The Entergy decision in a nutshell

On August 31, 2007, the Texas Supreme Court voted 6-3 in favor of protecting business and industry from employee injury lawsuits if the employee worked for a contractor on the premises. In Entergy Gulf States Inc. v. Summers, mechanic John Summers, working for contractor International Maintenance Corp. (IMC), sued Entergy Gulf States Inc. for injuries he suffered while conducting repairs at the Entergy plant in Bridge City, Texas in 2001.

IMC’s workers were covered under Entergy’s basic worker’s compensation insurance. Summers sought further compensation and sued Entergy for negligence. The trial court sided with Entergy in its ruling that if a general contractor provides worker’s comp to a sub-contractor, the sub-contracting employee cannot sue.

Next, a state appeals court overturned that decision. Then in 2007, the high court sided with the original ruling.

State lawmakers have been convening to reverse Entergy under the principle that the compensation law was never meant to be applied on contractors.  Leading this cause is Texas Watch, a consumer rights’ organization. Leading the efforts to preserve Entergy and shield corporations such as BP from adequately compensating injured contractors is the group Texans for Lawsuit Reform.

Go to Texas Watch.org.

Read the Supreme Court ruling on Entergy Gulf States Inc. v. John Summers