Supreme Court of Missouri / Nov 9, 2021
Danny Brock, Respondent, vs. Peter Dunne, in his Capacity as Defendant Ad Litem for Mark Edwards, Deceased, Appellant.
Danny Brock sued his supervisor, Mark Edwards, for negligence after Brock's thumb was crushed while cleaning a laminating machine at work. The trial court overruled Edwards' motions for directed verdict and JNOV, and a jury awarded Brock $1.05 million. The Missouri Supreme Court reversed, holding that Edwards was immune from liability under section 287.120.1 because Brock failed to show Edwards acted with the conscious object to increase the risk of injury. The Court further held that Edwards could not be held liable under common law negligence as his actions fell within the employer's nondelegable duty to provide a safe workplace.