Iowa Workers' Compensation

Claimant was awarded a 10% industrial disability and was denied penalty benefits.  On appeal, the court in Allen v. Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., No. 17-0313 (Iowa App. Feb. 21, 2018)  affirms the decision of the agency.  The court notes that claimant did not plead entitlement to penalty benefits and the commissioner noted that under 876 IAC 4.2, the claimant was required to please entitlement to penalty benefits before such benefits may be awarded.  Claimant contends that the mention of this issue in an answer to interrogatories should be sufficient. The court noted that whether they gave deference to the agency's interpretation of its rules or not, the district court was not in error in affirming the commissioner's interpretation. Thus, even under a less deferential standard of review, the agency's interpretation was not illogical, irrational or wholly unjustifiable.  Section 4.2 specifically provides that entitlement to penalty "shall be pled."  The court f...

In Orris v. College Community School District , No. 17-0742 (Iowa App. Jan. 10, 2018). the Court of Appeals addressed an issue where claimant alleged that the commissioner erred in rejecting the unrebutted  opinion of claimant's expert.  Claimant had filed a review reopening petition, alleging that her fibromyalgia condition had worsened and that she was entitled to more than the 30% industrial disability she had originally been awarded.  Although the deputy concluded that claimant's condition had worsened, she found that the worsening of the condition was not causally related to her original work injury.  No increase in benefits was awarded.  The district court affirmed this finding.  At hearing, Dr. Bansal had concluded that claimant's fibromyalgia had followed a logical medical progression, related to her original work injury.  Dr. Bagheri, claimant's original treating physician, noted that fibromyalgia is lifelong, but does not get worse and rema...

In Hyten v. HNI Corporation, No. 16-1454 (Iowa App. Jan. 10, 2018), the Court of Appeals addressed the exclusion of evidence concerning the delay in receipt of workers' compensation benefits, the safety of plaintiff's work assignment and the company's waiver of notice defense.  The court affirms the exclusion of evidence on all accounts. Plaintiff suffered a carpal tunnel injury.  Partially as a result of that injury, claimant had unexcused absences which ultimately led to her dismissal from employment.  Claimant filed suit against the employer, alleging she had been terminated in violation of public policy for seeking workers' compensation benefits.  After trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the employer. Plaintiff alleged on appeal that the court erred in excluding evidence.  The court notes that relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues or mis...

In Ruiz v. Revstone Casting Industries, LLC , No. 16-1728 (Iowa App. Dec. 6, 2017), the court affirmed the decision of the agency that claimant had not provided sufficient notice of his hearing loss, back and hand  claims and affirmed the district court's order remanding claimant's back injury claim to the commissioner. Claimant worked for the employer as a grinder for 25 years. He began to feel he had a right to "something" from his injuries after he was prescribed hearing aids.  Claimant noted that he had made doctors' appointments on his own for his hands.  Claimant ultimately retired from Revstone in 2011 because of the pain in his foot, hands and back in addition to his hearing loss.  With respect to the carpal tunnel claim, the commissioner failed to specify a date of injury for the claim.  The court indicates that the carpal tunnel claim was a cumulative injury requiring application of the standard under Oscar Meyer Foods Corp. v. Tasler  which i...

Following a significant accident in which claimant injured his hand, shoulder and neck when a sealing clamp of a machine closed on his hand, Allen Conell sought payment for an active and passive prosthetic device.  The commissioner denied the passive prosthetic hand, but the Court of Appeals, following the decision of the district court, reversed the decision of the agency.  Nestle USA v. Conell , No. 17-0267 (Iowa App. Feb. 7, 2018). Claimant had originally been awarded a passive prosthetic hand following the injury, but the commissioner reversed this award finding that providing the passive prosthetic hand in addition to an active prosthetic hand violated the language of section 85.27(1), which only requires that "one set of permanent prosthetic devices" be provided. The commissioner held that claimant was only entitled to one prosthetic device per entitlement and that having an active and passive device violated this requirement.  The district court reversed, find...