Seiler v. Grow

507 N.E.2d 628, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2666
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 14, 1987
Docket30A01-8609-CV-255
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 507 N.E.2d 628 (Seiler v. Grow) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Seiler v. Grow, 507 N.E.2d 628, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2666 (Ind. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinions

RATLIFF, Chief Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Karen Seiler appeals the granting of summary judgment in favor of Ronald Grow in her action against Grow for damages for personal injuries. We reverse.

FACTS

Seiler was employed as a bartender and waitress at a tavern called The Grow's Nest which was owned by Maxron, Inc., a corporation. Grow and his mother-in-law, Maxine Steiner, owned all the stock in the corporation. Grow was president of the corporation and worked at the tavern daily but on an irregular time schedule. Seiler was working the 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. shift in February 1981 when the incident which is the subject of this action occurred.

About 11:80 a.m. on February 26th, Les Tilson, the night bartender, appeared at the tavern and announced he had an appoint ment to see Grow. Grow arrived about noon, went to his office, and returned with a .88 caliber automatic pistol to an area where Tilson and one Jerry Green were sitting and Seiler was standing. As Grow was demonstrating the operation of the pistol, it discharged, wounding Seiler in the foot.

In Grow's deposition, which was before the trial court in the summary judgment hearing, he stated he owned the pistol and brought it to the tavern to demonstrate its operation to Tilson and Seiler because Seiler wanted the pistol when she was alone in the tavern for protection from "weirdoes" who sometimes came into the tavern. On the other hand, Seiler presented evidence by way of her deposition that Tilson told Jerry Green that he wanted to buy a gun and was looking to buy a gun, and that Grow brought the gun to the area where Tilson and Green were sitting and the men began talking about an automatic. Seiler claims she was busy and paid no attention to the gun.

Seiler applied for and received worker's compensation benefits. Seiler testified Grow told her to tell the compensation carrier he was showing her how to use the gun so she would be able to obtain compensation.

The trial court granted summary judgment to Grow on the theory the case was within the exclusive remedy provisions of [630]*630the Indiana Worker's Compensation Act, Indiana Code section 22-3-2-6.

ISSUE

Did the trial court properly grant summary judgment in favor of Grow on the theory that Seiler's exclusive remedy was worker's compensation?

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Our standard of review in summary judgment cases is the same as that used by the trial court. Brenneman Mechanical and Electrical, Inc. v. First National Bank of Logansport (1986), Ind.App., 495 N.E.2d 233, (transfer pending); First Savings and Loan Assn. v. Treaster (1986), Ind.App., 490 N.E.2d 1149, trams. denied. Summary judgment is a procedure for applying the law to the facts when no factual controversy exists, Reeder v. Ramsey (1984), Ind.App., 458 N.E.2d 682, and is properly granted where there is no issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Marion Teachers Association v. Grant County Special Education Cooperative (1986), Ind.App., 500 N.E.2d 229, (transfer pending). In reviewing a summary judgment, we look to see if any genuine issue of fact exists, and, in so doing, we construe all matters liberally in favor of the non-moving party and resolve all doubts against the movant. Brenneman, at 240; Reeder, at 684. Summary judgment may not be used as a substitute for trial where factual disputes remain, or where undisputed facts give rise to conflicting inferences which could affect the outcome of the case. Reeder, at 684. We review the granting of summary judgment here in the light of the foregoing rules.

It is clear that if Seiler's injury arose out of and in the course of her employment, her exclusive remedy was worker's compensation. Ind.Code § 22-8-2-6; Clem v. Steveco, Inc. (1983), Ind.App., 450 N.E.2d 550; Cunningham v. Aluminum Company of America, Inc. (1981), Ind.App., 417 N.E.2d 1186. However, an injured worker may sue a third-party tortfeasor who is neither the employer nor a person in the same employ. Indiana Code section 22-3-2-18; Martin v. Powell (1985), Ind.App., 477 N.E.2d 943, trans. denied. Seiler's employer was Maxron, Inc., the corporation, not Grow. Therefore, unless Grow was "a person in the same employ", as we have defined that term, Ind.Code § 22-3-2-13 would seem to permit this action.

In determining whether or not Seiler's injuries were within the exclusivity provision of the worker's compensation act, or whether Grow, at the time of the occurrence of the incident in question, was a person in the same employ and immune from a tort action, we look to two recent decisions of this court, Skinner v. Martin (1983), Ind.App., 455 N.E.2d 1168, and Martin v. Powell (1985), Ind.App., 477 N.E.2d 943, trans. denied.

In Skinner, the claimant was taking a coffee break when Martin, a co-employee, asked Skinner to perform a job related task,. An altercation ensued wherein Martin struck Skinner inflicting certain personal injuries. We held the injury arose out of and in the course of Skinner's employment, and that worker's compensation was his exclusive remedy. Consequently, we affirmed the dismissal of Skinner's tort action.

On the other hand, in Martin, we held that an employee who was engaging in horseplay by sneaking up behind a nurse seated at a desk and pulling her chair from under her causing her to fall to the floor whereby she was injured, was not acting in the course of his employment and, thus, was not immune from a tort-action. We stated in Martin at 945;

"In the case before us, it is undisputed that Rebecca Martin was acting in the course of her employment when she was injured. It is equally clear that Steven Powell was not acting in the course of his employment when he engaged in the horseplay which resulted in Rebecca's injuries. [Citation omitted.] Consequent ly, we must conclude that Powell is not entitled to invoke the immunity granted to those 'in the same employ.'"

Also, in Martin, we distinguished Skinner, on the ground "that Skinner's injuries [631]*631resulted from a purely work-related incident. Martin assaulted Skinner because he was unhappy with Skinner's attitude toward his work." Martin, at 946. Because Powell's horseplay was not work-related, we held he was not entitled to the immunity protection afforded those in the same employ. Id.

The crucial issue, therefore, is not what Seiler was doing at the time. Rather, we must focus upon Grow's activities.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Wine-Settergren v. Lamey
716 N.E.2d 381 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1999)
Tippmann v. Hensler
654 N.E.2d 821 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1995)
Tapia v. Heavner
648 N.E.2d 1202 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1995)
Weldy v. Kline
616 N.E.2d 398 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1993)
Perry v. Stitzer Buick, GMC, Inc.
604 N.E.2d 613 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1992)
Nelson v. Denkins
598 N.E.2d 558 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1992)
Tarr v. Jablonski
569 N.E.2d 378 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Lackey v. Duhadway Co., Inc.
560 N.E.2d 671 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Ryan v. Chayes Virginia, Inc.
553 N.E.2d 1237 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Jackson v. DeFabis
553 N.E.2d 1212 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Mauller v. City of Columbus
552 N.E.2d 500 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Equimart Ltd., Inc. v. Epperly
545 N.E.2d 595 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1989)
Sanchez v. Hamara
534 N.E.2d 756 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1989)
Seiler v. Grow
507 N.E.2d 628 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
507 N.E.2d 628, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2666, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seiler-v-grow-indctapp-1987.