John William MacHin v. Carus Corporation

Summary

The South Carolina Supreme Court answered four certified questions concerning whether a jury may hear explanations about a non‑party employer, consider an empty‑chair defense, receive instructions that the employer’s liability was determined elsewhere, and apportion fault to the employer. It held that the first three are permissible while the fourth is not, and left the pending federal motion for a new trial to the district court. The decision harmonizes the Workers’ Compensation Act with the Uniform Contribution Among Tortfeasors Act.