Opinion ID: 2226611
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Healing-Period Benefits for August 25, 1989, to January 9, 1990.

Text: Meyers has claimed healing-period benefits for two different periods of time arising out of his December 21, 1988 injury. The first healing period ended on July 25, 1989, when Meyers' doctor released him to return to work with no restrictions except as to loading and unloading and the wearing of a knee brace. This terminated the healing period. See Iowa Code § 85.34(1) (healing benefits terminate when it is medically indicated that significant improvement from the injury is not anticipated). This healing period is not at issue now. The healing period now at issue is from August 25, 1989, to January 9, 1990. Meyers contends that he should have been awarded penalty benefits for that period of time. On July 25, 1989, Meyers' doctor released him to work without substantial restrictions. Meyers worked from July 25 to July 29 and then beginning July 31 for fifteen consecutive days. On August 14 Meyers quit. On August 25 Meyers again visited his doctor who then limited Meyers to five days of work per week. It is this limitation imposed on August 25 that Meyers claims began a new healing period. He claims this healing period was not terminated until January 9, 1990, when his doctor stated that he had reached maximum medical improvement. Meyers' argument that the medical report restricting his hours effectively took him off work for purposes of re-establishing the healing period is subject to considerable doubt. We believe that his claim for penalty benefits for this period of time was therefore fairly debatable, and we affirm the denial of those benefits.