Amos v. Bodycote Thermal Processing, Inc. (Jrg1)

MOTION for Partial Summary Judgment

E.D. Tenn.March 1, 2017

1 4849-0699-1172 v1 2934022-000001 03/01/2017 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE AT GREENEVILLE CRAIG AMOS, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) No. 2:15-cv-00185-JRG-MCLC ) BODYCOTE THERMAL ) PROCESSING, INC., ) ) Defendant. ) DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT Pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Defendant Bodycote Thermal Processing, Inc. hereby moves for partial summary judgment in this matter. There are no genuine issues of material fact, and Bodycote is entitled to judgment as a matter of law with respect to Count IV of Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint as well as any claim for emotional distress damages in this matter. In support of this Motion, Bodycote relies upon the Deposition testimony of Mr. Craig Amos, the relevant portions of which are attached hereto as Exhibit A; the deposition testimony of Ms. Shelia Cassell, the relevant portions of which are attached hereto as Exhibit B; the deposition testimony of Edward Workman, M.D., the relevant portions of which are attached hereto as Exhibit C; Plaintiff’s Response to Defendant’s First Interrogatories and Requests for Production, the relevant portions of which are attached hereto as Exhibit D; and Expert Disclosures, attached hereto as Exhibit E; the supporting Memorandum of Law filed contemporaneously with this Motion; and the record as a whole. First, the non-specific intentional tort claim asserted as Count IV Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint [Doc. 23] is barred by the one-year statute of limitations found at Tenn. Case 2:15-cv-00185-JRG-MCLC Document 125 Filed 03/01/17 Page 1 of 4 PageID #: 1849 2 4849-0699-1172 v1 2934022-000001 03/01/2017 Code Ann. § 28-3-104.1 The undisputed facts in the record establish that the “explosion” and personal injuries upon which Plaintiff bases this claim occurred on April 15, 2014. Amos Depo., 28:2–4, 37:23–25, 43:17–22, 220:13–223:16; Workman Depo., 19:19-20:1, 75:11–79:11, 88:4– 89:10; 92:8–18, 122:23–125:8, 127:16-128:7. Yet, Plaintiff did not file his complaint in this matter until May 29, 2015. [Doc. 1-1]. As a result, Plaintiff’s purported personal injury claim, arising from the events of April 15, 2014, is barred by Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104. Second, Plaintiff’s untimely intentional tort claim is also barred by the exclusive remedy provision of Tennessee’s Workers’ Compensation Law. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104; Wiggins v. Kimberly-Clark Corp., No. 3:12-CV-115-PLR-CCS, 2015 WL 461625, at *8 (E.D. Tenn. Feb. 3, 2015), aff’d, 641 F. App’x 545 (6th Cir. 2016). The only exception to the exclusive remedy provision recognized by Tennessee law applies where an intentional tort claim is predicated upon an actual intent to injure the employee. Valencia v. Freeland & Lemm Const. Co., 108 S.W.3d 239, 243 (Tenn. 2003). Here, however, Plaintiff has failed to offer any proof that a safety device was disabled with an actual intent to injure him. Amos Depo., 170:8–172:4. Moreover, the undisputed facts in the record establish that the safety device at issue was disabled many years before 2014 because the furnace’s flame curtain pilot was frequently blowing off due to air turbulence and negative pressure inside the building—not for the purpose of injuring Plaintiff. See Cassell Depo., 255:17–256:20, 274:16–276:15, pages 1-5 of Ex. 10. As a result, even if Plaintiff’s intentional tort claim was timely, which it is not, summary judgment is proper under the exclusive remedy provision of Tennessee’s Workers’ Compensation Law. Finally, summary judgment is also proper with respect to Plaintiff’s claimed emotional distress damages under Counts I, II, III, and VI of the Second Amended Complaint [Doc. 23]. 1 Although Plaintiff does not designate whether this claim is one for assault, battery, or another theory, he alleges that “Defendant intentionally disabled a safety device that caused Craig Amos to suffer an explosion and caused Craig to catch on fire.” [Doc. 23] ¶ 75. Case 2:15-cv-00185-JRG-MCLC Document 125 Filed 03/01/17 Page 2 of 4 PageID #: 1850 3 4849-0699-1172 v1 2934022-000001 03/01/2017 First, Plaintiff’s attempt to recover emotional distress damages under Count VI of the Second Amended Complaint [Doc. 23] fails outright, as emotional damages cannot be awarded under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Brumbalough v. Camelot Care Centers, Inc., 427 F.3d 996, 1008 (6th Cir. 2005); 29 U.S.C. § 2617(a)(1)(A). Further, Plaintiff is also unable to recover damages for the alleged emotional injuries identified in this litigation via the retaliatory discharge claims asserted in Counts I, II, and III of the Second Amended Complaint. Plaintiff has not identified or offered any proof of an emotional injury caused by the June 6, 2014 separation from employment upon which Counts I, II, and III of the Second Amended Complaint are based, and the undisputed facts in the record establish that the emotional damages claimed by Plaintiff in this matter were caused by the April 15, 2014 incident. Workman Depo., 19:19-20:1, 75:11–79:11, 88:4–89:10; 92:8–18, 122:23–125:8, 127:16-128:7; Amos Depo., 230:1–5; Plaintiff’s Response to Defendant’s First Interrogatories and Requests for Production, 11. As explained above, any claim for personal injury arising from the events of April 15, 2014 is barred by both the statute of limitations and the exclusive remedy provision. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3- 104. Summary judgment is proper. WHEREFORE, Defendant Bodycote Thermal Processing, Inc. moves for summary judgment with respect to Count IV of Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint [Doc. 23] and any claim for emotional distress damages in this matter. Case 2:15-cv-00185-JRG-MCLC Document 125 Filed 03/01/17 Page 3 of 4 PageID #: 1851 4 4849-0699-1172 v1 2934022-000001 03/01/2017 Respectfully submitted this 1st day of March, 2017. s/ Timothy B. McConnell_______________ Timothy B. McConnell, BPR #019136 Andrew J. Droke, BPR #032079 BAKER, DONELSON, BEARMAN, CALDWELL & BERKOWITZ, PC 265 Brookview Centre Way Suite 600 Knoxville, Tennessee 37919 865.549.7000 tmcconnell@bakerdonelson.com adroke@bakerdonelson.com Attorneys for Defendant CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that a true and exact copy of the foregoing pleading has been filed electronically on March 1, 2017. Notice of this filing will be sent by operation of the Court's electronic filing system to all parties indicated on the electronic filing receipt. Loring E. Justice, Esq. B. Chadwick Rickman, Esq. Linn M Guerrero, Esq. 11911 Kingston Pike, Suite 201 Knoxville, TN 37934 This 1st day of March, 2017. s/ Timothy B. McConnell Timothy B. 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