Iowa Judicial Building

The Iowa Supreme Court has overturned lower court rulings in a case thrown out over a lack of signatures on paperwork.

The case involved a surgery at University Hospitals in Iowa City in 2009 that resulted in Paula Segura losing the function in her lower body. Segura and her husband Ricardo contacted a lawyer to file a claim.

The couple moved to Texas, but their lawyer continued working on the case and eventually signed and filed the form on their behalf.

The district court later threw out the claim saying it did not have jurisdiction because it did not comply with a state appeals board regulation requiring the couple to personally sign the form. The Court of Appeals upheld that ruling.

The Iowa Supreme Courthold ruled that the Seguras did fail to comply with the administrative rule– but that didn’t hinder the state’s ability to investigate the claim. The ruling says the administrative process ran its course, and the case may now proceed before the district court.

Here’s the ruling: Segura ruling PDF