Justia Injury Law Opinion Summaries

Plaintiff Fernando Rodriguez-Flores appealed the dismissal of his claims of retaliatory discharge and fraud brought against his former employer, U.S. Coatings, Inc. He worked as a painter. He stated that he suffered on the job injuries from paint-fume inhalation and other maladies. He sued the employer for workmans' compensation benefits, asserting retaliatory discharge and fraud based on his physical complaints and subsequent treatment. The trial court dismissed his complaint. Finding that the trial court did not err with regard to dismissing Plaintiff's fraud claim, the Supreme Court affirmed to that regard. However, the Court concluded the trial court erred with regard to the retaliatory-discharge claim. The case was remanded for further proceedings. View "Rodriguez-Flores v. U.S. Coatings, Inc. " on Justia Law

Plaintiff Stanford Isbell sued M&J Materials, Inc. seeking workmans' compensation benefits. He also sought compensatory and punitive damages based on his claim of a retaliatory discharge. M&J denied liability, specifically averring that Plaintiff's employment was terminated for violating a workplace prohibition of carrying firearms. The parties settled their differences with regards to the workmans' compensation claims, leaving the retaliatory discharge to be heard by the trial court. The jury found in Plaintiff's favor, but the Court of Appeals reversed. Upon review of the matter, the Supreme Court concluded the appellate court erred in its analysis of the facts in record and the applicable law. Accordingly, the appellate court's judgment was reversed and the case remanded for further proceedings. View "M & J Materials, Inc. v. Isbell" on Justia Law

Hosea O. Weaver & Sons, Inc. appealed a jury verdict in favor of Ira Balch, personal representative of the Estate of Danny Balch, and Melvin Balch, personal representative of the estates of Bernard Balch and Armie Balch. The matter stemmed from a road-resurfacing project conducted by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). ALDOT hired Weaver to complete the project. The Balches were traveling on the portion of the road resurfaced by Weaver when the vehicle they were riding in was hit head-on by a tractor-trailer. Their personal representatives filed wrongful-death actions against Weaver and others, alleging that Weaver negligently performed the resurfacing project, and that negligent performance caused the deaths of the Balches. The trial court denied Weaver's prejudgment motions, and the jury returned a verdict in the estates' favor. Weaver appealed the denial of its postjudgment motion, and alleged multiple errors at trial in its argument to the Supreme Court. Upon review, the Supreme Court concluded that Weaver owed no duty to the decedents, and therefore was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The Court reversed the trial court and entered a judgment in favor of Weaver. View "Hosea O. Weaver & Sons, Inc. v. Balch" on Justia Law

Defendants U.S. Innovations Group, Inc. (and several others) petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus to order the trial court to dismiss claims filed against it by Judy Hawke and Carolyn Grimes. Defendants argued that because the claims arose on a federal enclave subject to exclusive federal jurisdiction, the trial court lacked jurisdiction to hear the claims. Finding that defendant did not demonstrate the trial court lacked jurisdiction or that they had a clear right to have those claims dismissed, the Supreme Court denied their petitions for the writ. View "Hawke v. U.S. Centrifuge Systems, LLC" on Justia Law

Joe Robertson appealed a circuit court order that held his claims against Mount Royal Towers were subject to an arbitration agreement and compelled him to arbitrate those claims. Finding that Robertson had not met his burden of showing that the arbitration agreements he signed were not applicable in this case, the Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's decision. View "Robertson v. Mount Royal Towers" on Justia Law

USA Water Ski, Inc. sought a writ of mandamus to direct the trial court to vacate its discovery order compelling the production of a report that it deemed privileged under the work-product doctrine. Finding that USA Water Ski adequately explained that it's hired expert's post-incident report was prepared because of prospective litigation, the Supreme Court found USA Water Ski had shown the trial court exceeded its discretion in ordering production of the report. Accordingly the Court granted the petition and issued the writ. View "Ewing v. USA Water Ski, Inc." on Justia Law

Timmy and Stephanie Blackmon sued Eddie Powell (d/b/a Powell Plumbing Company) for negligence, wantonness, breach of implied warranties and breach of contract following a water-line rupture that caused extensive flooding and water damage. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Powell, and the Blackmons appealed. Finding the evidence in the trial court record supported the motion for summary judgment, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Blackmon v. Powell" on Justia Law

Raymond Patterson appealed the grant of summary judgment in favor of Jai Maatadee, Inc. (d/b/a, R.C. Quick Stop) and its owners. Patterson visited the R.C. Quick Stop to buy gasoline. He stepped on a metal drain cover in between the gasoline pumps and the adjacent interstate and fell. Jai Maatadee argued it owed no duty to Patterson because the grate was on a public right-of-way owned by the State. Jai Maatadee also argued that even if the grate was on its property, it was an open and obvious hazard Patterson should have seen. Upon review, the Supreme Court found that the grant of summary judgment had not considered all of the owners (and former owners) named in Patterson's complaint. The Court concluded that the trial court abused its discretion in certifying Jai Maatadee's judgment as final because the former owners' claims were so intertwined as to make summary judgment inappropriate. The Court dismissed the appeal and remanded the case for further proceedings. View "Patterson v. Jai Maatadee, Inc." on Justia Law

In 2011, Sterling Bank sued Christopher Sanspree for nonpayment on a promissory note. Sanspree answered, raised counterclaims of fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligence and negligent supervision. The bank moved for summary judgment on the nonpayment issue only. Sanspree responded to the motion arguing the bank's claim should not be adjudicated separately from his counterclaims. The trial court entered summary judgment in favor of the bank on its claim without mention of Sanspree's counterclaims. Sanspree then moved the trial court to certify the summary judgment as final. Once the court certified the motion, Sanspree appealed to the Supreme Court. The high court found the trial court erred in certifying the summary judgment motion as final and dismissed the appeal. View "Sanspree v. Sterling Bank " on Justia Law

Tommy Hand sued the Prattville law firm of Howell, Sarto & Howell and William P. Roberts II, an attorney formerly employed by the Howell firm, asserting a claim under the Alabama Legal Services Liability Act based on their alleged negligent representation of him in an action seeking damages for personal injuries he suffered as a result of an automobile accident. The trial court entered a summary judgment in favor of the Howell firm and Roberts; Hand appealed. On appeal, Hand argued that Roberts and the Howell firm committed legal malpractice when they failed to name the Montgomery Advertiser, which Hand labeled "the critical deep-pocket defendant" as a party in Hand's personal injury action. Hand argues that the failure devalued his case to the extent that he had to settle for approximately half of what the case was worth and for an amount significantly less than his actual economic damage, not to mention his pain and suffering. Because there was no evidence indicating, only speculation, that Hand would have been able to settle his injury claim for a higher amount if Roberts and the Howell firm had also named the Montgomery Advertiser as a defendant, the Supreme Court affirmed the grant of summary judgment in favor of Roberts and the firm. View "Hand v. Howell, Sarto & Howell " on Justia Law