick.

Lawyer Bill Higbee, who represented the estate, said Sullwold was under extreme stress from managing a $2 billion portfolio for the Salvation Army’s eastern division. He said Sullwold died on the treadmill while monitoring financial markets on TV and internal email on his Blackberry, which was next to him.

Sullwold’s widow, Carla, was the sole beneficiary of workers’ compensation benefits. An attorney for Salvation Army said he was reviewing the decision.