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Iowa court rejects comp claim over COVID vaccine reaction - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Iowa court rejects comp claim over COVID vaccine reaction by Louise Esola Claims Disputes , Coronavirus , Workers Comp Coverage , Workplace Safety Aug 19, 2026 An Iowa appeals court ruled Wednesday that a former Cedar Rapids employee who suffered serious health problems following a COVID-19 vaccination is not entitled to workers compensation benefits because the city did not “strongly” urge him to get vaccinated, nor was it tied to employment. In Larry Driscoll v. City of Cedar Rapids , the Iowa Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling affirmed a district court ruling upholding the workers compensation commissioner’s denial of benefits. The divided court addressed an issue of first impression in Iowa concerning the compensability of injuries from nonmandatory vaccinations. Mr. Driscoll worked as a water distribution manager for Cedar Rapids from 2019 to 2021. During the pandemic, the city distributed newsletters encouraging employees to get vaccinated, provided updates on the impact of COVID-19-related absences and allowed workers to use two hours of work time for vaccination appointments. After COVID-19 vaccines became available to all Iowans age 16 and older in April 2021, the city emailed employees about a local hospital vaccination clinic and provided a scheduling link. Mr. Driscoll used the link to make an appointment and was vaccinated. About two weeks later, he developed symptoms that ultimately led to diagnoses of an acute autoimmune syndrome that progressed into a chronic inflammatory autoimmune condition, according to the ruling. His lower extremities have atrophied, he has mobility problems and hand tremors, and he also suffered from Bell’s palsy for about six months. A deputy workers compensation commissioner initially found his injury compensable, applying a standard from Larson’s Workers’ Compensation Law under which an injury from a nonmandatory vaccination may be covered when there is a combination of “strong urging” by the employer and some mutual benefit, such as reduced absenteeism. The workers compensation commissioner reversed, finding the standard incompatible with Iowa law and denying benefits. A district court affirmed. The appeals court disagreed with the commissioner on one point, finding that the Larson standard is not inherently incompatible with Iowa workers compensation law. But the court declined to formally adopt the standard because Mr. Driscoll would not prevail under it anyway. The majority said Cedar Rapids’ conduct amounted to routine encouragement rather than “strong urging.” The city offered no financial incentive for vaccination or penalty for declining it, and the vaccination clinic was operated by a third party off-site. Although Mr. Driscoll testified that he felt “a little bit of peer pressure” and believed he owed it to his department to be vaccinated, the court said that pressure was “largely internal, not something generated by the City.” The court therefore affirmed the denial of benefits while leaving for another case the question of whether Iowa should formally adopt the Larson standard for determining when injuries from voluntary vaccinations are work-related. The one dissenting judge said he would adopt the Larson standard and send the case back to the commissioner. He said the city’s repeated vaccination messages, employee-only scheduling link and interest in keeping its workforce healthy could support a finding that Mr. Driscoll’s vaccination was sufficiently connected to his employment. Related News ICE mulls liability insurance for local law enforcement August 19, 2026 Chubb unit, drugmaker settle skin reaction coverage dispute August 19, 2026 EPIC expands senior executives’ roles August 19, 2026 Appeals court revives Signature Bank collapse lawsuit August 19, 2026 Axis names head for financial lines, programs, Canada August 19, 2026 National Boys & Girls Clubs organization dismissed from N.J. abuse suits August 19, 2026 Like a good hallucination, fake cases are there August 19, 2026 Steadfast $5.4B buyout enters final stages August 19, 2026 Reinsurance competition to intensify in 2027: A.M. 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