Iowa Workers' Compensation

In Mercy Hospital v. Goodner , No. 13-1748 (Iowa App. Oct. 15, 2014), the Court of Appeals address an issue involved section 86.42 of the Code and the interpretation of the commissioner's order.  The order had provided that defendants were to provide permanent total disability benefits from January 18, 2000, except for any periods of time claimant returned to employment.  The question presented was whether claimant was entitled to benefits during periods where she worked partial weeks.  The court finds that she was entitled to TPD benefits during those weeks. The court begins by noting that under Rethamel v. Havey , 679 N.W.2d 626 (Iowa 2004), the district court is bound to enter a judgment in conformance with the workers' compensation award.   Following an earlier visit to the Court of Appeals, defendants paid no additional benefits.  Claimant filed the 86.42 action following the issuance of the earlier decision, and the district court asked whether the case ...

In Mercy Hospital Iowa City v. Goodner , No. 12-0186 (Iowa App. Jan. 9, 2013), the Court of Appeals affirmed the finding of the commissioner that claimant was permanently totally disabled.  The court also concluded that defendants were judicially estopped from contesting liability for the claim, and that defendants were responsible for paying for one half of the cost of family therapy sessions for claimant.  The court reversed the finding of the agency that payment for bariatric surgery for claimant should be paid by the defendants. Claimant, a doctor was exposed to mononucleosis as a result of her work.  She later developed depression and chronic fatigue syndrome.  Defendants' doctors indicated that she may not have had mononucleosis, but did have fatigue and memory loss.  Claimant's doctors indicated that she had developed mononucleosis and this was one of a multitude of triggers for chronic fatigue syndrome.  Following these developments, claimant bega...