Opinion ID: 2423941
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Clariant's Dual Persona

Text: We find that the ratio decidendi of the Billy decision is persuasive. The dual persona doctrine prevents an employer from avoiding the third-party obligations it assumed through a corporate merger by asserting the immunity, as the employer of the injured employee, conferred by the Delaware Workers' Compensation Act. [27] The dual persona doctrine gives effect to the legislative purposes of both the Workers' Compensation Act and the merger provisions of most state corporation statutes. Under New York law, Clariant, as the surviving corporation, voluntarily assumed the liabilities and obligations of Polymer Color when the two corporations merged. [28] Stayton contends that Clariant's liability arises from its voluntary assumption by merger of Polymer Color's liabilities and obligations, a third-party role that is unrelated to Clariant's role as Stayton's employer. [29] Delaware's Workers' Compensation Act has never precluded an injured employee from suing third-party tortfeasors simply because the injury occurred in the workplace. Allowing an employer to assert immunity under the exclusivity provision of section 2304 of the Worker's Compensation Act would cloak the employer with absolute immunity from liability under any theory to an injured employee who is eligible for or has received workers' compensation even though the liability asserted arises outside the employment relationship. [30] Given our ruling, it is unnecessary for this Court to consider the merits of other issues raised, such as whether Polymer Color owed any duty to Stayton [31] or whether Stayton's claim is barred by the statute of limitations. Those matters will be decided in the proceedings upon remand. The issue before this Court is whether, as a matter of law, Stayton's action against Clariant, for the alleged third-party negligence of Polymer Color, is precluded by the Delaware Workers' Compensation Act. We hold, pursuant to the dual persona doctrine, that the Delaware Workers' Compensation Act's exclusivity provision does not bar Stayton's claim against Clariant as the surviving corporation in its merger with Polymer Color, the alleged thirty-party tortfeasor.