Supreme Court Rejects 2 Constitutional Challenges Involving Access to Courts

The Utah Supreme Court on Friday rejected two constitutional challenges to workers' compensation statutes that both related to a provision of the state Constitution that guarantees residents access to the courts. In Waite and Ortega v. Labor Commission, the high court upheld a statute that prevents workers from applying for wage-loss benefits for disabilities that manifest more than 12 years after the date of an accident. In Petersen v. Labor Commission, the court upheld a law that cuts off eligibility for wage-loss benefits if eight years have passed since the injury occurred. ...