Court Opinion

ID: 9738517
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 19:55:24.559661+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:06.683678
License: Public Domain

*78SABERS, Justice
(concurring in part and dissenting in part).
I would affirm the trial court in all respects. The majority opinion states:
Logically, if an employer asserts that jobs are available to a claimant upon retraining or rehabilitating, then the employer must prove such assertion by establishing that retraining or rehabilitation is a reasonable means of restoring the claimant to suitable employment.
(Emphasis added.) I agree fully with this statement. I also fully agree with the majority’s statement that “it was Employer’s burden to establish that rehabilitation or retraining was a reasonable alternative to lifetime disability benefits.” (Emphasis added.) However, I do not agree that this case should be remanded to the Department to give the Employer another opportunity to meet that burden. The Employer had its opportunity and “the court ruled that there was no substantial evidence to support the Department’s conclusion that rehabilitation was available to Spitzack.” One bite of the apple is enough. A second bite should not be permitted. See State v. Aspen, 412 N.W.2d 881, 884 (S.D.1987).