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Kutcka, et al. v. Gateway Building Systems, et al.

Docket No. 20220257
Oral Argument: Thursday, February 16, 2023 9:30 AM

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
Oral Argument 2/16/2023

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.


Briefs

Filing Date Description
12/09/2022 APPELLANT BRIEF (Joint) View
01/06/2023 APPELLEE BRIEF View
01/20/2023 REPLY BRIEF View

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