Martin v. Lincare Inc.

218 So. 3d 331
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedAugust 19, 2016
Docket1141373
StatusPublished

This text of 218 So. 3d 331 (Martin v. Lincare Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Martin v. Lincare Inc., 218 So. 3d 331 (Ala. 2016).

Opinion

MURDOCK, Justice.

Lineare Inc. (“Lineare”) and one of its employees, Angela Stewart, petition this Court for a writ of mandamus directing the Jefferson Circuit Court to vacate its denial of their motion to dismiss certain tort claims asserted against them in the complaint filed by former Lineare employee Sandra Martin and to enter an order dismissing those claims and, as to any claims not subject to dismissal, to vacate its-denial of their motion to strike Martin’s jury demand as to those claims and to enter an order granting that motion.

I. Facts

At the time of the incident underlying this action, both Stewart and Martin were employed by Lineare. Stewart was Martin’s supervisor. According to the allegations in Martin’s complaint, on June 6, 2014, Martin submitted a letter of resignation to Stewart. Martin alleged that she resignted because Stewart had created a difficult work environment. Martin also alleged that she had made Lineare “aware of complaints of how Stewart treated the employees”- and that Lincare’s management- “had not coiTected or counseled Stewart about her treatment of subordinate employees.” Martin further alleged that, after- she presented Stewart with her resignation letter,

“Stewart confronted Martin about some paperwork..,.,. Martin forcibly removed the paperwork from Stewart’s hand.

On April 9, 2015, Martin filed an action against Lineare and Stewart based on the incident that occurred June 6, 2014. She alleged a claim for workers’ compensation benefits against Lineare, a claim of assault and battery against Stewart and Lineare, and a tort-of-outrage claim against Stewart and Lineare. Martin demanded a jury trial “on all issues triable by jury.”

On May 8, 2015, Lineare and Stewart filed a joint “Motion to Dismiss or Sever Claims and to Strike Jury Demand.” In the motion, Lineare and Stewart argued that Martin’s workers’ compensation claim should be severed from Martin’s tort claims. They also contended that the tort claims against Lineare were subject to dismissal based on § 25-5-52, Ala.Code 1975, an exclusivity provision of the Workers’ Compensation Act, § 25-5-1 et seq., Ala. Code 1975 (“the Act”). Lineare and Stewart further argued that Martin failed to state a claim for which relief could be granted with regard to her assertion that Lineare ratified the alleged assault and battery and with regard to her tort-of-outrage claim. Finally, Lineare and Stewart contended that a jury waiver Martin signed as a condition of her employment dictated that the tort claims must be heard in a bench trial rather than before a jury and that Martin’s claims against Stewart were included within the jury waiver because Martin’s “claims against Stewart ... were related to her employment with Lin-eare.”

The trial court held a hearing on Lin-eare and Stewart’s motion on August 12, 2015. On August 25, 2015, the trial court entered an order in which it required Martin to amend her claim for workers’ compensation benefits to include “proper verification pursuant to ... § 25-5-88, Ala. Code 1975,”2 and it severed the workers’ compensation claim from the tort claims “for trial purposes.” The trial court denied the motion to dismiss with respect to Martin’s tort claims against Stewart, and it denied the motion “at this time” as to Martin’s assault and battery and tort-of-outrage claims against Lineare. Finally, the trial court struck the jury demand for the workers’ compensation claim, but it concluded that “[t]he jury demand remains for the tort claims.”

On September 9, 2015, pursuant to the trial court’s order, Martin filed an amended complaint that, in addition to providing proper verification for her workers’ compensation claim, reiterated the aforementioned claims against Lineare and Stewart.

On September 22, 2015, Lineare and Stewart filed the present petition for a writ of mandamus. Lineare argues that the trial court erred by failing to conclude that Martin’s tort claims against it were subsumed by the exclusivity provisions of the Act. Stewart argues that Martin’s tort-of-outrage claim against her is due to be dismissed because it fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Both Lineare and Stewart argue that the trial court erred in failing to enforce the jury waiver as to any tort claims not subject to dismissal. We grant the petition in part and deny it in part.

II. Applicable Principles of Review

“ ‘Mandamus is an appropriate remedy where the availability of a jury trial is at issue, as it is in this [335]*335case. Ex parte Merchants Nat’l Bank of Mobile, 257 Ala. 663, 665, 60 So.2d 684, 686 (1952).’
“Ex parte Cupps, 782 So.2d 772, 774-75 (Ala.2000).”

Ex parte BancorpSouth Bank, 109 So.3d 163, 166 (Ala.2012).

“One of the exceptions to the general rule that the denial of a motion to dismiss is not reviewable by mandamus is where the motion to dismiss asserts a defense of immunity. See Ex parte Haralson, 853 So.2d 928, 931 n. 2 (Ala. 2003) (‘The denial of a motion to dismiss ... generally is not reviewable by a petition for writ of mandamus, subject to certain narrow exceptions, such as the issue of immunity.’ (citing Ex parte Liberty Nat’l Life Ins. Co., 825 So.2d 758, 761-62 (Ala.2002))). See also Ex parte McCartney Constr. Co., 720 So.2d 910, 911 (Ala.1998)(granting mandamus relief where the toial court denied a motion to dismiss premised on the immunity provided by the exclusive-remedy provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act)....”

Ex parte Rock Wool Mfg. Co., 202 So.3d 669, 671 (Ala.2016).

III. Analysis

A. Whether Martin’s Tort Claims Against Lineare are Subsumed by the Act

Lineare contends that Martin’s claims alleging assault and battery and the tort of outrage against Lineare are barred by the exclusivity provisions of the Act. Under the facts of this case, we agree.

Section 25-5-52, Ala.Code 1975, provides, in pertinent part:

“Except as provided in this chapter, no employee of any employer subject to this chapter ... shall have a right to any other method, form, or amount of compensation or damages for an injury or death occasioned by an accident or occupational disease proximately resulting from and while engaged in the actual performance of the duties of his or her employment and from a cause originating in such employment or determination thereof.”

(Emphasis added.) Section 25-5-53, Ala. Code 1975, provides, in pertinent part:

“The rights and remedies granted in this chapter to an employee shall exclude all other rights and remedies of the employee ... at common law, by statute, or otherwise on account of injury, loss of services, or death.

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218 So. 3d 331, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/martin-v-lincare-inc-ala-2016.