263 Conn. 231 | Conn. | 2003
Opinion
The plaintiffs,
For purposes of ruling on the motion for summary judgment, the trial court assumed the truth of the plaintiffs’ allegations that they had suffered respiratory ailments proximately caused by exposure in the workplace to airborne droplets of petroleum-based metalworking fluids that had been contaminated by microorganisms. Inhalation of the droplets introduced the microorganisms into the plaintiffs’ lungs resulting in a form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
The defendant presented the following documentary evidence in support of its motion for summary judgment. The outbreak of pneumonitis was confined to the defendant’s Farmington plant even though the same types of machinery and fluids were used during the same period at another facility of the defendant located in Ivoryton. The majority of the employees at the Farmington plant exhibited no signs of the illness. Tests performed on the air at the Farmington factory revealed levels of metalworking fluid within the safety standards required by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act; 29 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.; and the National Institute
The plaintiffs presented documentary evidence that the defendant repeatedly failed to follow the center’s recommendations, especially with respect to the use of a specific type of respirator. It also produced evidence that the defendant had violated other safety rules and regulations regarding ventilation and the proper labeling of containers of hazardous materials.
The trial court concluded that, although the plaintiffs’ evidence may have showed that the defendant exhibited a “lackadaisical or even cavalier” attitude toward worker safety, the evidence did not establish that the defendant believed that its conduct was substantially certain to cause illness. Therefore, the court concluded that the plaintiffs’ complaint was barred by the exclusivity provision of the act and, accordingly, granted the defendant’s motion for summary judgment. Stebbins v. Doncasters, Inc., 47 Conn. Sup. 638, 820 A.2d 1137 (2002). This appeal followed.
Our examination of the record on appeal, and the briefs and arguments of the parties, persuades us that
The judgment is affirmed.
The plaintiffs are Cheryl Stebbins, Linda Johnson, Judith Gunterman, Janet Sokol, Patrick Furlong, Rina Ouellet, Donald Olson, Sr., Wesley Gadd, David Simmons, Barbara Stevens, Marianna Bendas, Bernice Meyer, Hanna Stepien, Mary Bossie, Susan DeFranceseo, Grazyna Krupa, Sharon Lavertue, William Longfellow, Johanna Martin, Zenaida Torres, John Ruest and Blaine Perry.
The plaintiffs appealed from the judgment of the trial court to the Appellate Court, and we transferred the appeal to this court pursuant to Practice Book § 65-1 and General Statutes § 51-199 (c).
General Statutes § 31-284 provides in relevant part: “(a) An employer who complies with the requirements of subsection (b) of this section shall not be liable for any action for damages on account of personal injury sustained by an employee arising out of and in the course of his employment or on account of death resulting from personal injury so sustained, but an employer shall secure compensation for his employees as provided under this chapter, except that compensation shall not be paid when the personal injury has been caused by the wilful and serious misconduct of the injured employee or by his intoxication. All rights and claims between an employer who complies with the requirements of subsection (b) of this section and employees, or any representatives or dependents of such employees, arising out of personal injury or death sustained in the course of employment are