Davis v. Missouri Gaming Co.

51 S.W.3d 168, 2001 Mo. App. LEXIS 799, 2001 WL 504938
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 15, 2001
DocketWD 58768
StatusPublished

This text of 51 S.W.3d 168 (Davis v. Missouri Gaming Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Missouri Gaming Co., 51 S.W.3d 168, 2001 Mo. App. LEXIS 799, 2001 WL 504938 (Mo. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

ELLIS, Presiding Judge.

Denise Davis appeals the trial court’s grant of summary judgment to the Missouri Gaming Company d/b/a Argosy Riverside Casino (Argosy Casino). Davis was employed by the Argosy Casino in June 1994, as a pit manager 1 aboard its gaming casino, the Argosy IV Riverboat (Argosy IV). On June 20, 1996, while participating in a United States Coast Guard fire drill on board the Argosy IV, Davis was injured when an automatic water-tight door began to close. As Davis was walking through the doorway, a metal floor piece in the doorway flipped up creating a hole in the floor into which she fell. 2 Davis suffered several abrasions on her shin as well as injuries to her left foot, left leg, left knee, and her nervous system.

In September 1996, Davis filed a claim with the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation. Argosy Casino filed a response to Davis’ claim for workers’ compensation arguing that the Merchant Marine Act, 46 U.S.C. § 688 (Supp.2000) (“the Jones Act”), preempted any workers’ compensation claim. Immediately following her injury, Argosy IV filed an accident report with the Coast Guard 3 and began paying Davis $15.00 per day in “maintenance” during the period of her total disability in accordance with provisions of the Jones Act. In addition to maintenance, Davis received supplemental pay from Argosy Casino, which was available pursuant to a special program established by Argosy Casino for its Jones Act employees injured in the course of their employment. 4

*171 On January 15, 1998, Davis filed an action against Argosy Casino pursuant to the Jones Act and general maritime law seeking damages for personal injury, past and future disability, past and future loss of income, and past and future pain and suffering. On January 20, 1999, Argosy Casino filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, arguing that Davis’ claim under the Jones Act was improper and the only remedy available to her was through Workers’ Compensation Law. The trial court denied Argosy Casino’s motion on March 25,1999. On November 8, 1999, Davis filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment arguing she was entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the issue of Jones Act jurisdiction and the classification of the Argosy IV as a Jones Act “vessel”. On May 22, 2000, the trial court entered a Judgment denying Davis’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, and, upon reconsideration, granting Argosy’s original Motion for Summary Judgment. In its judgment, the court found that the Jones Act did not apply and Davis’ exclusive remedy was under the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Law. Davis appeals this determination.

Our review of an appeal from a summary judgment is essentially de novo. ITT Commercial Fin. Corp. v. Midr-Amer-ica Marine Supply Corp., 854 S.W.2d 371, 376 (Mo. banc 1993). We will review the record in the light most favorable to the party against whom summary judgment was entered and take the facts set forth in the movant’s motion as true unless they are contradicted by the non-movant’s response to the summary judgment motion. Id. Summary judgment is proper when the movant can establish that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Id. at 377. “[A] ‘genuine issue’ exists where the record contains competent materials that evidence two plausible, but contradictory, accounts of the essential facts.” Id. at 382. However, summary judgment is “ ‘an extreme and drastic remedy and great care should be exercised in utilizing the procedure.’ ” Id. at 377 (quoting Cooper v. Finke, 376 S.W.2d 225, 229 (Mo.1964)).

Davis presents three points on appeal, all of which essentially claim that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because genuine issues of material fact exist regarding the status of the Argosy IV as a vessel in navigation on the date Davis was injured. She argues in those three points that an issue of Jones Act jurisdiction was created when: (1) Argosy Casino initially treated her claim as a Jones Act claim and denied Workers’ Compensation, (2) at the time of her injuries, the Argosy IV was a fully operational riverboat floating on the Missouri River, and (3) her injuries occurred during a Coast Guard drill, and her injuries were caused by equipment used specifically on vessels in navigation.

The Jones Act is a federal remedy originally constructed to award seamen damages for bodily injury caused by the negligence of any officers, agents, or employees of the carrier. Wiora v. Harrah’s Illinois Corp., 68 F.Supp.2d 988, 995-96 (N.D.Ill.1999); See also, McDermott Int’l, Inc. v. Wilander, 498 U.S. 337, 342, 111 S.Ct. 807, 810, 112 L.Ed.2d 866 (1991). The Jones Act provides in pertinent part as follows: “Any seaman who shall suffer personal injury in the course of his employment may, at his election, maintain an action for damages at law, with the right of trial by *172 jury....” 46 U.S.C. § 688(a). In accordance with the plain language of the statute, in order to qualify for Jones Act jurisdiction, a person must be (1) a seaman, (2) who was injured, (3) in the course of her employment. This Court previously determined that in order “[t]o be covered by the Jones Act, a claimant must prove that she was injured ‘in the course of her employment’ as a ‘member of a crew of any vessel.’ ” Greer v. Continental Gaming Co., 5 S.W.3d 559, 560 (Mo.App. W.D.1999)(quoting 33 U.S.C. § 902(3)(G)). “The test for seaman status under the Jones Act is whether the claimant has an employment-related connection to a vessel in navigation.” Id. at 562 (emphasis in original); See also, McDermott, 498 U.S. at 355, 111 S.Ct. at 817 (“The key to seaman status is employment-related connection to a vessel in navigation.”); Johnson v. Continental Gram Co., 58 F.3d 1232, 1235-36 (8th Cir.1995). The critical issue before this court on appeal is whether the Argosy IV was a “vessel in navigation” in 1996 when Davis was injured.

The United States Supreme Court found in Chandris, Inc. v. Latsis, 515 U.S. 347, 373, 115 S.Ct.

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51 S.W.3d 168, 2001 Mo. App. LEXIS 799, 2001 WL 504938, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-missouri-gaming-co-moctapp-2001.