SandiCare, L.L.C. v. Wilson

# SandiCare v. Wilson Summary **What Happened** SandiCare, a home care provider, sued employee Wilson after he left the company. SandiCare had a non-compete agreement—a contract restricting where Wilson could work after leaving—and obtained a court order (injunction) to enforce it. Later, SandiCare accused Wilson of violating this order and asked the court to hold him in contempt. **What the Court Decided** The appellate court sided with Wilson. The judges found that Wilson and his associate Harper did not intentionally break the injunction. The court also determined that the original injunction only restricted work in home healthcare services, not all types of work. The trial judge's decisions about what happened and what the agreement meant were reasonable, so they stood. **Why This Matters** This case shows that non-compete agreements have limits. Courts won't automatically punish workers for violating them—the company must prove the violation was deliberate. Additionally, judges interpret these agreements narrowly, restricting only the specific work mentioned, not an employee's entire career. Workers have protections against overly broad employment restrictions.