Matthew Eric Kershner v. Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC
Matthew Eric Kershner, an electrical apprentice for Spur Electric, Inc., was injured while working on a construction project for Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC. Kershner sustained a left knee injury after falling in a slippery cleaning solution. He received workers' compensation benefits from Spur Electric but also sued Samsung for negligence, claiming a breach of duty to maintain safe premises and warn of latent defects. Samsung filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting the "exclusive-remedy defense" under the Texas Labor Code, as it purchased workers' compensation coverage for subcontractors' employees. Kershner argued that the defense did not apply because Spur Electric was an independent contractor, not a dependent one, raising a genuine issue of material fact. The trial court granted Samsung's motion for summary judgment, leading to this appeal, where Kershner argues that Samsung failed to conclusively establish its right to the exclusive-remedy defense.