Opinion ID: 1105996
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Law At Time of Accident Controls

Text: ¶ 33. In its examination of the allocation of fault to an immune employer, the majority has once again demonstrated the zealousness with which it is anticipating the several reforms implemented by the Legislature in 2002. As we have seen in previous cases and will see for the foreseeable future, the majority has a fascination with citing these measures as persuasive or, as they have apparently done today, simply for the sake of doing so. However, it takes little imagination or insight to observe the almost controlling weight they are given, even cases such as the one before us, where the amendments are inapplicable. ¶ 34. This case provides yet another example of this tactic. Instead of simply citing to the portion of Mack Trucks, Inc. v. Tackett, 841 So.2d 1107 (Miss.2003), ( Mack Trucks II ), where we held that fault was attributable to an immune employer, the majority has included a portion of Miss.Code Ann. § 85-5-7(Supp.2003) wherein the Legislature changed the law regarding joint and several liability. ¶ 35. I raise this issue only to point out that Mack Trucks II actually involved the allocation of fault to an immune party and the impact that allocation would have on the joint and several liability of other defendants. There, despite an acknowledgment that the rules regarding joint and several liability had been changed since the initiation of the suit, we reiterated that the non-immune defendants were jointly and severally liable for up to 50% of the verdict even if they possessed only a single percentage of fault. See id. at 1115-16. We stated [w]hatever the equity or inequity of the result ... that was the law at the time of the accident, and that is the result we are bound to impose. Id.