Sarah Kingsbury v. Second Injury Fund of Iowa - Workers' Compensation Settlement Appeal
Summary
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on whether a worker can pursue Second Injury Fund benefits after entering a Compromise Settlement with her employer under Iowa Code section 85.35(3), where the employer did not admit liability for permanent partial disability caused by the work injury. The Second Injury Fund appealed a district court order that reversed the Workers' Compensation Commissioner's determination regarding petitioner Sarah Kingsbury's ability to pursue her claim. The ruling clarifies the interaction between Compromise Settlements and Second Injury Fund claims in Iowa workers' compensation law.
“The Second Injury Fund appeals a district court order granting a petition for judicial review taken from workers' compensation proceedings.”
About this source
GovPing monitors Iowa Supreme Court for new courts & legal regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 47 changes logged to date.
What changed
The Iowa Supreme Court issued a published opinion in a workers' compensation appeal concerning the Second Injury Fund of Iowa and Compromise Settlements under Iowa Code section 85.35(3). The Fund appealed a district court order that reversed the Workers' Compensation Commissioner's determination regarding a petitioner's ability to pursue benefits against the Fund after entering a settlement where the employer did not admit liability. The ruling addresses the legal standards governing Second Injury Fund claims following Compromise Settlements with employers.\n\nParties involved in Iowa workers' compensation matters, including employers, insurers, and claimants considering or entering Compromise Settlements, should review this published decision to understand how such settlements may affect Second Injury Fund benefit claims. Legal practitioners handling workers' compensation cases in Iowa should monitor this ruling for its impact on settlement strategy and Fund claim procedures.
Hearing
- Date
- 2026-03-24 at 13:30
- Location
- Hybrid
Archived snapshot
Apr 25, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Case No. 25-0717
Sarah Kingsbury
v.
Second Injury Fund of Iowa
The Second Injury Fund appeals a district court order granting a petition for judicial review taken from workers’ compensation proceedings. The Fund contends the court erred in reversing the Workers’ Compensation Commissioner’s determination that petitioner could not pursue her claim for benefits against the Fund after she entered a Compromise Settlement with her employer pursuant to Iowa Code section 85.35(3) in which the employer did not admit liability for any permanent partial disability caused by the work injury.
County: Polk Trial Court Case No.: CVCV068102
Appellee
Sarah Kingsbury
Appellant
Second Injury Fund of Iowa
Attorney for the Appellee
Thomas A. Palmer
Attorneys for the Appellant
Meredith Cooney
Patrick C. Valencia
Halle Kissell
Amicus Curiae
Terri C. Davis and Eric P. Martin
Supreme Court
Oral Argument Schedule
15-15-5
Mar 24, 2026 1:30 PM
Briefs
Appellant Reply Brief (322.06 KB)
Amicus Curiae Brief (346.73 KB)
Supreme Court Opinion
Opinion Number:
25-0717
Date Published:
Apr 24, 2026
PDF of the Opinion (141.13 KB)
Other Information
Date Retained:
Dec 30, 2025 View archived opinions from prior to November 2017
© 2026 Iowa Judicial Branch. All Rights Reserved.
Named provisions
Related changes
Get daily alerts for Iowa Supreme Court
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Source
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from IA Courts.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when Iowa Supreme Court publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.