Dairy Worker Can't Pursue Civil Suit for Injuries From House Fire

A California appellate court ruled that the exclusive remedy provision of the workers’ compensation law barred a dairy worker’s claim for damages for injuries he sustained when his employer-provided home caught fire. Francisco Gonzalez sued Jose Soares and his wife, Teresa Soares, alleging their negligent maintenance of a home they provided him resulted in a fire on Aug. 1, 2003, that caused him to suffer severe burns. The defendants denied the allegations. They also asserted that Gonzalez was their employee and that he ought to be limited to a recovery under the workers' com...