John Templemire v. W&M Welding, Inc.
433 S.W.3d 371
| Mo. | 2014Background
- Templemire sued Employer under §287.780 for retaliatory discharge after filing a workers’ compensation claim.
- Dispute centered on whether the causation standard is exclusive or contributory.
- Evidence showed Templemire injured Jan 9, 2006, returned to light duty, and was discharged Nov 29, 2006 after a confrontation about his injury.
- Employer argued discharge for insubordination or noncompliance; Templemire argued discharge was due to exercising workers’ compensation rights.
- Trial court instructed under MAI/“exclusive cause” standard; verdict favored Employer; this Court granted transfer and overruled prior exclusive-causation cases.
- Court holds the proper standard is that filing a workers’ compensation claim must be a contributing factor to discharge or discrimination, and reverses for new trial.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causation standard under §287.780 | Templemire: contributing-factor standard | McMullin: exclusive-cause standard | Contributing-factor standard adopted |
| Judgment-director MAI accuracy | Templemire: MAI misstated law; requested contributing factor | Employer: MAI correct; exclusive-cause implied | New trial required with contributing-factor directive |
| Pretext instruction viability | Pretext instruction warranted if exclusive standard applied | Not necessary if standard changed | Pretext issue not reached; moot due to standard change |
| Stare decisis and Hansome/Crabtree overruling | Overrule exclusive-cause precedent | Stare decisis should be maintained | Overruled; contributing-factor standard adopted |
| Legislative action relevance | Legislature could have clarified; inaction irrelevant | Legislature retained exclusive standard by 2005 amendments | Legislature’s actions do not mandate exclusive standard; court adopts contributing factor |
Key Cases Cited
- Hansome v. Northwestern Co. (Mo. banc), 679 S.W.2d 273 (Mo. banc 1984) (exclusive-cause standard for §287.780 retaliation claims)
- Crabtree v. Bugby, 967 S.W.2d 66 (Mo. banc 1998) (affirmed exclusive-cause standard; warned against tinkering with elements)
- Fleshner v. Pepose Vision Institute, P.C., 304 S.W.3d 81 (Mo. banc 2010) (rejected exclusive-causation; adopted contributing-factor in MHRA/public policy cases)
- Daugherty v. City of Maryland Heights, 231 S.W.3d 814 (Mo. banc 2007) (contributing-factor standard for MHRA discrimination claims; rejected McDonnell Douglas framework)
- Hill v. Ford Motor Co., 277 S.W.3d 659 (Mo. banc 2009) (applied contributing-factor standard to MHRA retaliation claims)
- Reed v. Sale Memorial Hosp. & Clinic, 698 S.W.2d 931 (Mo. App. S.D. 1985) (public policy/retaliation context; statutory interpretation cited)