Supreme Court Upholds PTD Award for Sprained Ankle, Plus Attorney Fees

The South Dakota Supreme Court last week ruled that a retail worker was entitled to permanent total disability benefits after she sprained her ankle at work, plus an award of attorney fees, because of the comp carrier’s failure to properly investigate her claim. Tammy Lagler had worked at a Menards home improvement center in Sioux Falls. She landed awkwardly after losing her balance while stepping down from a raised platform at work in April 2007. Doctors diagnosed her with a sprained right ankle. The Zurich American Insurance Co. was the comp carrier for Menards and paid for...