Exclusivity Shields Employer From Tort by Nondependent Child

A divided Maryland Supreme Court said an employer that complies with the state's Workers' Compensation Act is shielded from wrongful death actions brought by a nondependent adult child.  John Ledford fell from a retaining wall and died in February 2021 while working for Jenway Contracting Inc. He was survived by his adult daughter, Summer Ledford. Because Summer was nondependent on her father, she was not eligible for workers' compensation death benefits. Instead, she sued Jenway under the state's Wrongful Death Act. The circuit court granted Jenway's moti...