Idaho's top court hands HR teams a clear warning on who controls workers' comp hearings
Idaho’s top court ruled only employees – not employers like the City of Boise – can initiate hearings over disputed workers’ comp benefits, reshaping HR practices.
On November 14, 2025, the Idaho Supreme Court issued its decision in a case involving Sherri Sue Coronado, a Boise police officer, and the City of Boise, her self-insured employer. The dispute began after Coronado was injured during a traffic stop in 2019, suffering a right hip injury. The City accepted her claim for that injury and began compensation, but later declined to authorize payment for treatment to her left hip, questioning whether it was related to the original workplace incident.
When Coronado did not respond to requests for medical records or to attend an independent medical examination, the City, through its third-party administrator, sent her a letter stating that her compensation payments would be temporarily suspended. The Idaho Industrial Commission later determined that Coronado’s benefits were not actually suspended.
The legal conflict escalated after the Idaho Supreme Court, in a separate case (Arreola v. Scentsy, Inc.), held that only the Commission – not employers – has the authority to resolve disputes over medical examinations and to order the suspension of compensation payments. Coronado then petitioned the Commission to determine whether this new precedent applied to her situation and whether the...
After three women have been found dead over several days, Jacksonville police are denying any claims that a serial killer is behind the crimes. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Offic...