Court Revives Part of Injured Worker's Bad Faith Claims Against Employer, Comp Carrier

The Iowa Court of Appeals last week revived part of an injured worker’s bad faith claim against his employer and its workers’ compensation insurance carrier. Thomas Dunlap had worked for Action Warehouse. He fell while attempting to pull a heavy box from a shelf in July 2007. After a hearing in 2009, a deputy workers' compensation commissioner found the accident had caused compensable injuries to Dunlap’s back, leg and arm. The deputy awarded temporary partial disability benefits and healing period benefits but denied Dunlap's request for penalties. ...