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

Case No. 89 Civ. 1655 (LLS)
Regular Panel Decision
Aug 10, 1990

Fenderson v. INDEP. FED. OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

Plaintiffs, a group of flight attendants including new hires and crossovers, filed a motion for partial summary judgment against the Independent Federation of Flight Attendants (IFFA), its officers, and Trans World Airlines (TWA). They alleged that amendments to IFFA's Constitution and Bylaws, specifically a one-year 'education and orientation period' and a $250 initiation/reinstatement fee, violated Section 2, Eleventh (a) of the Railway Labor Act by imposing conditions on membership not generally applicable to all members. The court granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs regarding the one-year education and orientation period, finding it violated the RLA's requirement that membership be available on the same terms to all dues-paying employees. However, the court denied summary judgment concerning the $250 fee, concluding that it was uniformly applied and fell within the RLA's definition of permissible 'initiation fees' and 'reinstatement fees'.

Railway Labor ActUnion Security ClauseFlight AttendantsUnion Membership RightsInitiation FeesReinstatement FeesSummary JudgmentCollective Bargaining AgreementDiscriminationVoting Rights
References
9
Case No. 533089
Regular Panel Decision
Oct 07, 2021

Matter of Barden v. General Physicians PC

Claimant, a patient services representative, sought to amend her workers' compensation claim to include left shoulder aggravation after a work-related injury to her right shoulder. The Workers' Compensation Board disallowed this request, finding that claimant failed to provide sufficient credible medical evidence to establish a causal relationship between her employment and the left shoulder condition. The Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed the Board's decision. The court noted that the claimant's treating physician opined the left shoulder pathology was largely preexisting and unrelated to the work injury, and other medical opinions either lacked sufficient weight or were based on inaccurate information, providing no basis to disturb the Board's finding.

Workers' CompensationShoulder InjuryCausationMedical EvidencePreexisting ConditionAppellate ReviewBoard DecisionClaim AmendmentPatient Services Representative
References
10
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Apr 07, 1988

De Coste v. Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital

Decedent, Darwin A. De Coste, experienced chest pain and elevated blood pressure, leading him to Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital where he was seen by Dr. William Amsterlaw. Amsterlaw diagnosed reflux esophagitis despite an abnormal electrocardiogram, discharging De Coste, who subsequently suffered a fatal cardiopulmonary arrest 12 hours later. The administrator of De Coste's estate filed a wrongful death action, alleging medical malpractice and that the misdiagnosis was the proximate cause of death. A jury awarded pecuniary damages and funeral expenses, which the defendants appealed. The appellate court affirmed the verdict, finding rational support for the jury's malpractice finding and rejecting the defendants' argument to reduce the award by Social Security benefits due to the effective date of CPLR 4545 (c).

Medical MalpracticeWrongful DeathProximate CauseCollateral Source RuleCPLR 4545Jury VerdictEmergency Room CareMisdiagnosisArteriosclerosisMyocardial Infarction
References
3
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Independent Union of Flight Attendants v. Pan American World Airways, Inc.

The Independent Union of Flight Attendants (IUFA) filed an action against Pan American World Airways, Inc. (Pan Am) under the Railway Labor Act, seeking a preliminary injunction to enforce an April 1, 1985 agreement or, alternatively, to maintain the status quo. A key dispute arose over 'Item 7' of the agreement, regarding pending lawsuits and grievances, with the union claiming its exclusion and Pan Am insisting on its inclusion. The National Mediation Board (NMB) is currently reviewing this interpretive dispute. The court denied the preliminary injunction, reasoning that Pan Am was legally entitled to engage in self-help after exhausting statutory procedures, and that the union failed to demonstrate irreparable harm. The balance of hardships was found to favor Pan Am, and the action was stayed pending the NMB's definitive ruling.

Railway Labor ActPreliminary InjunctionCollective Bargaining AgreementSelf-HelpStatus QuoNational Mediation BoardIrreparable HarmBalance of HardshipsLabor DisputeUnion Rights
References
9
Case No. ADJ7160976
Regular
Sep 25, 2012

ANTONETTA WILLIAMS vs. CLAIRE'S STORES, INC., TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY

The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board rescinded the prior award and returned the case for further proceedings because the administrative law judge improperly relied on a secondary treating physician's report. The judge failed to establish that the requested attendant care was authorized or constituted substantial medical evidence. The Board emphasized that the primary treating physician must issue opinions on medical issues and the record needs further development to determine entitlement to attendant care.

Attendant carePrimary treating physicianSecondary treating physicianMedical treatment authorizationUtilization reviewSubstantial medical evidenceWorkers' Compensation Appeals BoardFindings and AwardReconsiderationAgreed Medical Examiner
References
0
Case No. 2020 NY Slip Op 06853
Regular Panel Decision
Nov 19, 2020

Fornabaio v. Beacon Broadway Co., LLC

Plaintiff Anthony Fornabaio, while attending a concert at a venue owned by Beacon Broadway Company, LLC, experienced a medical incident and refused assistance from Transcare EMTs. He subsequently fell and was injured. The Supreme Court denied summary judgment for Beacon and Transcare but granted Beacon's cross-claims against Sports & Entertainment Physicians, P.C. (SEP) for indemnification and breach of contract for failing to procure insurance. The Appellate Division modified this order, granting Beacon's and Transcare's motions to dismiss the complaint, reasoning that their duty to assist terminated when Fornabaio refused help. The court affirmed SEP's liability to Beacon, noting SEP's cross-claim against Transcare for indemnification was not moot.

Summary JudgmentPersonal InjuryNegligenceConcert VenueEMT ServicesRefusal of Medical AssistanceContractual IndemnificationBreach of ContractFailure to Procure InsuranceAppellate Review
References
2
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Mar 07, 2008

Prost v. Association of Flight Attendants

Plaintiffs, U.S. Airways flight attendants, sued the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and its President, Patricia A. Friend. They alleged that defendants misrepresented MidAtlantic Airways' corporate structure as a separate entity rather than a division of U.S. Airways, to deny them employment rights under their collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Plaintiffs claimed breach of fair representation under the Railway Labor Act and violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO). The defendants moved to dismiss the complaint, arguing that the fair representation claims were time-barred and the RICO claim lacked sufficient pleading for "enterprise." The court granted the motion, dismissing the fair representation claims as time-barred (accruing in December 2002 or at latest early 2005) and the RICO claim due to a deficient pleading of the "enterprise" element.

Duty of fair representationRailway Labor ActRICOCollective bargaining agreementStatute of limitationsMotion to dismissAssociation-in-factLabor unionFlight attendantsCorporate structure
References
32
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Tesillo v. Emergency Physician Associates, Inc.

Manuel Tesillo sued Emergency Physician Associates, Inc. (EPA) for medical malpractice, alleging vicarious liability for the negligence of Dr. William C. Shepherd, an emergency physician at Schuyler Hospital. EPA moved for summary judgment, arguing Dr. Shepherd was an independent contractor. The court found material issues of fact regarding the extent of EPA's control over Dr. Shepherd and its managerial obligations to the Emergency Department, which could establish an employer-employee relationship despite contractual terms. Consequently, the court denied EPA's motion for summary judgment, indicating that the determination of Dr. Shepherd's employment status requires further discovery and possibly a trial.

Medical MalpracticeVicarious LiabilityRespondeat SuperiorIndependent ContractorAgency by EstoppelSummary JudgmentPhysician NegligenceEmergency DepartmentControl TestMaterial Issues of Fact
References
18
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Fenderson v. Independent Federation of Flight Attendants

Plaintiffs, Gregory Fenderson, James Summers, and Carmelo Torre, are flight attendants for Trans World Airlines (TWA) and moved for partial summary judgment against TWA and the Independent Federation of Flight Attendants (IFFA). They alleged violations of section 2, Eleventh (a) of the Railway Labor Act (RLA) concerning IFFA's union security clause. The plaintiffs challenged two amendments to the IFFA's Constitution and Bylaws: a twelve-month "education and orientation period" where new members couldn't vote, and a $250 initiation/readmission fee. The court granted summary judgment to the plaintiffs regarding the education and orientation period, finding it violated the RLA by not offering membership on the same terms and conditions to all. However, the court denied summary judgment concerning the $250 fee, concluding it was uniformly applied and encompassed by "initiation fees" as per the RLA.

Railway Labor ActUnion Security ClauseFlight AttendantsSummary JudgmentUnion Membership RightsInitiation FeesReinstatement FeesVoting RightsLabor OrganizationsCollective Bargaining
References
10
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Northwest Airlines Corp. v. Ass'n of Flight Attendants-CWA (In Re Northwest Airlines Corp.)

The case involves Northwest Airlines Corporation (Debtors) in Chapter 11 bankruptcy seeking to reject a collective bargaining agreement with its flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA). Following court authorization for rejection and the failure of two tentative agreements to be ratified by the union membership, the Debtors unilaterally implemented new terms and conditions of employment. In response, AFA threatened strike activity, prompting the Debtors to seek a preliminary injunction to prevent the strike. AFA also moved for an order requiring the Debtors to implement the terms of a more recent, but unratified, agreement. The Court denied the Debtors' motion for a preliminary injunction, citing the Norris-La Guardia Act's anti-injunction provisions and finding that the RLA did not provide a basis to enjoin the strike under these circumstances, especially after the Debtors changed the status quo. The Court also denied AFA's motion to substitute the terms of the later agreement, stating that AFA had not shown sufficient cause and that rewarding a threatened 'CHAOS' strategy would be bad policy.

BankruptcyCollective Bargaining AgreementLabor DisputeRailway Labor Act (RLA)Norris-La Guardia Act (NLGA)Preliminary InjunctionStrike ActivityUnion RepresentationChapter 11Flight Attendants
References
34
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