Lawrence v. O & G Indus., Inc.

Plaintiffs in these two civil actions were employed in numerous trades at the Kleen Energy power plant construction project in the City of Middletown. Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit against the general contractor of the construction project and other defendants, alleging that Defendants’ negligence caused a gas explosion, which resulted in the termination of Plaintiffs’ gainful employment at the power plant site and economic losses in the form of past and future lost wages. The trial court granted Defendants’ motions to strike the applicable counts of Plaintiffs’ complaints, concluding that Defendants did not owe Plaintiffs a duty of care. Specifically, the trial court determined that “public policy is not served by expanding the defendants’ liability to purely economic claims such as those asserted by the plaintiffs.” The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the trial court properly granted Defendants’ motions to strike, as Defendants did not owe a duty of care to Plaintiffs, who were employees that sustained only economic losses as a result of the explosion. View "Lawrence v. O & G Indus., Inc." on Justia Law