The Court of Appeals of Kentucky recently affirmed a state trial court’s summary judgment in favor of a high school assistant principal and a county board of education in a...
Kentucky: Teacher’s Tort Action Against Snake-Handling Assistant Principal Barred by Exclusivity Kentucky: Teacher’s Tort Action Against Snake-Handling Assistant Principal Barred by ExclusivityIn Painter v. Atwood, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 176655 (D. Nev., Dec. 12, 2012), a federal district court from Nevada recently held, in relevant part, that a civil action filed...
US: Office Worker’s Tort Action Against Dentist Employer Alleging Sexual Assault Not Barred by Exclusivity US: Office Worker’s Tort Action Against Dentist Employer Alleging Sexual Assault Not Barred by ExclusivityIn a recent decision by the Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District, Hilgart v. 210 Mittel Drive Partnership, 2012 Ill. App. LEXIS 850 (Oct. 17, 2012), the court held that...
Illinois: Injured Employee’s “Dual Capacity/Dual Persona” Claim Against Corporate Officers of Employer Fails Illinois: Injured Employee’s “Dual Capacity/Dual Persona” Claim Against Corporate Officers of Employer FailsAll but a handful of states have “statutory-employer” or “contractor-under” provisions within their workers’ compensation laws that make a general contractor liable for compensation to the employee of a subcontractor–usually...
Kentucky: Electric Cooperative Shielded From Tort Action Filed by Dependents of Deceased Employee of Subcontractor–The Fact That Ice Storm Overwhelmed Resources of Coop Did Not Mean Repair Work Was Not Part of Coop’s “Normal” Business Kentucky: Electric Cooperative Shielded From Tort Action Filed by Dependents of Deceased Employee of Subcontractor–The Fact That Ice Storm Overwhelmed Resources of Coop Did Not Mean Repair Work Was Not Part of Coop’s “Normal” BusinessAs noted in my June 6, 2012 discussion of Estes v. Airco Serv., Inc., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72134 (N.D. Okla., May 24, 2012), below, an important exception to the...
New Jersey: OSHA Violation is Insufficient to Show Necessary Level of “Intent” to Support Tort Claim Against Employer New Jersey: OSHA Violation is Insufficient to Show Necessary Level of “Intent” to Support Tort Claim Against EmployerAll but four states (Arkansas, Missouri, Maryland, Vermont, plus the Virgin Islands) extend immunity from tort liability not only to the employer, but co-employees, at least as long as the...
Maryland: Supervisor May Be Sued By Co-Employee re: Parking Lot Vehicular Accident Maryland: Supervisor May Be Sued By Co-Employee re: Parking Lot Vehicular AccidentGenerally speaking, the insurance carrier (and any third-party administrator representing the carrier), while performing its proper role in the workers compensation claims process, shares the employer’s immunity to suit by...
Spouse’s “Aggressive Surveillance” Cause of Action May Proceed Against Third-Party Administrator Spouse’s “Aggressive Surveillance” Cause of Action May Proceed Against Third-Party AdministratorBecause settlement agreements ordinarily cover only those claims or rights that are specifically mentioned within the four corners of the agreement itself [see Larson’s Workers’ Compensation Law, § 132.05], attention...
Indiana: After Approval of Settlement Agreement By Board, Estate of Deceased Worker May Not Proceed Against “Employer” in Tort On Basis of Claimed Status as Independent Contractor Indiana: After Approval of Settlement Agreement By Board, Estate of Deceased Worker May Not Proceed Against “Employer” in Tort On Basis of Claimed Status as Independent ContractorA Pennsylvania nurse assistant, who claimed she suffered emotional distress when she was fired for getting pregnant, may not pursue her tort claim against the former employer in federal court,...
Nurse Assistant’s Allegations That She Was Fired For Getting Pregnant Cannot Support Emotional Distress Claim Against Former Employer Nurse Assistant’s Allegations That She Was Fired For Getting Pregnant Cannot Support Emotional Distress Claim Against Former EmployerSince the enactment of the first state workers’ compensation laws one hundred years ago, exclusive remedy provisions within state acts have been a core component of the workers’ compensation “bargain.”...
Pennsylvania Worker’s “Dual Persona” Tort Action Against Employer Fails Pennsylvania Worker’s “Dual Persona” Tort Action Against Employer Fails