Opinion ID: 852486
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Adequacy of Remedies at Law

Text: Injunctive relief is not available where the breach can be adequately satisfied by money damages. Ind. Family & Soc. Servs. Admin. v. Walgreen, 769 N.E.2d 158, 162-63 n. 4 (Ind.2002). However, a legal remedy is adequate only when it is as plain and complete and adequate  or, in other words, as practical and efficient to the ends of justice and its prompt administration  as the remedy in equity. Washel v. Bryant, 770 N.E.2d 902, 907 (Ind.Ct.App.2002.) Although we have not addressed this issue, the Court of Appeals has consistently held that a preliminary injunction is appropriate to remedy a breached noncompetition agreement. Robert's Hair Designers, Inc. v. Pearson, 780 N.E.2d 858, 865 (Ind.Ct.App.2002) (finding that beauticians' violation of a noncompetition agreement harmed salon's client relationships and supported a finding of irreparable harm); Unger v. FFW Corp., 771 N.E.2d 1240, 1246 (Ind.Ct.App.2002) (finding inadequate remedy at law when employer testified that employee's breach of noncompetition agreement resulted in lost good will, lost client confidence, and loss of business reputation); see Norlund v. Faust, 675 N.E.2d 1142, 1150, 1155 (Ind.Ct.App. 1997), trans. denied 690 N.E.2d 1180 (Ind. 1997) (granting injunctive relief when optometrist hired to generate good will breached noncompetition covenant); cf. Pathfinder Commc'ns Corp. v. Macy, 795 N.E.2d 1103, 1116-17 (Ind.Ct.App.2003) (finding adequate remedy at law when radio station manager testified that advertisers were not leaving to follow previous on-air personality). We agree that in many circumstances, including this case, injunctive relief is appropriate for a breach of a noncompetition agreement. Damages from some wrongs may be readily quantified. Cf. Walgreen, 769 N.E.2d at 162-63 n. 4. The revenue from patients who move to Dr. Krueger from the CIP offices where he worked may be measured, but the effect of Dr. Krueger's move on new patients is unlikely to be provable and may be substantial. We assume that many patients choose their physicians based on referrals by other patients and word of mouth references from patients. Others use the yellow pages and other sources. As a result, it is virtually impossible to quantify the profits diverted by Krueger's move. Finally, Krueger argues that CIP admitted it has an adequate remedy at law because it requested money damages in addition to injunctive relief. However, Trial Rule 8(E)(2) specifically allows pleading in the alternative, and alternative requests for damages and injunctive relief have not been fatal to equitable claims in the past. See, e.g., Robert's Hair Designers, 780 N.E.2d at 862 (noting that Robert's sought injunctive relief and damages).