Oleson v. KMart Corp.

185 F.R.D. 631, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12857, 1999 WL 318500
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedMarch 31, 1999
DocketNo. 96-4066-SAC
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 185 F.R.D. 631 (Oleson v. KMart Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oleson v. KMart Corp., 185 F.R.D. 631, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12857, 1999 WL 318500 (D. Kan. 1999).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CROW, Senior District Judge.

On April 26, 1996, Michael G. Oleson commenced this action against his former employer, the KMart Corporation. On June 19, 1996, Oleson filed an amended complaint. In his fourteen page amended complaint, Oleson asserts six separate claims against KMart. Oleson alleges violations of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Workers’ Compensation Laws of the State of Kansas, retaliatory discharge, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Oleson essentially alleges that his supervisor at the KMart distribution center ordered him to work or be fired, despite the fact that the company physician had given him written instructions that he should not work for three days due to bronchitic asthma. Fearing the loss of his job, Oleson went to work in spite of his illness. Although he was visibly ill, no supervisor would allow Oleson to leave as he had already exhausted his annual bank of personal leave of 180 hours. Weak from his illness, Oleson passed out, injuring his back. Oleson saw a chiropractor the next day for the injury to his back. Oleson’s back was treated. The chiropractor gave Oleson a pass to be off work indefinitely for his work related injury as well as his ongoing bronchitic asthma. KMart did not honor Oleson’s requests for additional leave and as a result of his absence, KMart terminated his employment.

According to Oleson, KMart then embarked on a criminal conspiracy to deny his workers’ compensation claim. Specifically, Oleson alleges that KMart “intentionally set out to defeat plaintiffs right to workers’ compensation benefits and rights by intimidating witnesses, ignoring evidence, conspiring to create negative evidence, and conspiring to accuse plaintiff of falsifying a workers compensation claim.” Ultimately, Oleson prevailed in his workers’ compensation claim against KMart. Oleson’s complaint alleges that “the workers compensation judge instructed the attorney general of the State of Kansas to institute an investigation of the fraudulent practices of defendant and intimidation.”

KMart denies all of Oleson’s allegations of unlawful activity.

On December 5, 1996, this court entered a memorandum and order denying in part and granting part KMart’s motions to dismiss. See Oleson v. KMart Corp., No. 96-066-SAC, 1996 WL 772604 (D.Kan. Dec. 5, 1996). Oleson was allowed fifteen days to file an amended complaint concerning his negligent infliction of emotional distress.1 On December 19,1996, Oleson filed his second amended complaint. See (Dk. 87). On January 31, 1997, Oleson filed his third amended complaint. See (Dk. 173). As it now stands, the plaintiff asserts claims under the following theories: FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), ADA (American’s with Disabilities), violations of the Kansas Workers Compensation Act (Conspiracy, Fraud, Witness intimidation), Retaliatory discharge (for filing for worker’s compensation), Tort of Outrage and ERISA.

It is apparent that throughout this case the parties — or at least their counsel — have not gotten along very well. In fact, the court file has mushroomed, now containing over 368 separate pleadings. From the court’s review of the file, the virtual absence of any spirit of cooperation has been one of the primary sources of this proliferation. After viewing the proliferation of motions, and not knowing what interrelationship, if any, existed between the pending motions, the court [633]*633has waited for a significant block of time in its calender to sort through the mass of pleadings and to decide the majority of the pending motions in one single, consolidated order.

Motions filed by the Plaintiff:

1. Plaintiffs Motion for review of Magistrate’s decision regarding plaintiffs motion to take video tape deposition of Sandra Helton. (Dk. 124).2
2. Plaintiffs Motion to plead greater damages, for jury to determine punitive damages or for an advisory jury on punitive damages, and for order to lift cap on punitive damages. (Dk. 156).
3. Plaintiffs motion in limine. (Dk. 164).
4. Plaintiffs motion for leave to file out of time reply to defendant’s response to plaintiffs motion to add prayer for higher damages. (Dk. 227).3
5. Plaintiffs motion for leave to permit filing of deposition transcripts in opposition to defendant’s motion to dismiss or for summary judgment. (Dk. 239).
6. Plaintiffs motion to strike [defendants’ memorandum and reply to plaintiffs response to defendants’ motion to dismiss, or in the alternative, motion for partial summary judgment], or in the alternative, for leave to file a surreply. (Dk. 245).
7. Motion to strike defendant’s latest motion for summary judgment and to stay plaintiffs obligation to respond to defendant’s motion for summary judgment pending court’s ruling on motion to strike. (Dk. 256).
8. Motion to strike defendant’s reply memorandum on the second motion for summary judgment (Dk. 262).

Motions filed by defendants:

1. Motion to Dismiss or in the alternative for partial summary judgment. (Dk. 122).
2. Defendant’s objection to order of Magistrate (Dk. 185).
3. Motion to Dismiss or in the alternative for partial summary judgment. (Dk. 198).
4. Motion to Strike plaintiffs reply to defendant KMart’s response to motion to add prayer for higher damages, for jury to determine punitive damages, for advisory verdict and to lift the cap. (Dk. 221).4
5. Motion for order to substitute defendant KMart’s amended memorandum in reply to plaintiffs response to defendant’s motion to dismiss, or, in the alternative, motion for partial summary judgment. (Dk. 226).
6. Motion by defendants for summary judgment. (Dk. 240).
7. Motion for leave to file memoranda supporting summary judgment and reply memoranda in excess of page limitations. (Dk. 266).
8. Motion for leave to file an amended memorandum in support of motion for summary judgment. (Dk. 280).
9. Motion for review of Magistrate’s memorandum and. order (Dk. 356). (Dk. 357).
10. Motion for review of Magistrate’s memorandum and order (Dk. 359). (Dk. 360).

Dispositive Motions and Related Motions

Motion to Dismiss or in the alternative for partial summary judgment (Dk. 122); Motion to Dismiss or in the alternative for partial summary judgment (Dk. 198); Motion by Defendants for summary judgment (Dk. 240).

As indicated above, the plaintiff seeks to recover from defendant under six alternative theories: FMLA, ADA, violations of the Kansas Workers Compensation Act (Conspiracy, Fraud, Witness intimidation), retaliatory [634]*634discharge (for filing for worker’s compensation), tort of outrage and ERISA. The defendants have filed three separate dispositive motions in the hope of defeating some or all of the plaintiffs claims.

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Oleson v. Kmart Corp.
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
185 F.R.D. 631, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12857, 1999 WL 318500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oleson-v-kmart-corp-ksd-1999.