Davis v. Daimler Chrysler Corp., Unpublished Decision (9-15-2004)
Davis v. Daimler Chrysler Corp., Unpublished Decision (9-15-2004)
Opinion of the Court
"[Mr. Davis] has failed to meet the minimum requirements as established by Industrial Commission Resolution R96-1-01 to warrant an examination by a state specialist.
"Specifically, the following has not been provided:
"Pulmonary functions studies with an interpretation by a licensed physician;
"An opinion of causal relationship by a licensed physician."
{¶ 3} On June 18, 2002, Mr. Davis appealed the disallowance of his claim, which was heard by a staff hearing officer ("SHO") of the Industrial Commission on August 13, 2002. On August 15, 2002, the SHO affirmed the DHO's disallowance of the claim. Mr. Davis filed another appeal, which the Industrial Commission refused pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 4} Mr. Davis then filed a notice of administrative appeal and complaint to the Summit County Court of Common Pleas pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 5} Thereafter, Daimler Chrysler filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting that Mr. Davis failed to comply with the administrative requirements of the Industrial Commission Resolution 96-1-01. Mr. Davis failed to respond to this motion. The trial court granted summary judgment, concluding that Mr. Davis had in fact failed to exhaust the Industrial Commission's administrative process, and included the certifying language of Civ.R. 54(B) in its decision. In this order, the trial court also noted that the motion for summary judgment in the instant case was the first such motion filed in a series of factually identical workers' compensation asbestosis cases filed with the court, in which motions for summary judgment were also filed. The court stated, that, in the interests of justice and judicial economy, the summary judgment order issued in the instant case was to serve as a model for such other cases. It is from this order granting summary judgment that Mr. Davis now appeals.
{¶ 6} Mr. Davis timely appealed, asserting four assignments of error for review. Because Mr. Davis' second, third, and fourth assignments of error involve similar questions of law and fact, we address them together.
{¶ 7} In his first assignment of error, Mr. Davis contends that the trial court erred in considering the portions of the Industrial Commission record that he asserts were improperly before the trial court.
{¶ 8} At the trial court level, the BWC, the other appellee-defendant in this suit, submitted certified and notarized copies of the administrative records of proceedings. These copies were made part of the record. We observe that Mr. Davis failed to raise any objection to this matter at the trial court level. "Generally, errors which arise during the course of the proceedings and are not brought to the attention of the trial court by objection, or otherwise, at the time they could be remedied, are waived and may not be reviewed on appeal."Robinson v. Springfield Local School Dist. Bd. Educ. (March 27, 2002), 9th Dist. No. 20606. Therefore, Mr. Davis has waived any claimed error in this regard, and he cannot now raise it on appeal. Accordingly, Mr. Davis' first assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 9} In his second, third, and fourth assignments of error, Mr. Davis contends that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment. We disagree.
{¶ 10} Appellate review of a lower court's entry of summary judgment is de novo, applying the same standard used by the trial court. McKay v. Cutlip (1992),
"(1) No genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated; (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing such evidence most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made, that conclusion is adverse to that party." Temple v. Wean United, Inc. (1977),
The party seeking summary judgment initially bears the burden of informing the trial court of the basis for the motion and identifying portions of the record demonstrating an absence of genuine issues of material fact as to the essential elements of the nonmoving party's claims. Dresher v. Burt (1996),
{¶ 11} Once this burden is satisfied, the nonmoving party has the burden, as set forth in Civ.R. 56(E), to offer specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial. Id. The nonmoving party may not rest upon the mere allegations and denials in the pleadings but instead must point to or submit some evidentiary material that shows a genuine dispute over the material facts exists.Henkle v. Henkle (1991),
{¶ 12} Pursuant to our decision in Esters v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 9th Dist. No. 22030, 2004-Ohio-4586, we find that the trial court properly granted summary judgment in this case. In Esters, which involved a factually identical workers' compensation matter, this Court upheld the trial court's decision to grant summary judgment based upon the finding that the plaintiff-appellant in that case had not fully complied with Industrial Commission Resolution 96-1-01. In granting summary judgment, the trial court in Esters adopted and applied to Daimler Chrysler's motion in that case the order issued in the instant case with respect to Mr. Davis' asbestosis case. We apply and adopt our decision in Esters to the instant case, and accordingly conclude that the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment in this case. Mr. Davis' second, third, and fourth assignments of error are overruled.
Judgment affirmed.
The Court finds that there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
We order that a special mandate issue out of this Court, directing the Court of Common Pleas, County of Summit, State of Ohio, to carry this judgment into execution. A certified copy of this journal entry shall constitute the mandate, pursuant to App.R. 27.
Immediately upon the filing hereof, this document shall constitute the journal entry of judgment, and it shall be file stamped by the Clerk of the Court of Appeals at which time the period for review shall begin to run. App.R. 22(E). The Clerk of the Court of Appeals is instructed to mail a notice of entry of this judgment to the parties and to make a notation of the mailing in the docket, pursuant to App.R. 30.
Costs taxed to Appellant.
Exceptions.
Boyle, J., concurs.
Carr, P.J., dissents.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.