Daniel J. Lobdell
Daniel Lobdell represents employers and insurance carriers in workers’ compensation matters in Missouri and Kansas. He counsels employers on the workers' compensation process, including compliance with statutory requirements, effective claims handling, investigations, and scene documentation. He assists employers in navigating the effects of preexisting injuries, disciplinary issues, and termination, throughout the course of pending workers' compensation claims.Mr. Lobdell has successfully litigated cases in both Kansas and Missouri, including complex permanent and total disability claims in both states. In addition to trial work, he has briefed and argued cases to the Kansas Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board and the Missouri Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. Recently, Mr. Lobdell obtained a favorable ruling from the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District on a case that addressed the continued viability of the horseplay defense in Missouri following legislative changes. In Romero Grayson v. Thorne and Son Asphalt, the Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling of the Missouri Labor and Industrial Relations Commission that although the term “horseplay” has been removed from the Workers’ Compensation Act, an employee still has an obligation to prove that an injury arose out of and in the course of his employment. In Grayson, the Commission determined that the employee’s voluntary participation in horseplay at the time of his accident took him outside the course and scope of his employment. Accordingly, all benefits were denied.
Mr. Lobdell lives in the Greater Kansas City area with his wife and three children. In his free time, he enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends.
