Gomez v. O'Reilly Auto. Stores, Inc.

283 F. Supp. 3d 569
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedDecember 19, 2017
Docket3:17–CV–00284–KC
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 283 F. Supp. 3d 569 (Gomez v. O'Reilly Auto. Stores, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gomez v. O'Reilly Auto. Stores, Inc., 283 F. Supp. 3d 569 (W.D. Tex. 2017).

Opinion

KATHLEEN CARDONE, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

On this day, the Court considered Maria Gomez's Motion to Remand ("Motion").

*571ECF No. 6. For the reasons set forth below, the Court DENIES the Motion.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Maria Gomez filed this action against Defendants O'Reilly Automotive Stores, Inc. and O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. d/b/a O'Reilly Auto Parts in the El Paso County Court at Law Five on August 9, 2017. Notice of Removal Ex. A at 1, ECF No. 1. In her Original Petition, Plaintiff alleges various claims of negligence related to an injury she suffered during the course of her employment with Defendants. Id. at 2-4. She also alleges that Defendants failed to become subscribers under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act ("TWCA"). Id. at 2.

Defendants were served with Plaintiff's Original Petition on September 1, 2017, and on September 11, 2017, they filed their timely Notice of Removal on the basis of diversity jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Notice of Removal ¶¶ 1-2. Plaintiff responded with the instant Motion on October 11, 2017, arguing that removal was improper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1445(c). Mot. ¶ 1, ECF No. 6. On October 18, 2017, Defendants filed their Response to Plaintiff's Motion ("Response"). ECF No. 7. Plaintiff then filed her Reply to Defendants' Response ("Reply") on October 23, 2017. ECF No. 8.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Standard

A defendant may remove an action from state court to federal court provided that the latter court has subject matter jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a). There are, however, certain classes of claims that are made nonremovable by statute even where subject matter jurisdiction otherwise exists. See 28 U.S.C. § 1445. Nonremovable claims include claims that are part of "[a] civil action in any State court arising under the workmen's compensation laws of such State." Id. § 1445(c). When an action is removed from state court to federal court, "[t]he removing party bears the burden of showing that federal jurisdiction exists and that removal was proper." Manguno v. Prudential Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. , 276 F.3d 720, 723 (5th Cir. 2002). "Any ambiguities are construed against removal because the removal statute should be strictly construed in favor of remand." Id.

B. Analysis

The crux of the Plaintiff's argument for remand is that negligence claims against nonsubscribing1 employers are nonremovable pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1445(c). Section 1445(c) bars removal of "[a] civil action in any State court arising under the workmen's compensation laws of such State." 28 U.S.C. § 1445(c) (emphasis added). Federal district courts in Texas are split as to whether nonsubscriber negligence claims arise under the TWCA and must be remanded when removed from state court. Compare, e.g. , Pyle v. Beverly Enters.-Tex., Inc. , 826 F.Supp. 206, 209 (N.D. Tex. 1993) (finding that nonsubscriber negligence claims do not arise under the TWCA and are removable), with Figueroa v. Healthmark Partners, L.L.C. , 125 F.Supp.2d 209, 210-11 (S.D. Tex. 2000) (finding that nonsubscriber negligence claims do arise under the TWCA and are nonremovable).

Plaintiff offers two arguments in favor of remand. First, Plaintiff argues that her *572claims do in fact arise under the TWCA, rendering them nonremovable pursuant to § 1445(c). Mot. ¶¶ 16-22. Next, Plaintiff argues that "the division between district courts ... creates an ambiguity in the law sufficient to warrant remand." Reply 1, 3. The Court addresses each argument in turn.

1. Plaintiff's claims do not arise under the TWCA

Plaintiff primarily argues that negligence claims against a nonsubscriber arise under the TWCA because such claims require the resolution of a substantial question under the TWCA. Mot. ¶¶ 19-22. Defendants, on the other hand, essentially argue that negligence claims against a nonsubscriber are common law claims rather than claims created by the TWCA. Resp. 5-6. Defendants further argue that nonsubscriber negligence claims do not require the resolution of a substantial question under the TWCA because they do not implicate a purely legal issue involving interpretation of the TWCA's provisions. Id.

The Fifth Circuit has held that "arising under" in § 1445(c) should be construed in the same manner as "arising under" in § 1331, the federal question statute. Jones v. Roadway Exp., Inc. , 931 F.2d 1086, 1092 (5th Cir. 1991). The Court notes, however, that wholesale application of the case-law construction of § 1331 to § 1445(c) gives rise to several difficulties.

Federal question jurisdiction exists in cases "arising under the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States." 28 U.S.C.

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283 F. Supp. 3d 569, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gomez-v-oreilly-auto-stores-inc-txwd-2017.