Opinion ID: 1777748
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Appeal From Denial of Motion for Summary Judgment

Text: The general rule is that the denial of a motion for summary judgment is neither reviewable nor appealable. Amalgamated Clothing v. Earle Indus., Inc., 318 Ark. 524, 886 S.W.2d 594 (1994). Nevertheless, Nucor asserts that this court must review the summary-judgment denial in this case because to do otherwise will deny Nucor its immunity defense under the exclusive-remedy language of the Workers' Compensation Act. Nucor bases this argument on Robinson v. Beaumont, 291 Ark. 477, 725 S.W.2d 839 (1987), and Virden v. Roper, 302 Ark. 125, 788 S.W.2d 470 (1990). In Robinson v. Beaumont , the defendants/appellants were a sheriff and deputy who appealed the denial of a motion for summary judgment based on the immunity issue. This court held: The refusal to grant the motion amounted to a denial of appellants' claimed defense which would have, if allowed, discontinued the action. The qualified immunity claim is a claim of right which is separable from, and collateral to, rights asserted in the complaint.... The refusal to grant this summary judgment motion had the effect of determining that the appellants were not entitled to immunity from suit. The right of qualified immunity from suit is effectively lost if a case is permitted to go to trial. Robinson v. Beaumont, 291 Ark. at 482-83, 725 S.W.2d at 842. In Virden v. Roper, supra , the defendants/appellants were members of the Pine Bluff Civil Service Commission and the Chief of the Pine Bluff Police Department who were sued in their individual capacities. They appealed from the denial of a motion for summary judgment on the premise that forcing them to trial would eviscerate their immunity defense and, thus, was an appropriate subject for appellate review. In addressing our jurisdiction on appeal, we cited Robinson v. Beaumont, supra , and stated: The appealability of a denial of summary judgment based on qualified immunity from suit is clearly established. Virden v. Roper, 302 Ark. at 128, 788 S.W.2d at 472. This court has never squarely addressed whether an appeal is appropriate from a denial of a summary-judgment motion when the issue raised is the exclusivity of the remedy under the Workers' Compensation Act. In Fore v. Circuit Court of Izard County, 292 Ark. 13, 727 S.W.2d 840 (1987), we cited Robinson v. Beaumont, supra , and indicated in dictum that the immunity analysis in that case was valid when considering a petition for writ of prohibition. We held in Fore that prohibition would lie to prevent a trial where the exclusive remedy for the injured employee was under the Workers' Compensation Act. Fore , however, was a prohibition case and not an appeal from a denial of summary judgment. This court has repeatedly refused to address arguments where the effect of doing so is tantamount to reviewing the denial of a motion for summary judgment. See, e.g., Nucor-Yamato Steel Co. v. Circuit Court, 317 Ark. 493, 878 S.W.2d 745 (1994); Wise Co. v. Clay Circuit, 315 Ark. 333, 869 S.W.2d 6 (1993), reh'g denied, 315 Ark. 335A, 869 S.W.2d at 8 (1994). We have also made it clear that the denial of a motion to dismiss an appeal is not an appealable order and that a disputed ruling on the subject-matter jurisdiction of the trial court does not automatically render the order appealable. See West Memphis Sch. Dist. No. 4 v. Circuit Court, 316 Ark. 290, 871 S.W.2d 368 (1994); Cigna Ins. Co. v. Brisson, 294 Ark. 504, 744 S.W.2d 716 (1988), reh'g granted, 294 Ark. 506-A, 746 S.W.2d 558 (1988). In Wise Co. v. Clay Circuit, supra , we emphasized once more that we will not treat a petition for prohibition as an appeal from a summary judgment denial and consider matters outside of the pleadings. In our supplemental opinion in Wise Co., we specifically overruled Fore v. Circuit Court of Izard County, supra , to the extent that it sanctioned writs of prohibition based on information outside of the pleadings. In short, this court has voiced a decided preference against accepting appeals from denials of motions for summary judgment and has never held that an employer's immunity defense obliged this court to favor accepting such an appeal in workers' compensation cases. We, therefore, dismiss the appeal for lack of finality. See Rick's Pro Dive `N Ski Shop, Inc. v. Jennings-Lemon, 304 Ark. 671, 803 S.W.2d 934 (1991). We note in this regard that Nucor's immunity argument is grounded on the exclusive-remedy provision of Ark.Code Ann. § 11-9-105(a) (Repl.1996). We view this as an issue of subject-matter jurisdiction, which Nucor has raised in its petition for writ of prohibition and which we will consider next.