worker’s compensation

Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, as seen on Nov. 21, 2022.

Judge rules against widow in COVID-19 worker’s comp case

BY: - November 29, 2022

The widow of a slaughterhouse worker who died of COVID-19 is not entitled to a worker’s compensation hearing, a Minnehaha County judge ruled Monday. Second Circuit Judge Jon Sogn sided with Smithfield Foods in the case, which originated as a claim for death benefits through the South Dakota Department of Labor (DOL).  The DOL denied […]

Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, as seen on Nov. 21, 2022.

Widow of former Smithfield employee challenges COVID-19 liability law

BY: - November 21, 2022

The widow of a slaughterhouse worker who died after contracting COVID-19 is challenging the constitutionality of a South Dakota law that preemptively absolves employers of liability for exposing workers to the virus. The South Dakota Department of Labor (DOL) used the law this summer to justify denying the worker’s compensation claim to Karen Franken, whose […]