Supreme Court Clarifies Calculation of Benefits for Worker With 2 Shoulder Injuries

The Iowa Supreme Court clarified the proper calculation of a worker’s benefits for his second permanent partial disability to his shoulder after a change in the law to make shoulder injuries a schedule disability. Michael Rife worked as a welder for the P.M. Lattner Manufacturing Co. He injured his right shoulder at work in 2009 and filed a workers’ compensation claim. P.M. Lattner agreed to settle the claim, stipulating that Rife sustained a permanent partial disability of 29.6% to the body as a whole. At the time of the 2009 injury, permanent partial disability arising ou...