Iowa Court Rejects Employer's Demand to Bar Causation Testimony

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Court of Appeals has affirmed a workers' compensation award for a welding machine operator after rejecting the defendant employer's argument that the court apply Daubert standards to bar the claimant's expert medical testimony. Frank v. GITS Manufacturing, No. 0-186/09-1419 (Iowa Ct. App.).

The court said in its May 26 opinion that the while the state Supreme Court has suggested that various Daubert principles may be helpful in evaluating expert testimony, the high court has not adopted Daubert and, in this instance, the decision by the Workers' Compensation Commissioners is supported by substantial evidence. Daubert …