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Intentional Harm Suit in Death Case Rejected as Barred by the Exclusivity Provision in Workers’ Compensation

By on October 11, 2013 in NJ Workers' Comp, Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Once again a plaintiff has failed to get past the exclusivity provision in the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Act.  In Estate of Samuel Sellino and Phyllis Sellino v. Pinto Brothers Disposal, LLC., A-2064-12T1 (App. Div. September 23, 2013), the Appellate Division considered whether an employer could be sued for allegedly removing or bypassing a neutral relay switch leading to a tragic death.

Samuel Sellino worked for Pinto Brothers Disposal, LLC (Pinto Brothers).  On October 17, 2008, Sellino was working in Long Beach Township with Chris Pinto.  Sellino was driving the truck, and Pinto was getting on and off the truck to throw brush in to the garbage compactor.  Arriving at one house, Sellino exited the truck, and left the vehicle in drive with the parking brake engaged.  The truck started rolling down the street, and Sellino and Pinto pursued it.  Sellino fell under the wheels of the truck and died.

The company policy was that drivers must remain inside the cab and are not to leave the cab to assist co-workers.  One witness testified that Sellino had been told not to leave the truck before the fatality occurred.

Plaintiffs filed a suit and alleged that Pinto Brothers removed or bypassed a “neutral relay,”  which was an electrical switch that required the vehicle to be in neutral in order for the compactor to function.  The evidence was unclear whether the company did in fact remove or bypass the neutral relay but for purposes of the motion to dismiss the law suit, the court assumed that the company did bypass the switch.  Plaintiff’s expert testified that the death would not have occurred had the neutral safety switch not been bypassed.

Pinto Brothers moved to dismiss the law suit and prevailed at trial, arguing that the suit was barred by the exclusivity provision of the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Act.  The Appellate Division affirmed that ruling.  The court said, “ . . . bypassing the neutral relay created a risk of injury to its employees.  This falls short of showing that Pinto Brothers acted with knowledge that such action was ‘substantially certain to result in injury or death to the employee.’”  The court noted that just knowing that a workplace is dangerous is not the same as engaging in intentional wrong.

The court also held that the type of accident that happened in this case is a fact of industrial life.  Indeed, Phyllis Sellino, the widow, testified that she was aware of injuries suffered by other garbage truck drivers involving similar factual situations.  Sellino himself was the driver of a truck that ran over an employee in the late 1980s.  “Accordingly, Sellino’s death and the circumstances in which it occurred cannot be considered to be ‘plainly beyond anything the legislature could have contemplated as entitling the employee to recover only under the Compensation Act,’”(citations omitted).

This case underscores a recurring theme that intentional harm suits must meet an extremely high burden of proof  in New Jersey and in fact, it is truly only the most rare case that can meet this standard.

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This blog article was researched and written by John H. Geaney, a member of the executive committee and equity partner at the law firm of Capehart Scatchard. The content of the this article is intended to provide general information on the topic presented, and is offered with the understanding that the author is not rendering any legal or professional services or advice. This article is not a substitute for legal advice. Should you require such services, retain competent legal counsel.

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About the Author

About the Author:

John H. Geaney, Esq. is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Capehart Scatchard's Workers' Compensation Group. Mr. Geaney began an email newsletter entitled “Currents in Workers’ Compensation, ADA and FMLA” in 2001 in order to keep clients and readers informed on leading developments in these three areas of law. Since that time he has written over 500 newsletter updates.

Mr. Geaney is the author of Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers. The Manual is distributed by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE). He also authored an ADA and FMLA Manual also distributed by NJICLE. If you are interested in purchasing “Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers,” please contact NJICLE at 732-214-8500 or visit their website at www.njicle.com.

Mr. Geaney represents employers in the defense of workers’ compensation, ADA and FMLA matters. He is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers of the American Bar Association. He is one of two firm representatives to the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network.

A graduate of Holy Cross College summa cum laude, Mr. Geaney obtained his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Mr. Geaney was selected to the “New Jersey Super Lawyer” list (2005-2017, 2021 in the area of Workers’ Compensation). Only 5% of attorneys are selected to “Super Lawyers” through a peer nominated process based on independent research and peer evaluation. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. For a description of the “Super Lawyers” selection methodology, please visit https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html

For the years 2022-2024 Mr. Geaney was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list in the practice area of Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers. The attorneys on this list are selected based upon the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. A complete description of The Best Lawyers in America® methodology can be viewed via their website at https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.

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Capehart Scatchard is a full service law firm with offices in Mt. Laurel and Hamilton, New Jersey. The firm represents employers and businesses in a wide variety of areas, including workers’ compensation, civil litigation, labor, environmental, business, estates and governmental affairs.

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