Briefly, employee was a full-time CCSD sheriff's deputy. He also worked as a uniformed security guard for OBC, a minor league baseball club. On August 9, 2003, an inebriated driver hit employee with a car in the OBC parking lot while employee was attempting to stop the driver from driving under the influence.
Below is a timeline of relevant events in the life of this claim:
| Event | Date | Description |
| A | $08 / 09 / 2003$ | Injury date |
| B | $08 / 29 / 2003$ | First report of injury |
| C | $11 / 03 / 2005$ | Claim for compensation naming as employer CCSD only |
| D | $11 / 17 / 2006$ | Hardship hearing |
| F | $01 / 18 / 2007$ | Temporary award |
[^0]
[^0]: ${ }^{1}$ Statutory references are to the Revised Statutes of Missouri 2003, unless otherwise indicated.
| G | $03 / 16 / 2009$ | CCSD application to make OBC a party to the proceedings |
| H | $04 / 10 / 2009$ | Order granting application to make OBC a party |
| I | $06 / 05 / 2009$ | Approval of settlement between employee and CCSD |
| J | $12 / 22 / 2011$ | Hearing of 1) employee's claim against Second Injury Fund |
| K | $03 / 15 / 2012$ | Award under review |
Employee filed a workers' compensation claim against CCSD. Employee did not file a claim against OBC. Although CCSD was aware of the circumstances of the employee's injury, CCSD took no action to make OBC a party to employee's claim until March 16, 2009 $-51 / 2$ years after the injury.
CCSD's March 16, 2009, request (event G in timeline) is entitled Application of Christian County Pursuant to Section 287.040.3 to Make Ozark Baseball Club, L.C. a Party to the Proceedings (hereinafter, "CCSD Joinder Request"). By the CCSD Joinder Request, CCSD alleged, among other things:
Employee was providing security for and work on the premises of Price Cutter Ballpark, where the Ozark Mountain Ducks, a minor league baseball team played their home games.
Discovery has determined that the [employee] was actually under a contract with and working under the direction and control of the [OBC]...on the date of the alleged injury...
[CCSD recited the provisions of the 2005 version of subsection 287.040.1 and 287.040.3 RSMo. $]^{2}$
Employee was employed by the [OBC] on their premises, under their control which results in said employer being primarily responsible for the injuries to the employee occurring on August 9, 2003.
Christian County and Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. have paid medical expenses in the amount of $\ 146,482.13 with the last payment on March 9, 2009 and temporary total disability in the amount of $\ 9,836.14 with the last payment made on July 20, 2007.
As the primary employer, [OBC] should be a party to these proceedings and should be ordered to reimburse Christian County and Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. all expenses incurred including costs of defense and pay any further liabilities ordered herein.
By handwritten notation on CCSD's Joinder Request, the administrative law judge granted the request to join OBC as a party and deferred ruling other issues.
[^0]
[^0]: ${ }^{2} The 2003 version of \S 287.040$ is applicable to this case but the administrative law judge and the parties referenced the 2005 version. The relevant provisions of each version are identical.
The record reveals that OBC challenged the administrative law judge's action in granting the CCSD's Joinder Request at every opportunity, including at the December 22, 2011, hearing.
The administrative law judge initially described one issue in dispute as "[w]hether or not Christian County's motion to bring in Ozark Baseball Club, LLC as a party was appropriately sustained." Counsel for OBC requested clarification: "I would ask that that specifically call into question whether that was appropriate in that Christian County cited Section 287.040.3." Counsel for CCSD responded, "that was just one of many reasons in the application that we offered in support, so we weren't specifically limiting just to that, but I think that narrows the issue way too much..." The administrative law judge ultimately framed the issue thusly:
I am going to leave the issue as to whether or not...I think it's more...I think it's beneficial to both parties to leave the issue as to whether it was appropriate to bring the Ozark Baseball Club, Incorporated in as a party, okay?
In resolution of the joinder issue, the administrative law judge concluded:
While the evidence eventually failed to prove a contractual relationship between Ozark Baseball Club and CCSD, does not mean the initial joinder was improper. Subsequent to its joinder, however, other reasons were raised to keep Ozark Baseball Club in the case.
As the case has developed, CCSD and MAC actually had a different reason for joining the Ozark Baseball Club. Counsel for CCSD and MAC have conceded that the wrong statute may have been cited in the original motion seeking to join Ozark Baseball Club. As made evident at the final hearing, and as clearly demonstrated in its post-hearing brief, CCSD and MAC seek money from Ozark Baseball Club as a "joint employer" rather than as a subcontractor. Such action is authorized in the Workers' Compensation Law:
If the injury or death occurs while the employee is in the joint service of two or more employers, their liability shall be joint and several, and the employee may hold any or all of such employers. As between themselves such employers shall have contribution from each other in the proportion of their several liability for the wages of such employee but nothing in this chapter shall prevent such employers from making a different distribution of their proportionate contributions as between themselves.
§ 287.130, RSMo. CCSD and its insurer have a statutory right to proceed against Ozark Baseball Club as a joint employer, even if the employee