Diemer v. Minute Men, Inc.

This case involved an employee who was injured by a supervisor at Minute Men, Inc. The injured worker claimed the company was negligent in promoting someone to a supervisory position when it knew or should have known that person could be dangerous to other employees. The court reached a mixed decision. It ruled that the trial court made an error by dismissing the negligent promotion claim too quickly. The appeals court found there were still factual questions about whether the company knew about circumstances that made promoting this individual risky, and whether the company failed to use reasonable care in making the promotion decision. However, the court also upheld the dismissal of at least one other claim against the employer. This ruling matters for workers because it establishes that employers can be held responsible for promoting people to supervisory roles when they know or should know those individuals might endanger other employees. Companies cannot simply ignore warning signs about a person's fitness for a position of authority. Workers may have legal recourse if they are harmed by supervisors that their employer negligently promoted, provided they can show the company knew about potential risks and failed to act reasonably.