Defendants in Civil Suit Fail to Prove Entitlement to Immunity as Statutory Employers

The Missouri Court of Appeals ruled that the defendants in an injured worker’s civil case were not entitled to summary judgment on their claim that they were immune from liability under the workers’ compensation law. Case: Brooks v. Laurie, No. WD85031, 11/22/2022, published. Facts: Donald Brooks suffered an injury in 2015 while he was employed as a superintendent for Little Dixie Construction Co. Brooks was cutting down trees at Big Buck Resort when a tree that was cut by William Laurie landed on him. Laurie was a shareholder and member of Big Buck, a hunting resort. Members of...