In a case decided on June 20, 2014, Dorsey v. DWS, 2014 UT 22, the Utah Supreme Court held that the Department of Workforce Services (DWS) had “erroneously interpreted” a statutory provision to ban seasonal employees who receive work-search deferrals from leaving the country. As in many cases as discussed in an earlier post, the unemployment […]
On February 18, 2011, the Utah Supreme Court upheld a trial court’s ruling that a mayor who had been charged with criminal conduct could bring a claim against the city in which he served for reimbursement for his attorney fees based on the Utah Reimbursement Statute, Utah Code Ann. Section 52-6-201(1), when he was found not […]
As you have probably noticed, it has been a long time since I posted anything on my blog. Please excuse me for failing to do so. From December 23rd to February 7th was an exceptionally busy time for me. It included year-end partner meetings, a trial, and deposition preparations. In any event, in the approximate six […]
On May 14, 2010, the Utah Supreme Court ruled that Utah health care facilities are not immune from claims brought by patients against them asserting that the facilities were negligent when they credential doctors or health care professionals at their hospitals. In Archuleta v. St. Mark’s Hospital, the Court stated that “negligent credentialing is ‘simply the […]
The Utah Supreme Court ruled on Friday, May 14, 2010, that a workers compensation decision holding that a worker’s injuries were not caused by the operation of a machine could not be used by by the party that created or designed the machine in a later lawsuit if that party was not the worker’s employer. The […]
In Frito-Lay v. Labor Commission, the Utah Supreme Court clarified that, although Utah state courts do not have authority to impose the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure on administrative proceedings, the Utah Workers’ Compensation Act gives the Labor Commission broad authority to correct orders even after statutory appellate deadlines have passed. Accordingly, in Frito-Lay, the […]
The Utah Supreme Court issued a decision last week that will allow a railroad employee to pursue his claims for the injuries he suffered when he bumped his head on an overhead air-conditioner. The case entitled Raab v. Utah Railway Company will almost certainly become an oft-cited case in legal circles for its systematic analysis […]
In a decision issued July 31, 2009, the Utah Supreme Court ruled that in order for an employee to prevail on a defamation claim against his or her former employer, the employee must show that the employer knew the statements were false or acted in reckless disregard of the truth of the statement. The case, […]
In LPI Services v. McGee, the Utah Supreme Court ruled on July 21, 2009, that the Labor Commission had discretion to make rules as to what the phrase “other work reasonably available” meant under the permanent total disability provisions of the Workers Compensation statute. The employer of a former employee who had been injured on […]
In Merrill v. Utah Labor Commission, the Utah Supreme Court ruled that the Utah Workers Compensation statutory provision that requires the reduction of workers compensation benefits by 50% of the Social Security retirement benefits received by an injured worker was unconstitutional under the “uniform operations of law” clause or article I, section 24 of the […]
