RINKER MATERIALS CORPORATION, APPELLANT,
v.
MARK A. HOLMES, DIANE HOLMES AND DUFF-NORTON COMPANY, INC., A FOREIGN CORPORATION, APPELLEES
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Rinker Materials sought summary judgment based on workers' compensation immunity, but the trial court denied the motion. The appellate court initially accepted the appeal but, after the Florida Supreme Court's decision in Hastings v. Demming clarified the scope of appellate jurisdiction, concluded it lacked jurisdiction to review a summary judgment denial based on disputed factual issues rather than a legal determination that immunity was unavailable.
A district court of appeal lacks jurisdiction to review a nonfinal order denying summary judgment on workers' compensation immunity grounds unless the trial court order specifically states that the defense is unavailable as a matter of law. When the denial is based on disputed factual issues, the party may still present the immunity defense to the jury, and appellate review is not proper.
[1] An order denying a motion to dismiss based on workers' compensation immunity is not a non-final order appealable under rule 9.130(a)(3)(C)(vi), Florida Rules of Appellate…
[2] Nonfinal orders denying summary judgment on a claim of workers' compensation immunity are not appealable unless the trial court order specifically states that, as a matte…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Nonfinal orders denying summary judgment on a claim of workers' compensation immunity are not appealable unless the trial court order specifically states that, as a matter of law, such a defense is not available to a party.”
Establishes the jurisdictional rule limiting appellate review of workers' compensation immunity denials to cases involving legal determinations only
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceRinker Materials moved for summary judgment asserting workers' compensation immunity under Florida Statute § 440.11(1). The trial judge initially deni…
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FARMER, Judge.
The trial judge denied a motion for summary judgment. The motion sought to avoid a trial on the grounds of workers compensation immunity. The order simply denied the motion for summary judgment without stating the basis for the denial. We relinquished jurisdiction to the trial court to explain whether the denial was based on a determination that there was no workers compensation immunity as a matter of law under any set of facts plaintiffs could prove, or whether instead the court simply found triable issues. On remand the trial court entered an order stating that he denied the motion because “there were genuine issues of material fact.” He added that:
“At the time this writer entered the original order, this Court was of the opinion that the motion failed both because the Defendant did not meet its procedural burden under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510 [f.o.] and because the materials presented did not establish the Defendant’s entitlement to workers compensation immunity.
“This writer denied the motion on the procedural ground since there was no showing that Chapter 440 changed the procedural requirements of the summary judgment rule, [f.o.] This Court wishes to again deny the motion on the same procedural ground, however the relinquishment of jurisdiction mandates that this writer ‘expressly determine whether appellant is or is not entitled to workers compensation immunity ... ’.
“Based on the materials provided to the court at the hearing ... and the authority cited by plaintiffs, the Defendant[’s] ... Motion for Summary Judgment is denied. The Defendant is not entitled to workers compensation immunity in this case under Florida Statute § 440.11(1).”
It is clear to us that the denial is based on the presence of disputed, triable issues of fact and not because the court has concluded that the workers compensation defense should succeed no matter what plaintiffs prove at trial.
While jurisdiction was relinquished to the trial court, the supreme court released its opinion in Hastings v. Demming, 694 So. 2d 718 (Fla.1997). In that case, the supreme court has disapproved our decision in Breakers Palm Beach Inc. v. Gloger, 646 So. 2d 237 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994), in which we broadly construed rule 9.130(a)(3)(C)(vi) to permit review of any order denying summary judgment on workers compensation immunity grounds, even when the denial is based on disputed issues of fact. The court explained that the text of the rule had recently been changed to eliminate confusion as to the extent of district court jurisdiction over appeals of the kind involved in this ease. It then held:
“Nonfinal orders denying summary judgment on a claim of workers’ compensation immunity are not appealable unless the trial court order specifically states that, as a matter of law, such a defense is not available to a party. In those limited cases, the party is precluded from having a jury decide whether a plaintiffs remedy is limited to workers’ compensation benefits and, therefore, an appeal is proper. Otherwise, the denial of the summary judgment may be based on a factual dispute and the party is still likely able to present an immunity defense to the jury. In those cases, the new rule makes clear that the district courts have no jurisdiction to hear an appeal of the nonfinal order.”
694 So. 2d at 720.
Based on Hastings, we conclude that we lack jurisdiction over this appeal, and it is therefore
DISMISSED.
STONE, C.J., and DELL, J., concur.
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Reeves v. Fleetwood Homes OF Fla., Inc., 889 So. 2d 812 (Fla. 2004)…t stating reason); Martin Elecs., Inc. v. Glombowski, 705 So. 2d 26, 30 (Fla. 1st DCA 1997) (holding no jurisdiction where order denying motion to dismiss did not contain the specific language required by Hastings); Rinker Materials Corp. v. Holmes, 697 So. 2d 558, 559 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997) (holding no jurisdiction where trial court, on remand, explained that the motion for summary judgment had been denied because there were genuine issues of material fact). In the instant case, the circuit court’s order denyi…
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Miami-Dade Cnty. v. Pozos, 242 So. 3d 1152 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017)…3d DCA 2009) ; Southern Pan Servs. Co. v. Rodriguez, 771 So. 2d 612 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000) ; Peoplease Corp. v. Schroeder, 57 So. 3d 910 (Fla. 1st DCA 2011) ; Footstar Corp. v. Doe, 932 So. 2d 1272 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006) ; Rinker Materials Corp. v. Holmes, 697 So. 2d 558 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997). All of this background is pertinent because the Florida Supreme Court, in adding subdivisions (x) and (xi) to the list of appealable nonfinal orders, adopted the identical language it approved in its 1996 amendment to nonfinal…
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Martin Elecs., Inc. v. Glombowski, 705 So. 2d 26 (Fla. 1st DCA 1997)…hat the district court’s determination of appealability based on their review of the record which conclusively demonstrated that there were no issues [*31] of material fact was in conflict with Hastings II. See also Rinker Materials Corp. v. Holmes, 697 So. 2d 558 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997).…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Hastings v. Demming, 694 So. 2d 718 (Fla. 1997)
- The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc. v. Gloger, 646 So. 2d 237 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994)