Thornbury v. Madison County Commission

Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama

Madison County | 274 So. 3d 294 | Sept. 28, 2018

Court Affirms Decision that Madison County Commission Was Not the Claimant's Employer in Workers' Compensation Case

Clarence Matthew Thornbury, a law-enforcement officer, appealed against a summary judgment by the Madison Circuit Court that determined the Madison County Commission was not his employer in a workers' compensation claim. Thornbury had claimed he contracted occupational diseases due to destroying methamphetamine-manufacturing equipment between 2001 and 2015. Initially, Thornbury sued the Commission, the City of Huntsville, and other unidentified parties. However, the City of Huntsville's claims were dismissed, and Thornbury later added the Office of Madison County District Attorney as a defendant.

The State Attorney General argued that the district attorney's office wasn't a legal entity that could be sued and that Thornbury should've claimed under the State Employee Injury Compensation Trust Fund (SEICTF). All parties later agreed to dismiss the Madison County District Attorney's Office, leaving the Commission as the sole defendant. Thornbury attempted to argue that the Commission was his employer, referencing estoppel doctrines, but the circuit court ruled in favor of the Commission.

On appeal, the court emphasized that Thornbury had not shown he was detrimentally affected by relying on the Commission's conduct and that his rights to SEICTF benefits remained intact. Furthermore, the court found no inconsistency in the Commission's earlier actions in another case, distinguishing Thornbury's position from the other officer. Hence, the court affirmed the circuit court's summary judgment.