Barker v. All Roofs by Dominic

Summary

The court held that the city was liable as the plaintiff’s principal employer for workers’ compensation benefits because repairing the roof of its transfer facility was a part or process in the city’s trade or business. The court applied a fact-specific analysis considering the city’s legal responsibilities, the nature and complexity of the roofing work, and whether the work was ordinarily or appropriately performed by city employees, while treating no single factor as dispositive. The court also declined to displace longstanding municipal principal-employer precedent based on the existence of the Second Injury Fund.