Split Court Says Owner of Timber Rights Wasn't Immune From Liability for Worker's Injury

A narrowly divided Mississippi Court of Appeals overturned a grant of summary judgment to the owner of timber rights at the end of a chain of contractors it hired to cut and transport the product, finding the owner was not immune from civil liability to a subcontractor’s injured employee. Case: Mayberry v. Cottonport Hardwoods, No. 2021-CA-00246-COA, 11/08/2022, published. Facts: In September 2015, Diamond Barge Co. LLC conveyed all timber on a specific property on Davis Island to Cottonport Hardwoods by a "special warranty timber deed." The deed described the timber as havi...