Court Opinion

ID: 9762587
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:26:48.768441+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:35.609285
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
In his motion for rehearing, Stracener strongly urges that Wasson and Freeman were so similarly situated that reasonable minds could not differ as to their mutual status. Thus, if Freeman were found to be an employee of Stracener acting within the scope of his duty at the time of the occurrence, then Wasson must have also been acting in the course and scope of his employment and would be barred from recovery.
We are bound by the standards for reviewing a summary judgment set forth in *423the original opinion. Thus, in deciding whether there is a disputed fact, we must review the evidence accepting as true all evidence favorable to the nonmovant and indulging every inference in favor of the nonmovant and all doubts in the nonmov-ant’s favor. The evidence shows that the company had a policy of paying employees one hour’s extra time for the purposes of getting “their vehicles ready, gassed up and stuff.” Stracener testified that he was paying Freeman as a welder for his work and for the use of his truck. Freeman was driving this truck, along with the welding equipment in the truck, to the next job site at the time of Wasson’s injury. This, along with other evidence we have cited in our opinion concerning the element of control, constitutes enough evidence to create a fact issue as to whether Freeman was an employee acting within the scope of his employment at the time of the accident.
On the other hand, according to Stracener’s testimony, Wasson as a welder’s helper was not required to ride with the welder to the job. The evidence further shows that Wasson was asleep at the time of the accident. From this evidence, reasonable inferences can be drawn that Wasson did not share the duty of getting the truck and equipment to the next job site and therefore was not engaged in any work for Stracener. This is sufficient evidence to create a fact issue, independent of Freeman’s status, as to whether Wasson was acting within the scope of his employment at the time of Wasson’s injury. Thus, the factfinder could reasonably infer that Was-son’s presence in the vehicle was not in performance of any duty relating to getting the truck and equipment to the work site.
The motion for rehearing is overruled.