Schonberger v. Roberts

HARRIS, Justice.

When the legislature, in two separate statutes, prohibits the application of a rule of common law we are clearly obliged to yield to the mandate. The question here is whether we should give the mandate double effect. This appeal calls for interpretation of an Iowa statute which is in part designed to deal with a situation already controlled by another statute. A literal interpretation of the latter statute, in view of the prior one, would call for doubling an intended reduction in tort recoveries. We believe the goal of the two statutes should be fully realized, but only once.…