Thompson v. Oberlander's Tree & Landscape Ltd. ( 2016 )


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  • [Cite as Thompson v. Oberlander's Tree & Landscape Ltd., 
    2016-Ohio-1147
    .]
    IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
    THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT
    MARION COUNTY
    BRET E. THOMPSON,
    PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT,
    -and-                                                    CASE NO. 9-15-44
    OHIO BUREAU OF WORKERS
    COMPENSATION,
    PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE,
    v.                                                       OPINION
    OBERLANDERS TREE &
    LANDSCAPE, LTD., ET. AL.,
    DEFENDANTS-APPELLEES.
    Appeal from Marion County Common Pleas Court
    Trial Court No. 13CV0401
    Judgment Reversed and Cause Remanded
    Date of Decision:       March 21, 2016
    APPEARANCES:
    Jami S. Oliver for Appellant
    Bruce A. Curry for Defendants-Appellees
    Case No. 9-15-44
    ROGERS, J.
    {¶1} Although originally placed on our accelerated calendar, we have
    elected, pursuant to Local Rule 12(5), to issue a full opinion in lieu of a judgment
    entry.
    {¶2} Plaintiff-Appellant, Bret Thompson, appeals the judgment of the
    Court of Common Pleas of Marion County awarding Defendants-Appellees,
    Oberlander’s Tree and Landscape LTD. (“the Company”), Roger Oberlander, and
    Randy Jackson (collectively “Appellees”), summary judgment.1 For the reasons
    that follow, we reverse the judgment of the trial court granting summary judgment
    to the Company.
    {¶3} The following facts are undisputed. On October 6, 2011, Thompson
    injured his left hand while using a chainsaw to cut a tree while working for the
    Company. The chainsaw Thompson was using did not have the required safety
    hand guard to protect the operator from “kickbacks.” A “kickback” happens
    “when the tip of a chainsaw blade hits an obstruction, causing the blade to kick
    back or kick up in the air.” Appellees’ Brief, p. 5. When a chainsaw experiences
    a “kickback,” the chainsaw’s brake will be triggered once anything makes contact
    with the hand guard.
    1
    We note that Thompson only appeals the trial court’s judgment as it pertains to the Company. Thus, this
    opinion only addresses the award of summary judgment as to this entity and does not affect the trial court’s
    decision to grant summary judgment to Jackson and Oberlander individually based on R.C. 4123.741.
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    {¶4} On June 26, 2013, Thompson filed a complaint in the Court of
    Common Pleas of Marion County against the Appellees alleging two claims:
    employer intentional tort and punitive damages.
    {¶5} The Appellees filed an answer on July 31, 2013, denying the
    allegations alleged in the complaint.
    {¶6} The Appellees’ insurance company, United Ohio Insurance Company
    (“United”), filed a motion to intervene as a party plaintiff, which included its
    complaint against the Appellees. United’s motion was granted by the trial court
    on November 13, 2013. The Appellees filed their answer to United’s complaint
    on February 14, 2014.
    {¶7} On March 26, 2014, the Appellees filed a motion to join the Ohio
    Bureau of Workers Compensation (“the Bureau”) as a subrogated party because it
    was the real party in interest with respect to some of Thompson’s claims. The
    motion was granted on July 21, 2014.
    {¶8} On October 3, 2014, United filed a motion for summary judgment
    arguing that it did not owe the Appellees a duty to either defend or indemnify
    them in the case.
    {¶9} The Bureau filed its intervening complaint against the Appellees on
    October 10, 2014. In its complaint, the Bureau argued that it was entitled to relief
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    Case No. 9-15-44
    in the amount of the benefits it had paid to Thompson. The Appellees filed an
    answer on October 27, 2014.
    {¶10} The trial court granted United’s motion for summary judgment on
    December 19, 2014.
    {¶11} The Appellees filed a motion for summary judgment as to
    Thompson’s complaint on July 15, 2015. In its motion, the Appellees argued that
    Thompson had failed to present any evidence as to how the Appellees intended to
    injure Thompson or how they deliberately removed a safety guard. In support of
    their motion, the Appellees attached affidavits of Jackson and Oberlander.
    {¶12} Thompson filed his memorandum in opposition to the Appellees’
    motion on August 7, 2015. Thompson argued that the Appellees deliberately
    removed the hand guard, which constituted an equipment safety guard, by
    deliberately deciding not to repair or replace the hand guard on the chainsaw
    Thompson was using when he was injured. In support of his motion, Thompson
    attached affidavits of two former employees of the Company, Roger Bowman and
    Mark Saum, as well as the deposition transcripts of himself, Jackson, and
    Oberlander.
    {¶13} On August 25, 2015, the Appellees filed their reply to Thompson’s
    memorandum.
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    {¶14} The trial court granted the Appellees’ motion for summary judgment
    on October 22, 2015. The court found that Thompson had failed to present any
    evidence to show that the Appellees deliberately removed the hand guard. Thus, it
    found that there were no genuine issues of material fact and the Appellees were
    entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The court filed an entry of dismissal the
    same day, dismissing Thompson’s complaint.2
    {¶15} Thompson filed this timely appeal, presenting the following
    assignment of error for our review.
    Assignment of Error
    THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING, AS A MATTER
    OF LAW, THAT AN EMPLOYEE MUST PROVE THAT THE
    EMPLOYER “SPECIFICALLY INTENDED TO INJURE THE
    PLAINTIFF” PURSUANT TO R.C. 2745.01(A) WHERE
    PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT SUBMITS EVIDENCE UNDER
    SUBSECTION (C) FROM WHICH REASONABLE MINDS
    COULD FIND A “DELIBERATE REMOVAL OF A SAFETY
    GUARD” IN AN INTENTIONAL TORT CASE.
    {¶16} In his sole assignment of error, Thompson argues that the trial court
    erred by granting the Company’s motion for summary judgment. We agree.
    2
    We note that the trial court did not dismiss the Bureau’s claims against the Appellees. Although this
    claim appears to remain pending, it does not affect the finality of the court’s order. The Supreme Court of
    Ohio has found “that a judgment in an action which determines a claim in that action and has the effect of
    rendering moot all other claims in the action as to all other parties to the action is a final appealable order
    pursuant to R.C. 2505.02, and Civ.R. 54(B) is not applicable to such a judgment.” Wise v. Gursky, 
    66 Ohio St.2d 241
    , 243 (1981). Because the trial court dismissed Thompson’s claims, the Bureau’s claim as a
    subrogated party was rendered moot by law. See Renner v. E. Mfg. Corp., 11th Dist. Portage No. 2001-P-
    0135, 
    2002-Ohio-6691
    , ¶ 13, fn. 5.
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    {¶17} An appellate court reviews a summary judgment order de
    novo. Hillyer v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 
    131 Ohio App.3d 172
    , 175 (8th
    Dist.1999). However, a reviewing court will not reverse an otherwise correct
    judgment merely because the lower court utilized different or erroneous reasons as
    the basis for its determination. Diamond Wine & Spirits, Inc. v. Dayton
    Heidelberg Distrib. Co., Inc., 
    148 Ohio App.3d 596
    , 
    2002-Ohio-3932
    , ¶ 25 (3d
    Dist.), citing State ex rel. Cassels v. Dayton City School Dist. Bd. of Edn., 
    69 Ohio St.3d 217
    , 222 (1994). Summary judgment is appropriate when, looking at the
    evidence as a whole: (1) there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and (2)
    the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Civ.R. 56(C). In
    conducting this analysis the court must determine “that reasonable minds can
    come to but one conclusion and that conclusion is adverse to the party against
    whom the motion for summary judgment is made, [the nonmoving] party being
    entitled to have the evidence or stipulation construed most strongly in the
    [nonmoving] party’s favor.” 
    Id.
     If any doubts exist, the issue must be resolved in
    favor of the nonmoving party. Murphy v. City of Reynoldsburg, 
    65 Ohio St.3d 356
    , 358-359 (1992).
    {¶18} The party moving for summary judgment has the initial burden of
    producing some evidence which demonstrates the lack of a genuine issue of
    material fact. Dresher v. Burt, 
    75 Ohio St.3d 280
    , 292 (1996). In doing so, the
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    moving party is not required to produce any affirmative evidence, but must
    identify those portions of the record which affirmatively support his argument. Id.
    at 292. The nonmoving party must then rebut with specific facts showing the
    existence of a genuine triable issue; he may not rest on the mere allegations or
    denials of his pleadings. Id.; Civ.R. 56(E).
    {¶19} R.C. 2745.01 is Ohio’s employer intentional tort statute. It states, in
    relevant part:
    (A) In an action brought against an employer by an employee, * * *
    for damages resulting from an intentional tort committed by the
    employer during the course of employment, the employer shall not
    be liable unless the plaintiff proves that the employer committed the
    tortious act with the intent to injure another or with the belief that the
    injury was substantially certain to occur.
    (B) As used in this section, ‘substantially certain’ means that an
    employer acts with deliberate intent to cause an employee to suffer
    an injury, a disease, a condition, or death.
    (C) Deliberate removal by an employer of an equipment safety
    guard * * * creates a rebuttable presumption that the removal or
    misrepresentation was committed with intent to injure another if an
    injury * * * occurs as a direct result.
    Id.
    {¶20} Within the last few years, the Supreme Court of Ohio has defined
    both “equipment safety guard” and “deliberate removal.” See Hewitt v. L.E.
    Myers Co., 
    134 Ohio St.3d 199
    , 
    2012-Ohio-5317
    , ¶ 26, 30. The court first found
    that an “equipment safety guard” is “ ‘a device that is designed to shield the
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    operator from exposure to or injury by a dangerous aspect of the equipment.’ ” Id.
    at ¶ 26, quoting Fickle v. Conversion Technologies Internatl., Inc., 6th Dist.
    Williams No. WM-10-016, 
    2011-Ohio-2960
    , ¶ 43.
    {¶21} Next, the Hewitt court found that an employer deliberately removes a
    safety guard “when an employer makes a deliberate decision to lift, push aside,
    take off, or otherwise eliminate that guard from the machine.” Id. at ¶ 30. In
    doing so, the court noted that “[a]lthough ‘removal’ may encompass more than
    physically removing a guard from equipment and making it unavailable, such as
    bypassing or disabling the guard, an employer’s failure to train or instruct an
    employee on a safety procedure does not constitute the deliberate removal of an
    equipment safety guard.” Id. at ¶ 29, citing Fickle at ¶ 45.
    {¶22} To support its finding that “removal” constitutes more than the
    physical removing of a safety guard, the Hewitt court also cited the Seventh
    District’s decision in Wineberry v. N. Star Painting Co., 7th Dist. Mahoning No.
    11 MA 103, 
    2012-Ohio-4212
    . In Wineberry, an employee was injured when he
    fell 15 feet from some scaffolding that had buckled. Id. at ¶ 4. While falling, the
    employee sandblasted his arm. Id. The employee argued that he would not have
    fallen had his employer installed guardrails on the scaffolding.      Id. at ¶ 17.
    Further, he argued that the decision not to place guardrails on the scaffolding
    constituted a deliberate removal. Id. at ¶28. To an extent, the court agreed and
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    Case No. 9-15-44
    found “that deliberate removal not only encompasses removing safety equipment,
    but also the failure to attach safety equipment provided by the manufacturer.”
    (Emphasis added.) Id. at ¶ 38. However, the court affirmed the trial court’s
    judgment awarding summary judgment to the employer because the employee
    failed to present any evidence that the guardrails were either provided or required
    by the manufacturer. Id. at ¶ 39.
    {¶23} Although Wineberry was decided two months prior to Hewitt, the
    Hewitt court did not find it inconsistent with its decision. Further, the logic behind
    Wineberry is inherent in the Hewitt court’s definition of “deliberate removal,”
    namely, “when an employer makes a deliberate decision to * * * otherwise
    eliminate that guard from the machine.” Hewitt, 
    2012-Ohio-5317
     at ¶ 30. Thus,
    Wineberry remains good law, although not binding on this court.
    {¶24} After the court’s decision in Hewitt, the Supreme Court of Ohio
    decided Houdek v. ThyssenKrupp Materials N.A., Inc., 
    134 Ohio St.3d 491
    , 2012-
    Ohio-5685. In Houdek, the court found that in the absence of a deliberate removal
    of an equipment safety guard, an employee must establish that his employer acted
    with the specific intent to injure him. Id. at ¶ 25. “The Houdek court rejected the
    argument that the intent inquiry was an objective one satisfied by an employer’s
    mere knowledge of a hazardous condition.” Broyles v. Kasper Machine Co., 
    517 Fed.Appx. 345
    , 353 (6th Cir.2013), citing Houdek.
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    Case No. 9-15-44
    {¶25} In this case, Thompson argues that an employer’s deliberate decision
    not to replace or repair a safety guard, which comes installed from the
    manufacturer and that is required to be installed by law or regulation, amounts to
    the deliberate removal of an equipment safety guard pursuant to R.C. 2745.01(C).
    In response, the Company argues that an employer’s knowledge of a hazardous
    condition is insufficient to make a finding that the employer deliberately removed
    an equipment safety guard.
    {¶26} In support of its argument, the Company cites Houdek for the
    proposition that “[e]ven if an employer places an employee in a potentially
    dangerous situation, there must also be evidence that either management or the
    supervisor deliberately intended to injure the employee for R.C. 2745.01(C) to
    apply.” Appellees’ Brief, p. 11. Moreover, the Fifth District Court of Appeals has
    taken a similar standpoint on Houdek. See Beary v. Larry Murphy Dump Truck
    Serv., Inc., 5th Dist. Stark No. 2013CA00240, 
    2014-Ohio-4333
    , ¶ 22, citing
    Houdek. However, after a close reading of Houdek, we find that the Company’s
    and the Fifth District’s interpretations are mistaken.
    {¶27} In Houdek, the court addressed the issue of “whether a claimant
    bringing an employer intentional tort claim is required to prove that the employer
    acted with a deliberate intent to injure.” 
    2012-Ohio-5685
     at ¶ 13. Although R.C.
    2745.01(A) seems to allow recovery for an employer intentional tort in two
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    scenarios (when the employer acts with the intent to injure OR with the belief that
    the injury was substantially certain to occur), the court found that 2745.01(B)
    limits an employee’s ability to recover in only situations where the employer acts
    with the specific intent to injure. Id. at ¶ 23. The court wrote “ ‘the General
    Assembly’s intent in enacting R.C. 2745.01, as expressed particularly in
    2745.01(B), is to permit recovery for employer intentional torts only when an
    employer acts with specific intent to cause an injury, subject to subsections (C)
    and (D).’ ” (Emphasis sic.) Id., quoting Kaminski v. Metal & Wire Prods. Co.,
    
    125 Ohio St.3d 250
    , 
    2010-Ohio-1027
    , ¶ 56.
    {¶28} The court applied its finding to the facts in that case and found that
    the employee had failed to present any evidence that the employer specifically
    intended to injure him. Id. at ¶ 26.
    {¶29} The Houdek court’s only analysis of R.C. 2745.01(C) is contained in
    one paragraph.     The court found that adequate lighting conditions and safety
    devices such as orange cones, reflective vests, and retractable gates were not
    equipment safety guards and stated that there was no evidence that the employer
    deliberately removed them. Id. at ¶ 27.
    {¶30} Thus, Houdek does not support the statement that R.C. 2745.01(C)
    requires that the employer possessed a deliberate intent to injure to be applicable.
    “Under R.C. 2745.01(C), the predicate facts – an employer’s deliberate removal of
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    an equipment safety guard and directly resulting injury – give rise to a prima facie
    finding of intent to injure.” Hoyle v. DTJ Ents., Inc., 
    143 Ohio St. 3d 197
    , 2015-
    Ohio-843, ¶ 23. If we were to adopt the Company’s logic, then the standard to
    establish the rebuttable presumption would be the same as the standard in R.C.
    2745.01(A), therefore eliminating the need for any presumption. “It would be
    quite anomalous to interpret R.C. 2745.01(C) as requiring proof that the employer
    acted with the intent to injure in order [to] create a presumption that the employer
    acted with the intent to injure. Such an interpretation would render division (C) a
    nullity.” Fickle, 
    2011-Ohio-2960
     at ¶ 32, fn. 2. Rather, as the unambiguous
    language of the statute states, R.C. 2745.01(C) serves as a rebuttable presumption
    that the intent to injure, required under R.C. 2745.01(A), has been proven by the
    employee.
    {¶31} Next, we turn our attention to whether Thompson’s argument
    withstands scrutiny.    Neither party disputes whether the hand guard is an
    equipment safety guard, as the hand guard is “ ‘a device that is designed to shield
    the operator from exposure to or injury by a dangerous aspect of the equipment.’ ”
    Hewitt, 
    2012-Ohio-5317
     at ¶ 26, quoting Fickle at ¶ 43. If a kickback occurs,
    causing the operator to lose control of the chainsaw, the hand guard triggers the
    saw’s brake when contacted. This act prevents the operator from being cut by the
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    saw. Thus, the question becomes whether the deliberate decision not to replace or
    repair a required safety guard constitutes the deliberate removal of said guard.
    {¶32} To answer this question, we look to the Seventh District’s opinion in
    Wineberry for guidance. The Wineberry court addressed a very similar question to
    the one asked here, which was whether the failure to replace safety guardrails on
    scaffolding perches constituted the deliberate removal of a safety guard. The court
    answered in the affirmative, finding “that deliberate removal not only
    encompasses removing safety equipment, but also the failure to attach safety
    equipment provided by the manufacturer.” 
    2012-Ohio-4212
     at ¶ 38. The court
    reasoned, “If a machine is shipped not fully assembled and the employer does not
    install the guard that comes with the machine, under a narrow construction it
    might not be considered deliberate removal since the guard was not initially
    attached.” 
    Id.
     Therefore, the court found that a broader interpretation of the term
    “remove” was required. This definition was not without its limits though, as the
    court required that to have deliberate removal the safety guard must be required to
    be in place by the manufacturer or by law/regulation. See id. at ¶ 39-40. The
    court found that the guardrails were not provided by the manufacturer nor were
    they required by any law or regulation. Id. at ¶ 39.
    {¶33} As noted supra, Wineberry was decided before the Supreme Court of
    Ohio defined “deliberate removal” in Hewitt. Whereas the court in Hewitt found
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    Case No. 9-15-44
    that a broad definition of the term “equipment safety guard” was not compatible
    with the General Assembly’s intent as laid out in the statute, the court did not
    make a similar finding as to “deliberate removal.” See Hewitt at ¶ 25, 29. Rather,
    the court wrote that “ ‘removal’ may encompass more than physically removing a
    guard from equipment and making it unavailable, such as bypassing or disabling
    the guard * * *.” Id. at ¶ 29. Hence, the court’s final definition that includes
    “otherwise eliminate [the] guard * * *” is broad and could encompass several
    different actions. Id. at ¶ 30.
    {¶34} Given the Supreme Court of Ohio’s broad definition of “deliberate
    removal” and the similarities in Wineberry, we find that an employer deliberately
    removes an equipment safety guard when it makes a deliberate decision not to
    either repair or replace an equipment safety guard that is provided by the
    manufacturer and/or required by law or regulation to be on the equipment. This
    type of conduct goes beyond the realm of negligence or recklessness because the
    employer’s careful and considered decision not to replace or repair a broken or
    missing guard is essentially “eliminat[ing the] guard.” Id. There could be several
    reasons why an employer may wish not to replace or repair a guard, be it financial
    (does not want to pay to have the guard fixed or replaced), business-related (slows
    down production), or several other reasons.
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    Case No. 9-15-44
    {¶35} The Company cites numerous cases to support its proposition that an
    omission may constitute negligence or recklessness, but is insufficient to prove
    deliberate intent to injure. See generally Houdek, 
    2012-Ohio-5685
    ; Meadows v.
    Air Craft Wheels, L.L.C., 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 96782, 
    2012-Ohio-269
    ; Hubble
    v. Haviland Plastic Prods., Co., 3d Dist. Paulding No. 11-10-07, 
    2010-Ohio-6379
    .
    The problem with the Company’s argument is that these cases state that
    negligence or recklessness is not sufficient to support a finding of deliberate intent
    to injure under R.C. 2745.01(A), not R.C. 2745.01(C). Again, R.C. 2745.01(C)
    provides an avenue for a plaintiff to raise a rebuttable presumption of the
    employer’s intent to injure. It is not held to the same standard as subsection (A).
    Moreover, most of the Company’s cases do not analyze R.C. 2745.01(C). Rather
    they focus on the deliberate intent to injure under R.C. 2745.01(A).
    {¶36} Next, we look to the facts as provided in the record to determine if a
    genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether Thompson established the
    rebuttable presumption under R.C. 2745.01(C). We answer in the affirmative.
    {¶37} First, the hand guard at issue was provided by the manufacturer and
    required to be on the chainsaw by both state and federal regulations. The saw used
    in this case was a Stihl 066. Portions of the saw’s owner’s manual were included
    as three exhibits to Jackson’s deposition.         Specifically, the manual states
    “Warning! Never operate your chainsaw without a front hand guard.” Jackson
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    Case No. 9-15-44
    Depo., Ex. 5. The manual is also clear that the brake will not function if there is
    no hand guard. Further, the Company conceded that the hand guard is required by
    the manufacturer and all the industry standards. Both Oberlander and Jackson also
    stated that using a chainsaw without a hand guard is extremely dangerous and can
    cause serious injury to the operator.
    {¶38} Not only is the hand guard required to be on the saw by the industry
    standards and the manufacturer, but it is also required by Ohio regulations.
    O.A.C. 4123:1-5-07(C) requires that “All hand tools and hand-held portable
    powered tools and other hand-held equipment whether furnished by the employee
    or the employer shall be maintained in a safe condition, free of worn or defective
    parts.” Moreover, the regulations require that “All portable power-driven saws
    with blades more than two inches in diameter shall be equipped with guards above
    and below the base plate shoe.”         O.A.C. 4123:1-5-07(D)(1).      Chainsaws,
    specifically, “shall have all guards and handles, provided by the manufacturer, in
    place, all controls functioning properly and mufflers operative.” O.A.C. 4123:1-5-
    07(D)(2)(a).
    {¶39} Finally, federal regulations require that all chainsaws have a front
    hand guard in place. 29 C.F.R. 1910.266(e)(2)(i). Specifically, “Each chain saw *
    * * shall be equipped with a chain brake * * *. Each chain saw * * * shall be
    equipped with a protective device that minimizes chain-saw kickback. No chain-
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    saw kickback device shall be removed or otherwise disabled.” (Emphasis added).
    
    Id.
     Thus, it is very clear from the record that Thompson established that the hand
    guard was required to be fully functional and on the chainsaw.
    {¶40} Second, the Company was aware that the chainsaw that injured
    Thompson was lacking a hand guard before Thompson was injured. Thompson
    testified in his deposition that he told management, specifically Oberlander and
    Jackson, on at least two separate occasions that the hand guard was either broken
    or missing and needed repaired or replaced. Additionally, Thompson produced
    the affidavits of Saum and Bowman who testified that they both had complained
    to management about saws with broken or missing hand guards.             Bowman
    specifically remembers Thompson telling management about the saw missing the
    hand guard.
    {¶41} Third, when viewed in a light most favorable to Thompson,
    Thompson provided evidence that the Company made a deliberate decision not to
    repair or replace the hand guard. In their affidavits, both Bowman and Saum
    stated that employees were told to either use the saws that were provided by the
    Company or they would get fired. Thompson testified that the saw was missing
    the hand guard from the first day he started working for the Company. More
    evidence that the Company made a deliberate decision not to replace or repair the
    hand guard comes from the fact that the same saw that injured Thompson was sent
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    in for repairs prior to him being injured. Specifically, a new chain was put on the
    saw. Thompson testified that the hand guard was missing when the saw was sent
    to the shop and was not returned with a repaired or new one attached.
    {¶42} Therefore, we find that Thompson has presented sufficient evidence
    to establish the presumption of intent to injure under R.C. 2745.01(C).
    {¶43} The question then becomes whether the Company presented
    sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption. The only evidence that the Company
    produced were the affidavits of Jackson and Oberlander. In the affidavits, both
    deny any intent to injure Thompson. However, “self-congratulatory affidavits,”
    where the defendants deny any intent to injure, standing alone are not sufficient to
    rebut the presumption in R.C. 2745.01(C). See Downard v. Rumpke of Ohio, Inc.,
    12th Dist. Butler No. CA2012-11-218, 
    2013-Ohio-4760
    , ¶ 60, citing Rudisill v.
    Ford Motor Co., 
    709 F.3d 595
    , 605 (6th Cir.2013); Dudley v. Powers & Sons,
    L.L.C., 6th Dist. Williams No. WM-10-015, 
    2011-Ohio-1975
    , ¶ 21 (“The
    testimony of a Powers employee cannot be weighed so heavily to say that
    reasonable minds could not disagree on the issue of intent.”). Thus, the Company
    has failed to rebut the presumption and is not entitled to judgment as a matter of
    law.
    {¶44} Accordingly, we sustain Thompson’s sole assignment of error.
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    Case No. 9-15-44
    {¶45} Having found error prejudicial to the appellant, in the particulars
    assigned and argued, we reverse the judgment of trial court as to the claim against
    the Company and remand the matter for further proceedings consistent with this
    opinion.
    Judgment Reversed and
    Cause Remanded
    SHAW, P.J. and WILLAMOWSKI, J., concur.
    /jlr
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