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Employment Rulings in the Eighth Circuit

The Eighth Circuit covers the federal courts in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The rulings below come from the circuit's court of appeals and the federal trial courts within it.

Of the 1,462 published rulings we track here (19732026), the breakdowns below show how they were decided. They describe published opinions only — not the odds of any particular situation.

How These Rulings Ended

Of the 1,462 published rulings we track in the Eighth Circuit.

Defendant Win
660 (45%)
Plaintiff Win
255 (17%)
Mixed Result
244 (17%)
Dismissed
176 (12%)
Remanded
100 (7%)
Settlement
27 (2%)

What Happens at Each Stage

A workplace lawsuit moves through stages, and a ruling can end it at any of them. Here is where the 1,452 rulings we could classify by stage were decided.

Appeal
647 (45%)

A higher court reviewing an earlier decision. Many published opinions come from this stage, after a lot has already happened in the case.

Summary judgment
310 (21%)

A ruling where the judge decides the case — or part of it — without a trial, because one side argues the key facts are not in dispute. For workers, getting past this step is often the biggest hurdle.

Of the 310 summary-judgment rulings here, 196 ended the case in the employer’s favor and 114 let the worker’s claims continue.

Motion to dismiss
385 (27%)

An early request — usually by the employer — to throw the case out before any evidence is gathered.

Trial verdict
49 (3%)

A judge or jury heard the evidence and reached a decision. Relatively few disputes get this far.

Settlement / consent decree
26 (2%)

The two sides resolved the dispute by agreement, sometimes with court approval. Most settlements are private and never show up in published opinions.

Default judgment
24 (2%)

A decision entered because one side did not respond to the case at all.

Other rulings
11 (1%)

Procedural decisions and orders that do not fit the main stages above.

States in This Circuit

Browse rulings from courts in each state the Eighth Circuit covers.

Recent Rulings in the Eighth Circuit

NORTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE v. Union Carbide Corp.

Nov 7, 2002D.S.D.Mixed Result

Midamerican Energy Co. v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 499

Oct 18, 2002S.D. IowaPlaintiff Win

Royal Insurance Company of America American Employers Insurance Co. v. Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Inc.

Sep 23, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Omaha Paper Stock Company v. Secretary of Labor

Sep 17, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Omaha Paper Stock v. Secretary of Labor

Sep 17, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

McKenzie Engineering Company, Petitioner-Cross-Respondent v. National Labor Relations Board, Respondent-Cross-Petitioner

Sep 12, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Chicago Truck Drivers v. Brotherhood Labor Leasing

Sep 12, 2002E.D. Mo.Mixed Result

McKenzie Engineering v. NLRB

Sep 12, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Multimedia KSDK, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board

Sep 10, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

George Mitchell v. Union Pacific RR

Sep 10, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. v. Federal Insurance

Aug 29, 2002D. Minn.Defendant Win

Steven E. Crown v. Union Pacific RR

Aug 15, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Northwest Airlines, Inc.

Aug 14, 2002D. Minn.Plaintiff Win

Moran

Aug 2, 2002E.D. Mo.Remanded

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania v. Rli Insurance Company

Jul 16, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union No. 545 v. Hope Electrical Corporation

Jul 12, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Howell

Jul 3, 2002D. Neb.Defendant Win

Johnnie Mae Rowe v. Union Planters Bank of Southeast Missouri, Kevin Chambers, Patricia Robbins

Jun 25, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Wright Electric, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board

Jun 24, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

EEOC v. Exel, Inc.

Jun 21, 2002E.D. Mo.Defendant Win

Cochran

Jun 18, 2002S.D. IowaDefendant Win

EEOC v. Group Health Plan

Jun 14, 2002E.D. Mo.Defendant Win

James B. Ross v. Rail Car America Group Disability Income Plan the Canada Life Assurance Company

May 16, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Birton

May 10, 2002E.D. Mo.Mixed Result

Peter Donovan v. Harrah's Maryland Heights Corporation, a Nevada Corporation

May 9, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Johnnie Mae Rowe v. Union Planters Bank

May 9, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

EEOC v. Chemsico, Inc.

May 7, 2002E.D. Mo.Defendant Win

Southern Union Company v. Missouri Public Service Commission

May 6, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Southern Union Co. v. MO Public Service

May 6, 20028th CircuitDefendant Win

Morgan v. Contractors, Laborers, Teamsters & Engineers Pension Plan

Apr 23, 20028th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Clair H. Morgan v. Contractors, Laborers, Teamsters And Engineers Pension Plan

Apr 23, 20028th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Principi

Mar 19, 2002E.D. Mo.Defendant Win

Industrial Wire Products v. Teamsters Local Union

Mar 12, 2002E.D. Mo.Plaintiff Win

EEOC v. Exel, Inc.

Mar 6, 2002E.D. Mo.Mixed Result

Multimedia KSDK, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board

Feb 22, 20028th CircuitRemanded

Multimedia Ksdk, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board

Feb 22, 20028th CircuitRemanded

Hanson

Jan 10, 2002D. Minn.Defendant Win

Vogt v. Farmers Union Co-Operative Ass'n

Dec 27, 20018th CircuitDefendant Win

World Wide Manufacturing, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor

Dec 6, 20018th CircuitDefendant Win

Grinnell Fire Protection Systems Company v. National Labor Relations Board, Grinnell Fire Protection Systems Company v. National Labor Relations Board

Dec 5, 20018th CircuitMixed Result

Grinnell Fire v. NLRB

Dec 5, 20018th CircuitMixed Result

Andreas

Nov 26, 2001N.D. IowaDefendant Win

Adams Ex Rel. Harris v. Boy Scouts of America-Chickasaw Council

Nov 21, 20018th CircuitDefendant Win

Murray

Nov 21, 2001N.D. IowaMixed Result

Murray

Nov 21, 2001N.D. IowaPlaintiff Win

Morgan

Nov 16, 2001S.D. IowaDefendant Win

Multimedia Ksdk, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board

Nov 15, 20018th CircuitDefendant Win

Multimedia KSDK v. NLRB

Nov 15, 20018th CircuitDefendant Win

Bruce A. Mead v. Intermec Technologies Corporation Short Term Disability Plan for Employees of Norand Corporation

Nov 13, 20018th CircuitDefendant Win

Cline

Oct 30, 2001S.D. IowaMixed Result

Showing 1,2011,250 of 1,462 rulings · Page 25 of 30

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These figures summarize publicly available published court opinions only. Published opinions over-represent summary-judgment rulings (decisions made without a trial) and appeals, because those are the stages where judges most often write formal opinions. Most workplace disputes settle privately and never appear here at all. A ruling’s outcome reflects many case-specific factors and is not a prediction for any other situation. Read more about how we source and classify rulings.

Data sourced from public federal court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes extracted using AI analysis. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The classification of outcomes and case stages is based on automated analysis and may not reflect the full scope of each case.