Theriault v. Hi Tech Insulation Svs.

CourtSuperior Court of Maine
DecidedJanuary 5, 2011
DocketANDcv-10-049
StatusUnpublished

This text of Theriault v. Hi Tech Insulation Svs. (Theriault v. Hi Tech Insulation Svs.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Theriault v. Hi Tech Insulation Svs., (Me. Super. Ct. 2011).

Opinion

STATE OF MAINE SUPERIOR COURT ANDROSCOGGIN, ss. DOCKET NO. CV-IO-049 ~J1 ( I v I IJ L7 '\ -' I "", J\j u- /It:;/.­ /} 1\ I c) I)

DAVID THERIAULT,

Plaintiff ORDER

v.

HI TECH INSULATION SERVICES, REeD AUBSC 01/06/11

Defendant.

This matter came before the court on Defendant's, Hi Tech Insulation

Services, motion for summary judgment pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 56. Hearing

was held on the matter on January 4,2011.

The core of the Plaintiff's claim is that the Defendant subjected him to an

adverse employment action, namely termination, because he complained to his

supervisor about the brakes in a company truck and that he left the job site so

that he would not have to ride in said vehicle. The Defendant argues that the

Plaintiff's WPA claim fails as a matter of law because the evidence is insufficient

to support an argument that he engaged in an activity protected under the WPA

and that there is insufficient evidence that the adverse employment action was

caused by any such conduct.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

In 2004, Plaintiff, David Theriault ("Plaintiff"), was hired by the

Defendant as an insulation installer. Thomas Estes is the President and owner of

Hi Tech with the authority to hire and terminate employees. Mr. Estes maintains a fleet of trucks with assigned drivers, plus an additional two to three spare

trucks. It is undisputed that Mr. Estes takes care of his equipment, has regular

oil changes on the trucks, and takes pride in how they look. The Plaintiff knew

that Mr. Estes would bring a substitute truck to crewmembers at a jobsite if the

primary truck was not running right, and also knew that Truck Repair Forms

and Problem Reports were widely available to all crewmembers to alleviate the

need for emergency truck substitution. (P.R.S.M.F. «j[«j[ 10-13.) In fact, prior to the

event in question, the Plaintiff never experienced Mr. Estes doing anything he

felt was unsafe. (P.R.S.M.F. «j[ 9).

Mr. Estes allows crewmembers to take company trucks home. Ever since

the Plaintiff lost his driver's license for an OUI on April 16, 2006, and with it his

access to an assigned truck. Mr. Estes has arranged for another driver to take

Plaintiff to and from work every day. This was not done for anyone else. The

drivers who do not take a truck home select any available truck each work

morning.

Prior Disciplinary Actions On March 6,2007, Plaintiff was given a warning after he continued to

smoke in a truck driven by a co-worker who did not want to be around smoke.

On August 2, 2007, the Plaintiff was counseled about "running his mouth" at job

sites. On January 17, 2008, Plaintiff received a warning for speaking negatively

to other company's employees.

The Incident On July 17 and 18,2008, Plaintiff was assigned to ride with his co-worker,

Dan Lowe, from the Defendant's place of business in New Gloucester to a job site

in Portland. Mr. Lowe did not take a truck home each day, and therefore

2 selected a truck each morning. Mr. Lowe picked Truck #3 from the Defendant's

fleet of trucks on both July 17 and 18, 2008.

The Plaintiff claims that during the ride to Portland the truck exhibited

signs of brake problems. Upon arriving at the job site, however, Plaintiff did not

call Mr. Estes to arrange for the delivery of a substitute truck, despite the

presence of an available phone. During the morning break the Plaintiff again

rode in the truck, despite the vibrating brakes. Plaintiff also rode in the truck

during the lunch break. At the end of the day Plaintiff rode in the truck back to

New Gloucester. The Plaintiff never informed Mr. Estes of the brake problem,

nor did he fill out a Problem Report Form. Plaintiff does allege that he overheard

Mr. Lowe tell Mr. Estes that the brakes were bad in Truck #3.

On July 18, 2008, the Plaintiff reported to work and was assigned to travel

again with Mr. Lowe. Mr. Lowe again chose Truck #3, despite its alleged brake

problem. Plaintiff agrees that it would not make sense for Mr. Lowe to choose

truck #3 if it had brake problems.

When the Plaintiff learned of his vehicle assignment he told 1 Mr. Estes that

he did not think that the brakes were safe. The Plaintiff did not request a spare

truck to get to Portland. Mr. Estes responded that they had recently been

repaired, and that the brakes may have been rusty, as the truck had been sitting

for a while. Plaintiff then told Mr. Estes to take Truck #3 for a test drive, which

Mr. Estes, who was busy getting ready for the work day, declined to do at that

moment. Mr. Estes then announced to all employees within hearing distance

1The Plaintiff states that he calmly told Mr. Estes of the brake problem. Mr. Estes claims that Plaintiff screamed, swore, and yelled at him when he informed the Plaintiff that the brakes on the work truck had recently been repaired. Although there is an issue of fact as to when the parties began to yell, this is not a material fact such that summary judgment is precluded.

3 that no one was to give Plaintiff rides to and from work in company vehicles any

longer. The conversation escalated, and Plaintiff alleges that Mr. Estes told him

to get in the truck and get to Portland. Plaintiff eventually declared he was

leaving the work site. Mr. Estes warned Plaintiff that if he walked off the job "he

was all done." (D.5.M.F. 150.) Plaintiff left the job site. When the Plaintiff next

reported to work, he was told that he no longer had a job because he had

abandoned it the previous workday.

Plaintiff claims that the Defendant terminated his employment for

refusing to ride in the work vehicle, in violation of both 26 M.R.S.A. § 833(l)(B)

and (D), as well as 5 M.R.S.A. § 4572(l)(A).

Plaintiff filed a claim with the Maine Human Rights Commission and was

issued a Right to Sue Letter. Plaintiff filed the current complaint against

Defendant on March 15, 2010. On June 21,2010, this court denied the

Defendant's motion to dismiss, finding that further discovery was necessary to

provide clarity regarding the events leading up to the Plaintiff's termination.

The Defendant filed the pending motion for summary judgment on October 26,

2010.

DISCUSSION

I. Standard of Review.

"Summary judgment is appropriate when review of the parties'

statements of material facts and the referenced record evidence, considered in the

light most favorable to the non-moving party, indicates that no genuine issue of

material fact is in dispute." Blue Star Corp. v. CKF Props. LLC 2009 ME 101, 123,

980 A.2d 1270, 1276 (citing Dyer v. Dep't ofTransp., 20081VIE 106, 114,951 A.2d

821,825; Stanley v. Hancock County Comm'rs, 2004 ME 157,

4 174); see also M. R. Civ. P. 56. A party wishing to avoid summary judgment must

present a prima facie case for the claim or defense that is asserted. Reliance

National Indemnity v. Knowles Industrial Services, 2005 ME 29, <[ 9, 868 A.2d 220,

224-25.

A genuine issue is raised "when sufficient evidence requires a fact-finder

to choose between competing versions of the truth at trial." Parrish v. Wright,

2003 ME 90, <[ 8, 828 A.2d 778, 781. A material fact is a fact that has "the

potential to affect the outcome of the suit." Burdzel v. Sobus, 2000 ME 84, <[6,750

A.2d 573,575.

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