Opinion ID: 1751433
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Ripeness Question.

Text: The second certified question is couched in terms of ripeness. Because that term has more than one meaning, we wish to make clear that we are not passing on questions of ripeness as an element of the case or controversy requirement of Article III of the federal Constitution. See Beachy v. Board of Aviation Comm'rs, 699 F.Supp. 742, 745 (S.D.Ind.1988). Because that doctrine is peculiarly attributable to the jurisdiction of federal courts, we doubt that the question relates to ripeness in that context. We will consider the question in the sense that a doctrine described as ripeness has been applied by state courts in cases related to administrative agencies. See, e.g., Dawson v. Cole, 485 So.2d 1164, 1167 (Ala.Civ.App.1986) (ripeness is a generic concept dealing with the related doctrines of exhaustion and finality). The statutory exhaustion-of-remedy doctrine for review of agency action, see Iowa Code § 17A.19(1) (1993), does not apply to this independent tort action that has evolved by case decision. Nor do we find the doctrine of primary jurisdiction recognized in State ex rel. Turner v. Iowa Electric Light & Power Co., 240 N.W.2d 912, 913 (Iowa 1976), to be directly applicable because the industrial commissioner has no jurisdiction to determine the type of claim on which the action is based. Nonetheless, that administrative agency has jurisdiction to settle important factual questions that may have a direct bearing on the bad-faith claim. In our view, it would be clearly preferable to have the extent of the defending party's liability for such payments determined in the first instance by the administrative agency entrusted with the administration of the Iowa workers' compensation laws. Moreover, we believe that decisions made through this administrative process that are relevant to the issues in the bad-faith action will, in many instances, carry preclusive effect under the principles we recognized in Board of Supervisors v. Chicago & North Western Transportation Co., 260 N.W.2d 813, 815 (Iowa 1977). We believe, however, that, within the context of a bad-faith tort claim based on failure to provide workers' compensation benefits, the goal of having material issues of benefit entitlement decided in the first instance by the industrial commissioner is best handled through a discretionary abstention policy that operates to delay the consideration of those issues by a court. Cases filed prior to the completion of the administrative process should not be routinely dismissed on ripeness grounds. That is a circumstance that should encourage courts, whenever it is feasible to do so, to permit the case to remain on the docket while awaiting the administrative determination. We so answer the second certified question. The clerk is directed to proceed in accordance with Iowa Rule of Appellate Procedure 458. CERTIFIED QUESTIONS ANSWERED.