iowa supreme court News

Iowa Supreme Court Reverses $790K Jury Award in Sexual Harassment Case

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Inappropriate comments by a superior to a social worker and between other employees at the state Department of Human Services did not justify a $790,000 jury award for sexual harassment, the Iowa Supreme Court has …

Iowa Supreme Court Upholds Decision to Bar Late Expert Reports in Workers’ Comp Case

The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday reinstated a deputy workers’ compensation commissioner’s decision to bar reports that were submitted too late by experts who weren’t certified, reversing decisions by the district court and Court of Appeals. The high court said …

Iowa Court: Husband Eligible for Work Comp Death Benefits Despite Separation

The husband of a deceased worker is not ineligible for workers’ compensation death benefits merely because he no longer lived with his wife when she died, a divided Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday. In a 4-2 decision, the high court …

Iowa Court: Carrier Ineligible For Retroactive Reimbursement on Mistaken Workers’ Comp Claim

An Iowa workers’ compensation insurance carrier is not entitled to retroactive reimbursement from another insurer for benefits it paid in error, the state Supreme Court ruled this month. American Home Assurance paid 125 weeks of permanent partial disability benefits to …

Iowa Supreme Court: 911 Dispatcher’s PTSD Claim Compensable

The 911 dispatch center that employed Mandy Tripp denied her workers’ compensation claim for post-traumatic stress syndrome because fielding calls involving death and injury are part of the job. A divided Iowa Supreme Court rejected that reasoning on Friday, ruling …

Iowa Court Finds No Coverage for COVID Income Loss in 2 Decisions

The Iowa Supreme Court last week ruled in two separate decisions that COVID-19 did not cause a physical loss or damage that would allow a private golf club or a restaurant and bar to recoup income lost during COVID-19 shutdown …

Ruling Limits Safety-Based Drug Testing at Iowa Warehouses

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that employers cannot subject all warehouse employees to random drug testing by designating them as having “safety sensitive” jobs. In its 4-3 ruling, the court ruled that companies must consider the specific duties of …

High Court Ruling Limits Safety-Based Drug Testing at Iowa Warehouses

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that employers cannot subject all warehouse employees to random drug testing by designating them as having “safety sensitive” jobs. In its 4-3 ruling, the court ruled that companies must consider the specific …

Iowa Supreme Court Bars Punitive Damages in Excessive Force Cases

The Iowa Supreme Court on Dec. 31 severely limited the financial damages that can be awarded for injuries and deaths caused by state police officers who are found to have used excessive force. The court ruled 6-1 that punitive damages, …

Court Allows Lawsuit over Iowa Amusement Park Death to Proceed

The wife of a central Iowa amusement park employee killed in an accident at the park in 2016 can proceed with a federal lawsuit and the park’s insurance company may have to pay damages, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday. …