Labor Ready, Inc. v. Johnston

**Labor Ready, Inc. v. Johnston** This case involved a workplace injury where a permanent employee was hurt while working alongside a temporary worker provided by Labor Ready, a temp agency. The injured permanent employee sued both Labor Ready and the temp worker directly, claiming they caused his injury through negligence. The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled against the injured worker. The court decided that when temporary employees and permanent employees work together at the same job site, they are considered "co-employees" under workers' compensation law. This legal status protects both the temp agency and the temporary worker from being sued directly for workplace injuries. **What this means for workers:** If you're injured at work while working with temporary employees (or if you're a temp worker involved in someone else's injury), you generally cannot sue the temp agency or temp workers directly. Instead, you must rely on workers' compensation benefits for your injuries. This ruling limits your ability to seek additional money damages through lawsuits, even if you believe the temporary worker or agency was negligent. The decision strengthens legal protections for temp agencies and their workers but may limit options for injured employees seeking full compensation.