Topic
Every decision we've filed under Summary Judgment.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion for a new trial, holding that the jury's verdict was not seriously erroneous given the substantial deference owed to jury findings. The court found sufficient evidence supported the breach of contract award and rejected the landowner's claim for easement maintenance costs.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment in a products liability case, holding that the district court correctly applied the strict good cause standard of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b)(4) to deny a late motion to amend a scheduling order. Because the plaintiff failed to demonstrate the requisite diligence in securing expert testimony, his claims were properly dismissed as fatal to his case.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that a financial firm's long-term contingent incentive awards do not qualify as an employee pension benefit plan under ERISA. The court held that the WealthChoice Award program constitutes an exempt bonus plan because it is designed to incentivize retention and productivity rather than systematically defer income for retirement.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed that Montana lacks jurisdiction to enforce its 1975 Streambed Act against private landowners within Glacier National Park. The court held that because the United States acquired exclusive legislative jurisdiction in 1914, post-cession state statutes do not apply absent a same basic scheme exception.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment, holding that Montana lacks jurisdiction to enforce its 1975 Streambed Act against private inholdings within Glacier National Park. The court reasoned that because the United States acquired exclusive legislative jurisdiction over these lands in 1914, post-cession state statutes do not assimilate into federal law absent a same basic scheme.
The Ninth Circuit vacated summary judgment on a False Claims Act retaliation claim, ruling that an employer's refusal to renew a contract after an employee reported Medicaid fraud created a genuine dispute of material fact. The court held that a reasonable jury could find the nonrenewal was likely to deter protected activity and that the employer's stated reasons were pretextual.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the termination of long-term disability benefits, holding that the plan administrator did not abuse its discretion. The court ruled that the plaintiff failed to provide the specific objective medical evidence required by the plan to prove he remained unable to perform his job's material duties.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a summary judgment in a premises-liability case because the appellant failed to challenge all independent grounds supporting the lower court's ruling. The court held that an appellant must successfully rebut every basis for a multi-ground judgment to obtain reversal.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of counsel and summary judgment on a retaliation claim regarding a threatened job loss. The court reversed summary judgment on a second retaliation claim involving a disciplinary charge, finding that timing and prior practice could support liability despite a finding of guilt.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Baylor Scott & White Hospital, ruling that the plaintiff failed to prove a causal link between her protected activity and subsequent adverse employment actions. The court held that significant temporal gaps between the employee's reports of racial discrimination and the disciplinary measures taken against her rendered the retaliation claim insufficient as a matter of law.