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Case Law Database

Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.

Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Majors v. Moneymaker

Elsie N. Majors and her husband, Parnick Y. Majors, sued Elizabeth Moneymaker for damages following an automobile accident. All parties were co-employees of the American National Insurance Company, and the incident occurred within the scope of their employment, bringing them under the Tennessee Workmen's Compensation Law. Moneymaker filed a plea in abatement, arguing that the Workmen's Compensation Act provided the exclusive remedy and she was not a 'third party' subject to a common law negligence suit. The trial court sustained the plea and dismissed the suits, a decision affirmed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held that a co-employee is not considered 'some person other than the employer' under Code Section 6865, thereby making the workers' compensation remedy exclusive and precluding a common law action against the co-employee. The court also discussed the implications for the insurance carrier's subrogation rights.

Automobile AccidentWorkmen's CompensationExclusive RemedyFellow Employee LiabilityThird-Party SuitPlea in AbatementSubrogationCommon Law ActionTennessee Supreme CourtCo-employee Immunity
References
6
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

L&L Painting Co. v. Contract Dispute Resolution Board

L&L and Odyssey, contractors for lead-based paint removal on the Queensboro Bridge, disputed a contract drawing's interpretation with the Department of Transportation (DOT) concerning scaffolding clearance. Petitioners sought additional compensation after DOT rejected their proposed platform design, claiming a latent ambiguity in the contract. The Contract Dispute Resolution Board (CDRB) denied their claim, finding a patent ambiguity requiring pre-bid clarification. The Supreme Court upheld CDRB's decision, and this appellate court affirmed, concluding that the ambiguity was indeed patent, contrasting 'all roadways' in the note with the drawing's specific references. A dissenting opinion argued against this, stating an engineer would find no ambiguity.

Contract DisputePublic Works ContractQueensboro BridgeConstruction LawContract InterpretationAmbiguityPatent AmbiguityLatent AmbiguityCPLR Article 78Administrative Law
References
0
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Aug 26, 2011

Karic v. Major Automotive Companies, Inc.

Plaintiffs, sales representatives, commenced an action against Major World car dealerships and individual defendants, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York Labor Law (NYLL) due to alleged failures to pay proper minimum wages. They moved for conditional certification of a collective action, approval of a proposed FLSA Notice, and expedited discovery. Defendants opposed, arguing discovery was substantially advanced and thus a heightened standard for certification should apply, and that certain entities should be excluded due to a lack of named representatives. The Court granted the plaintiffs' request for conditional certification, finding they met the minimal burden of showing similarly situated employees and a common compensation policy across all Major World entities. The Court also provided specific instructions for modifying the proposed class notice and ordered defendants to provide contact information for potential opt-in plaintiffs.

FLSANYLLCollective ActionConditional CertificationMinimum WageWage and HourSales RepresentativesCar DealershipsOpt-inSimilarly Situated
References
27
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Masterson v. Diocese of Northwest Texas

This Texas Supreme Court opinion addresses a church property dispute involving The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. A majority of the local congregation voted to withdraw from The Episcopal Church of the United States (TEC) and the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas due to doctrinal differences, renaming itself the Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd. The Diocese and loyal faction (Episcopal Leaders) sued to gain control of the property. The Court held that Texas courts must apply 'neutral principles of law' to resolve church property disputes, rather than deferring to hierarchical church decisions on property ownership. The previous summary judgment in favor of the Episcopal Leaders, based on the deference methodology, was reversed. The case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with the neutral principles approach, focusing on corporate bylaws, deeds, and state law regarding property and trusts.

Church Property DisputeNeutral Principles of LawDeference MethodologyFirst AmendmentFreedom of ReligionHierarchical ChurchTexas Supreme CourtCorporate GovernanceNon-Profit CorporationsTrust Law
References
59
Case No. 75-H-1459
Regular Panel Decision
Mar 17, 1976

Airline Flight Atten., Etc. v. Tex. Intern., Etc.

This case addresses a labor dispute between airline flight attendants and Texas International Airlines concerning the Airline's unilateral mid-month flight schedule changes. The core legal question revolves around whether these actions constituted a 'major' or 'minor' dispute under the Railway Labor Act, which dictates different resolution procedures. The Flight Attendants sought injunctive relief, arguing for a major dispute that would require the Airline to maintain the status quo and negotiate. However, the District Court found the Airline's justification, based on the existing collective bargaining agreement and managerial prerogative, to be reasonable and made in good faith. Consequently, the court ruled the dispute was 'minor,' falling under the exclusive jurisdiction of the System Board of Adjustment for contract interpretation, and thus denied the plaintiff's request for injunctive relief and granted summary judgment for the defendant.

Railway Labor ActMajor DisputeMinor DisputeStatus Quo ObligationSystem Board of AdjustmentCollective Bargaining AgreementMid-month Schedule ChangesInjunctive ReliefSummary JudgmentContract Interpretation
References
20
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

American Train Dispatchers Ass'n v. Metro-North Commuter Railroad

Plaintiff American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) accused defendant Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company of violating the Railway Labor Act (RLA) by unilaterally implementing changes to work rules and conditions without prior union consultation. The changes concerned sick leave, vacation days, training time, work attire, and drug/alcohol testing. The court classified these disputes as either 'major' or 'minor' under the RLA. It found that the automatic requirement for doctor's certificates for sick days not contiguous to rest days, holidays, or vacation, and the new work attire policy constituted 'major disputes', and thus granted a permanent injunction to restore the status quo. However, the court deemed disputes over training time, single vacation days, and sick days contiguous to rest days/holidays/vacation as 'minor disputes', denying injunctive relief for these. The court also denied injunctive relief for random drug testing due to insufficient evidence, noting that the issue of drug testing as part of regular medical examinations was being addressed in a separate ruling.

Railway Labor ActMajor DisputeMinor DisputeInjunctive ReliefWork RulesSick Leave PolicyVacation PolicyTraining TimeDress CodeDrug Testing
References
14
Case No. 147-119
Regular Panel Decision
Jun 20, 1959

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad v. United Railroad Workers Division of Transport Workers Union of America

Plaintiff railroads sought a preliminary injunction to prevent a strike by unions after unilaterally abolishing positions for diesel tug oilers without prior notice. Defendant unions cross-moved, requesting the court to order the restoration of the fired oilers, arguing the dispute was a 'major dispute' under the Railway Labor Act. District Judge FREDERICK van PELT BRYAN ruled that the determination of whether the dispute was 'major' or 'minor' rested with the appropriate Railway Labor Act agencies. The court granted the unions' cross-motion, directing the railroads to restore the oilers to maintain the status quo ante, thereby also granting the railroads' injunction against the strike conditional on this restoration. A separate request for injunction against other unions in a related action (147-164) was denied due to insufficient evidence of their involvement in encouraging the work stoppage.

Railway Labor ActLabor DisputePreliminary InjunctionStrikeWork StoppageStatus Quo AnteDiesel Tug OilersCollective Bargaining AgreementsNational Mediation BoardRailway Adjustment Board
References
10
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Apr 05, 1973

De Sapio v. Kohlmeyer

Judge McGivern dissents from the majority's decision, which affirmed an order entered by the Supreme Court, New York County on April 5, 1973. The dissent argues that the motion to stay an action for libel and slander against Kohlmeyer should have been granted because the plaintiff had previously agreed to arbitrate any disputes arising from his employment or its termination with Kohlmeyer. Citing precedents like Matter of Exercycle Corp. and Matter of Ghiron (Mayr), McGivern emphasizes the broad scope of arbitration clauses, even for tort claims connected to employment. The dissent further critiques the majority's interpretation of stock exchange agreements regarding employment termination and highlights the CPLR 7501 policy favoring arbitration, as reinforced by Matter of British Overseas Airways Corp. and Matter of Fitzgerald. Ultimately, the majority's decision affirmed the original order, contradicting the dissenting view on the arbitrability of the dispute.

ArbitrationLibelSlanderEmployment DisputeAppellate ReviewDissenting OpinionContract InterpretationCPLR 7501Scope of Arbitration ClauseStay of Action
References
4
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Local 553, Transport Workers Union v. Eastern Air Lines, Inc.

Plaintiff, Local 553, Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, sued defendant Eastern Air Lines, Inc., alleging violations of the Railway Labor Act. The dispute arose from Eastern's agreement to take over Braniff's Latin American routes and hire Braniff flight attendants, which the Union claimed breached their collective bargaining agreement's seniority clause. The Union argued this constituted a 'major' dispute under the RLA, requiring an injunction to preserve the status quo. The court analyzed whether the dispute was 'major' or 'minor,' the irreparable harm to the Union, and affirmative defenses raised by Eastern, including compliance with the Norris-LaGuardia Act and jurisdictional challenges. The court ultimately found the Union likely to succeed on the merits, established irreparable harm, and rejected Eastern's defenses, granting preliminary injunctive relief to the Union. Eastern was ordered to post flights for bid by seniority or compensate affected Union members.

Labor DisputeRailway Labor ActPreliminary InjunctionCollective Bargaining AgreementSeniority RightsStatus QuoAirline IndustryForeign NationalsInternational RoutesNorris-LaGuardia Act
References
38
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Chen v. Major League Baseball

John Chen sued Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. and the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball (MLB) under the FLSA and NYLL, claiming minimum wage violations for his unpaid volunteer work during the 2013 Baseball All Star Game's "FanFest". He sought conditional class certification. MLB moved to dismiss the complaint, arguing that Chen was a volunteer and that FanFest, as a seasonal "amusement or recreational establishment," was exempt from FLSA minimum wage requirements. The court granted MLB's motion to dismiss the FLSA claims, finding that FanFest qualified for the Section 13(a)(3) exemption due to its short operational period and status as a distinct physical place of business. Consequently, Chen's motion for collective certification was denied as moot, and his state-law NYLL claims were dismissed without prejudice.

FLSA ExemptionMinimum Wage ClaimsVolunteer EmploymentSeasonal OperationsDistinct Physical Place of BusinessEnterprise vs EstablishmentClass Action DenialState Law Claims DismissalJudicial DiscretionStatutory Interpretation
References
38
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