Meisner v. Potlatch Corp.

TROUT, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal of a dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction of negligence and wrongful death claims arising from the death of a worker covered by worker’s compensation. In addition, this appeal determines whether Idaho’s worker’s compensation statutes which deny death benefits to independent adult children of deceased workers, and private pension plans paying pre-retirement death benefits only to the spouses of deceased workers, violate constitutional equal protection rights.

I

BACKGROUND

On the morning of July 29, 1994, Howard Weatherly, appellant Vicki…