Alaska Supreme Court
Sharin S. Anderson, Appellant v. Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., Appellee
July 23, 20102010 Alas. LEXIS 79
Summary
The court affirmed summary judgment dismissing Anderson's negligence action because Alyeska qualified as a statutory project owner and therefore enjoyed the Alaska Workers' Compensation Act's exclusive-liability immunity. It reversed the Rule 68 attorney-fee award because Alyeska's nominal offer, made at the outset of a novel statutory dispute, was invalid as a matter of law and did not serve Rule 68's settlement purposes. Justice Christen, dissenting in part, would have affirmed the Rule 68 fee award because Alyeska disclosed its legal position and made an objectively reasonable early settlement effort.