Harrelson v. Industrial Commission of Arizona

In Harrelson v. Industrial Commission of Arizona, 144 Ariz. 369, 697 P.2d 1119 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1984), the Court of Appeals of Arizona was faced with determining the meaning of "incapacitated" in the absence of a definition. The claimant sought to have her untimely worker's compensation claim excused due to her depression. 697 P.2d at 1125. The court concluded the legislature envisioned a situation where an individual would have a diminished mental or physical capacity to the extent of being unable to file a claim. 697 P.2d at 1124. The court's interpretation was based on both the legislature's intent and the term's plain meaning.