Kutcka, et al. v. Gateway Building Systems, et al.
Docket Info
- Title
- David Kutcka, individually; The Estate
of Austin D. Dejno, by and through
Tammy Dejno, as its duly-appointed
personal representative; and Tammy
Dejno, individually, as wrongful death
plaintiff, Plaintiffs and Appellants
v.
Gateway Building Systems, Inc., Defendant, Third-Party Plaintiff,
and Appellee
v.
Joel Klipping, d/b/a MC Mill Workers, Third-Party Defendant - Case Type
- CIVIL APPEAL : TORTS (NEGLIGENCE, LIAB., NUIS.)
- Appeal From
-
Case No. 2020-CV-02071
East Central Judicial District, Cass County
Reid Alan Brady
Parties' Statement of Issues
-
Appellant
1. Whether a negligent general contractor is entitled to immunity from suit under N.D.C.C. § 65-04-28 by an injured employee of an independent contractor, when the independent contractor properly paid workers compensation premiums for such employee and the general contractor did not.
2. Whether N.D.C.C. § 65-04-26.2(1), as amended, violates Article I, Section 9 of the North Dakota Constitution if it is interpreted to grant immunity to any entity other than the contributing employer. -
Appellee 1
1. Whether the District Court correctly concluded that Gateway was entitled to employer immunity as a statutory employer under North Dakota Statute § 65-04-26.2(1).
2. Whether the District Court correctly concluded that applying employer immunity to Gateway as a complying general contractor under North Dakota statute § 65-04-26.2(1) did not violate the North Dakota Constitution.
Summary
Plaintiffs appeal from a judgment dismissing their negligence claims against Gateway Building Systems (“Gateway”).
In 2019, David Kutcka and Austin Dejno were working on a jobsite when a crane jib extension fell on them. Kutcka was injured and Dejno was killed as a result of the crash. Both were employed by MC Mill Workers, which was acting as a subcontractor for Gateway on the project.
Kutcka, Dejno’s estate, and Tammy Dejno, as wrongful death plaintiff, sued Gateway for negligence. Gateway moved for summary judgment, arguing it was immune from suit under the workers’ compensation statutes as the statutory employer of Kutcka and Dejno. The district court granted summary judgment and dismissed the claims.
Plaintiffs argue Gateway is not immune from suit, and alternatively, if it is immune, the challenged statute is unconstitutional.
Counsel
| Party | Type | Name |
|---|---|---|
| AMICUS CURIAE | PRIVATE PRACTICE | Duane A Lillehaug - 03232 |
| AMICUS CURIAE | SPEC. ASST. ATTY. GEN. | Jacqueline Sue Anderson - 05322 |
| AMICUS CURIAE | PRIVATE PRACTICE | Monte Lane Rogneby - 05029 |
| APPELLANT | PRIVATE PRACTICE | Taylor Brandt Cunningham - 09377 |
| APPELLANT | PRIVATE PRACTICE | Thomas J. Conlin - 06023 |
| APPELLANT | PRIVATE PRACTICE | Stacy Deery Stennes - 07228 |
| APPELLANT | PRIVATE PRACTICE | Jeffrey Scott Weikum - 05344 |
| APPELLEE | PRIVATE PRACTICE | Cara Colletti Passaro - 09520 |
(Note: Attachments may not be available for recently filed cases and/or confidential documents.)
| Seq. # | Filing Date | Description | Attachment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/02/2022 | NOTICE OF APPEAL : 09/02/2022 | View |
| 2 | 09/02/2022 | ORDER FOR TRANSCRIPT : 09/06/2022 | View |
| 3 | 09/06/2022 | Rec'd filing fee | |
| 4 | 09/06/2022 | NOT. OF FILING NOT. OF APPEAL AND PROOF OF SERV. | View |
| 5 | 09/06/2022 | Notice served on Taylor B. Cunningham, Thomas J. Conlin, Stacy D. Stennes, Jeffrey S. Weikum, | |
| 6 | 09/06/2022 | Stacey L. Sever, Cara C. Passaro, & Joel Klipping | |
| 7 | 09/15/2022 | MOTION TO DISMISS Joel Klipping, d/b/a MC Mill Workers | View |
| 8 | 10/05/2022 | ELEC. RECORD ON APPEAL DATED OCTOBER 4, 2022 (ENTRY NOS.1-4, 6-124) | View |
| 9 | 10/13/2022 | ACTION BY SUPREME COURT (granted to remove "Appellee" from Third-Party Defendant) - Granted | View |
| 10 | 11/01/2022 | All Transcripts Filed in Record | |
| 11 | 11/10/2022 | 1ST ELEC. SUPP. RECORD ON APPEAL DATED NOVEMBER 9, 2022 (ENTRY NOS. 1-4, 6-129) | View |
| 12 | 11/18/2022 | AMENDED 1ST ELEC. SUPP. RECORD ON APPEAL DATED NOVEMBER 18, 2022 (ENTRY NOS. 125-130) | View |
| 13 | 11/30/2022 | MOTION TO FILE AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF BY WSI | View |
| 14 | 11/30/2022 | AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF - WSI | View |
| 15 | 12/05/2022 | ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE - Granted | |
| 16 | 12/06/2022 | MOTION TO FILE AMICUS BRIEF BY NORTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE | View |
| 17 | 12/06/2022 | AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF - NDAJ | View |
| 18 | 12/07/2022 | ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE - Granted | |
| 19 | 12/08/2022 | Rec'd 3 copies of ACB (NDAJ) back from CD | |
| 20 | 12/08/2022 | Rec'd 3 copies of ACB (WSI) back from CD | |
| 21 | 12/09/2022 | APPELLANT BRIEF (Joint) | View |
| 22 | 12/09/2022 | Oral Argument Request by Appellants | |
| 23 | 12/15/2022 | Rec'd 3 copies of ATB back from CD | |
| 24 | 01/06/2023 | APPELLEE BRIEF | View |
| 25 | 01/06/2023 | Oral Argument Request by Appellee | |
| 26 | 01/06/2023 | MOTION FOR LEAVE TO PARTICIPATE AS AMICUS CURIAE BY THE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF ND | View |
| 27 | 01/06/2023 | ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE - Granted | |
| 28 | 01/06/2023 | AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF OF THE ASSOCATED GENTRAL CONTRACTORS OF ND | View |
| 29 | 01/09/2023 | ANNOUNCED DISQUALIFICATION : VandeWalle, Gerald W. | |
| 30 | 01/09/2023 | Rec'd 3 copies of AEB from CSD | |
| 31 | 01/09/2023 | Rec'd 3 copies of ACB - AGCND from CSD | |
| 32 | 01/11/2023 | MOTION FOR ADDITIONAL PAGES FOR REPLY BRIEF | |
| 33 | 01/12/2023 | ACTION BY SUPREME COURT (20 pages excluding cover page, TOC, TOA, cert. of compliance) - Granted | |
| 34 | 01/18/2023 | Non-compliant RYB rec'd; given until 1/24/23 to revise (lenth; footnotes) | |
| 35 | 01/20/2023 | REPLY BRIEF | View |
| 36 | 01/23/2023 | Rec'd 3 copies of RYB from CSD | |
| 37 | 01/24/2023 | NOTICE OF ORAL ARGUMENT SENT | |
| 38 | 02/16/2023 | APPEARANCES: Taylor B. Cunningham, Thomas J. Conlin, Jeffrey S. Weikum; Cara C. Passaro | |
| 39 | 02/16/2023 | ARGUED: Thomas J. Conlin; Cara C. Passaro | |
| 40 | 02/16/2023 | ORAL ARGUMENT WEBCAST |