Vorhies v. Department of Retirement Systems

¶1 The Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) appeals the superior court’s reversal of DRS’s final order that denied James Vorhies’s claim for catastrophic disability retirement benefits. R also appeals the superior court’s award of attorney fees and costs.

¶2 We conclude that DRS did not erroneously decline to apply workers’ compensation law in its determination, apply an incorrect standard of proof, decline to consider headaches, and require Vorhies to show that prospective employers would not provide workplace accommodations for his disability. Because Vorhies is not the prevailing party in…