Court Opinion

ID: 9850624
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:00:14.490834+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:40.599345
License: Public Domain

Abbott, J.,
concurring: Based on the record before us, I concur in the result. I disagree with the majority that the jury instruction on retaliatory discharge was not erroneous. The word “solely” unduly restricts the employee’s cause of action for retaliatory discharge.
It will be a rare employer who admits the reason an employee is terminated is in retaliation for filing a workers compensation claim. Some other reason will always be expressed and, when a jury is instructed the employee can only recover if the discharge was “solely” because the employee filed a workers compensation claim, the employee simply will not prevail on a retaliatory discharge claim.
I would not reverse in this case, however, because the employee failed to submit a proposed instruction in writing on the subject.