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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

Claim of Pallas v. New York State Police

This case involves an appeal by an employer and its insurance carrier from a decision awarding workers' compensation benefits due to the death of a New York State Police sergeant. The sergeant died in an automobile collision after leaving a restaurant, having previously attended Magistrate's Court for work. Appellants argued that the sergeant abandoned his employment during the two-hour stop at the restaurant. However, a city police report indicated the sergeant's condition was "normal" and the truck driver was at fault. The court found no evidence of intoxication or personal pursuits adding to travel risks, and determined that any deviation from employment was temporary and ended when the homeward journey resumed. The decision awarding benefits was affirmed, with costs to the Workmen's Compensation Board.

Workers' CompensationEmployment DeviationCourse of EmploymentAccident During TravelPolice Officer DeathWork-Related InjuryAppellate ReviewFatal AccidentInsurance ClaimWorkmen's Compensation Board
References
4
Case No. 03-21-00120-CV
Regular Panel Decision
Feb 24, 2022

Brian Manley, Chief of Austin Police Department Brian Manley, Individually Commander Mark Spangler, Austin Police Department Lt. Jerry Bauzon, Austin Police Department Officer Benjamin Bloodworth, Austin Police Department Officer Collin Fallon, Austin Police Department Sgt. Eric Kilcollins, Training Coordinator, Austin Police Academy And Officer Shand, Lead Instructor, Stress Reaction Training, Austin Police Academy v. Christopher Wise

Christopher Wise, a former Austin Police Academy cadet, sued Brian Manley (APD Chief) and six other APD officers after sustaining severe injuries, including heat exhaustion and stroke, during a stress reaction training in October 2018. Wise alleged that officers intentionally discouraged cadets from hydrating despite high temperatures and failed to provide timely medical aid. The defendants sought dismissal under the Texas Tort Claims Act's election-of-remedies provisions. The district court dismissed claims against the City of Austin and APD but not against the individual officers. The appellate court reversed the district court's decision, ruling that Wise's claims against the individual officers were based on conduct within the scope of their employment and could have been brought under the TTCA, thus mandating their dismissal.

Texas Tort Claims ActGovernmental ImmunityElection of RemediesScope of EmploymentPolice MisconductCadet InjuryHeat IllnessSupervisor NegligenceAppellate CourtReversal
References
25
Case No. 07-14-00405-CV
Regular Panel Decision
Aug 20, 2014

City of Plainview Texas, William Mull, in His Official Capacity as Chief of Police of the City of Plainview Police Department, and Ken Coughlin, Capacity as Chief of Police of the City of Plainview Police Department v. Korey Ferguson

Korey Ferguson, a police officer for the City of Plainview, Texas, was terminated after an alleged incident of excessive force involving citizen Amber Washington. Ferguson contended that the City violated Texas Government Code Sections 614.023(a) and (b) by failing to provide him with a copy of Washington's signed complaint before taking disciplinary action. The Trial Court ruled in favor of Ferguson, ordering his reinstatement with back pay, based on the belief that noncompliance with the statute mandated this remedy. The City of Plainview is appealing this decision, arguing that reinstatement is not a mandatory remedy for the statutory violation, that the evidence at trial was insufficient to support Ferguson's reinstatement given his unfitness as an officer, and that the order to reinstate him is against public policy.

Police MisconductExcessive ForceReinstatementDue ProcessStatutory ComplianceTexas Government CodeCivil ServiceAdministrative LawPublic PolicyAppellate Review
References
33
Case No. 2015 NY Slip Op 00461 [124 AD3d 475]
Regular Panel Decision
Jan 15, 2015

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey v. Port Authority Police Lieutenants Benevolent Ass'n

The Appellate Division, First Department, affirmed a judgment confirming an arbitration award that found the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey violated a collective bargaining agreement by ending free E-Z Pass privileges for retired police sergeants. The court ruled that the arbitrator did not exceed his authority and that his interpretation, which vested retired members with a lifetime interest in these privileges, was not irrational. The decision also clarified that a contractual phrase regarding 'applicable law' pertains to the award's binding nature, not a ground for vacating the award due to a mistake of law.

Arbitration AwardCollective Bargaining AgreementE-Z Pass PrivilegesRetired EmployeesArbitrator's AuthorityAppellate ReviewContractual InterpretationLifetime BenefitsJudicial ReviewPublic Authority
References
5
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Village of Southampton v. Village of Southampton Police Benevolent Ass'n

The Village of Southampton initiated a petition to permanently stay an arbitration sought by the Village of Southampton Police Benevolent Association (PBA). The PBA had demanded arbitration concerning benefits for former police sergeant Christopher A. Broich, who was terminated in 2007 for misconduct, a decision upheld by the Appellate Division. Broich's claims for benefits arose after he was granted World Trade Center accidental disability retirement benefits, prompting the PBA to argue for the reinstatement of various village benefits under their collective bargaining agreement. The Village contended that Broich, as a terminated employee, was ineligible for such benefits and that prior court judgments affirming his termination had res judicata effect. The court sided with the Village, granting the petition to permanently stay arbitration and denying the PBA's cross-motion, concluding that Broich's status as a terminated employee meant he could not invoke the CBA's grievance procedure and that res judicata applied.

ArbitrationStay of ArbitrationCollective Bargaining AgreementPublic Employment Relations BoardRes JudicataTermination of EmploymentEmployee BenefitsDisability RetirementWorkers' CompensationMisconduct
References
10
Case No. 03-96-00130-CV
Regular Panel Decision
Jun 26, 1997

Milton O'Bryant Leonard Hendon, Jr. Jimmie Cross Joe Ortiz And Marvin Rasco v. City of Midland Richard L. Czech, Individually and in His Official Capacity as Chief of Police, City of Midland Police Department And J. W. Marugg, Individually and in His Official Capacity as Lieutenant, City of Midland Police Department

Several police officers sued their employer, the City of Midland, and supervisors for alleged unlawful employment practices, including retaliation due to their disabilities and prior lawsuits. The trial court granted summary judgment for the defendants. The appellate court affirmed the summary judgment regarding claims of tortious interference, intentional infliction of economic injury, and requests for back pay for constitutional violations. However, it reversed and remanded the judgment concerning official and derivative sovereign immunity, intentional infliction of emotional distress, reinstatement for constitutional violations, and breach of a duty of good faith and fair dealing, finding genuine issues of material fact. The court also vacated and dismissed the Texas Labor Code claims due to a lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

Official ImmunitySovereign ImmunityEmployment LawRetaliation ClaimsDisability DiscriminationSummary Judgment ReversalTexas Constitutional RightsIntentional Infliction of Emotional DistressDuty of Good Faith and Fair DealingTortious Interference with Contract
References
32
Case No. 02-11-00229-CV
Regular Panel Decision
May 31, 2012

Jayson Steele v. City of Southlake, Texas, and Wade Goolsby, in His Official Capacity as Chief of Police Southlake Department of Public Safety

Jayson Steele, a police sergeant for the City of Southlake, Texas, reported alleged misconduct by his department, including issues with case interference and falsifying workers' compensation claims, to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. He also sent anonymous emails to city officials outlining these concerns and later sent a second email falsely claiming to be a retired officer to divert an internal investigation into the anonymous emails. Steele was subsequently fired. He sued the City of Southlake and Chief Wade Goolsby under the Whistleblower Act, alleging retaliation. The trial court granted summary judgment and a plea to the jurisdiction to the defendants. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's decision, finding that the City conclusively proved its affirmative defense that Steele would have been terminated solely due to his untruthfulness and deceptive actions during the internal investigation, regardless of his protected whistleblower reports. The court emphasized the critical importance of truthfulness for police officers.

Whistleblower ActRetaliationTermination of EmploymentPolice MisconductUntruthfulnessDeceptionSummary JudgmentAffirmative DefensePublic EmployeeOfficial Capacity
References
29
Case No. 2023 NY Slip Op 02725 [216 AD3d 1333]
Regular Panel Decision
May 18, 2023

Matter of Serrata v. Suffolk County Police Dept.

Claimant, a detective sergeant, was injured in a car accident while en route to the precinct to secure a police vehicle for a grand larceny investigation. The Workers' Compensation Board initially denied his claim, stating the injury did not arise out of and in the course of employment, and the special errand exception did not apply. The Appellate Division, Third Department, reversed this decision, finding that the claimant's altered temporal travel scheme due to being called in early while on standby constituted a special errand, making his injury compensable under the Workers' Compensation Law. The matter was remitted to the Board for further proceedings.

Workers' CompensationSpecial Errand ExceptionCommuting InjuryScope of EmploymentAppellate DivisionThird DepartmentPolice OfficerStandby DutyCar AccidentRemittal
References
13
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Sep 12, 2013

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey v. Port Authority Police Sergeants Benevolent Ass'n

The Supreme Court of New York County affirmed an arbitration award dated February 11, 2013, which found that the petitioner violated a collective bargaining agreement by eliminating free E-Z Pass privileges for retired police sergeants. The court ruled that the arbitrator did not exceed authority, as the agreement incorporated a 1973 instruction granting lifetime EZ-Pass privileges to retirees. The court further clarified that the contractual phrase "in accordance with applicable law" refers to the binding nature of the arbitral award, not a ground for vacating the award due to a mistake of law. The decision was made by Justice Cynthia S. Kern and was unanimously concurred by the appellate panel.

Collective bargaining agreementE-Z Pass privilegesArbitration awardRetired employeesJudicial reviewArbitrator authorityContract interpretationLabor disputeMemorandum of AgreementAppellate Division concurrence
References
4
Case No. 03-11-00594-CV
Regular Panel Decision
Dec 23, 2014

Michael Hamilton v. Mark Washington, in His Capacity as City of Austin Civil Service Director Art Acevedo, in His Capacity as City of Austin Chief of Police The City of Austin, Gary Cobb and Stephen Edmonds, in Their Capacity as Members of Austin Firefighters

Michael Hamilton, an Austin Police Department officer, was indefinitely suspended and sought an appeal with the Austin Firefighters’ and Police Officers’ Civil Service Commission. His appeal was rejected as deficient for failing to include specific statutory language. Hamilton then sued various City of Austin officials and the City, seeking declaratory relief, a writ of mandamus, and to set aside the Commission's decision, along with a breach of contract claim. The district court granted the City's plea to the jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part, ruling that the district court had jurisdiction over constitutional and ultra vires claims against the officials but lacked jurisdiction for reinstatement, back pay, lost benefits, and the breach of contract claim due to unexhausted administrative remedies.

Governmental ImmunitySubject Matter JurisdictionDeclaratory Judgment ActMandamusUltra ViresCivil Service ActExhaustion of Administrative RemediesCollective Bargaining AgreementStandingConstitutional Law
References
50
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