Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107 (5th Cir. 1996). · Go Syfert
Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107 (5th Cir. 1996). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
29 citation events (15 in the last 25 years) across 5 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Haben Lachney v. Dresser, Incorporated (ca5, 2012-03-28)
Treatment trajectory · 1996 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1996 2011 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 13 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Haben Lachney v. Dresser, Incorporated
5th Cir. · 2012 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
in lieu of subscribing to the texas workers' compensation act, the company agrees to provide directly to its employees the compensation and benefits otherwise available . . . .
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Foster Anderson v. Dresser, Incorporated
5th Cir. · 2012 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
in lieu of subscribing to the texas workers' compensation act, the company agrees to provide directly to its employees the compensation and benefits otherwise available . . . .
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Guzman v. Sturgis
5th Cir. · 2023 · confidence medium
Summary judgment is proper “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107, 109 (5th Cir. 1996) (per curiam) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted); see Fed.
examined Cited as authority (rule) Jeffrey Westbrook v. David Doughty (3×) also: Cited "see"
5th Cir. · 2017 · confidence medium
Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107, 108 (5th Cir. 1996).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) McKnight v. Dresser, Inc.
5th Cir. · 2012 · confidence medium
See Navarro, 48 Fed.Appx. at *1 ("The CBA's disability plan requires an employee to waive her right to sue in return for Excel's providing a claims procedure for disability benefits.”); Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107, 109 (5th Cir.1996) ("In lieu of subscribing to the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, the Company agrees to provide directly to its employees the compensation and benefits otherwise available .... ”); Richter v. Merch.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Navarro v. Excel Corporation (2×) also: Cited "see"
5th Cir. · 2002 · confidence medium
Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107, 108-09 (5th Cir. 1996).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Strawn v. AFC Enterprises Inc
5th Cir. · 2000 · confidence medium
Additionally, AFC, as an employer that does not subscribe to the TWCA, cannot assert the defenses of contributory negligence, assumption of risk, or negligence of a fellow employee when an employee attempts to recover damages for personal injuries or death.1 See Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107, 109 (5th Cir. 1996) (citing § 406.033 of the TWCA).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Strawn v. AFC Enterprises, Inc. (4×) also: Cited "see", Cited "see, e.g."
S.D. Tex. · 1999 · confidence medium
As authority for this proposition, Defendant calls the Court’s attention to a variety of cases, including Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107, 109 (5th Cir.1996) (upholding a collective bargaining agreement between a union and a non-subscribing employer in which the employees agreed to waive their right to pursue common law negligence actions in exchange for employer provided benefits comparable to those available under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act); Duran v. Intex Aviation Services, Inc., No. 95-CV-0403-R (N.D.Tex.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Reyes v. Storage & Processors, Inc.
Tex. App. · 1999 · confidence medium
Similarly, “[a]n agreement between a non-subscribing employer and its employees whereby the non-subscribing employer contractually obligates itself to provide[] benefits to its employees equal to or greater than those provided under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act is a valid and enforceable contract.” Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107, 109 (5th Cir.1996) (applying Texas law). 4 But public policy does not permit an employer to reap the principal benefit of providing workers’ compensation coverage — the waiver of an injured em *728 ployee’s common law and statutory claims — without a…
discussed Cited "see" Christopher Villasana v. City of Houston
5th Cir. · 2011 · signal: see · confidence high
See Cupit v. Walts, 90 F.3d 107, 109 (5th Cir.1996) (“Cupit does not specifically address the district court’s conclusion that he is barred from filing suit because he did not exhaust his remedies under the [Collective Bargaining Agreement (‘CBA’) ].
discussed Cited "see" Espinoza v. Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. (2×) also: Cited "see, e.g."
5th Cir. · 2010 · signal: see · confidence high
See Cupit, 90 F.3d at 109 .
discussed Cited "see, e.g." United States v. Susan Wintermute
8th Cir. · 2006 · signal: see, e.g. · confidence low
See, e.g., United States v. McGuire, 79 F.3d 1396, 1404 (5th Cir. 1996), reh’g granted, vacated on other grounds, 90 F.3d 107 (5th Cir. 1996); United States v. Lueben, 812 F.2d 179, 182-86 (5th Cir. 1987), vacated in part on other grounds, 816 F.2d 1032 (5th Cir. 1987); United States v. Oneida Research Servs., Inc., No. 97-CR-373 (RSP), 1998 WL 59453 , at *3 (N.D.N.Y.
discussed Cited "see, e.g." United States v. Susan Wintermute, United States of America v. Clarence Stevens
8th Cir. · 2006 · signal: see, e.g. · confidence low
See, e.g., United States v. McGuire, 79 F.3d 1396, 1404 (5th Cir.1996), reh’g granted, vacated on other grounds, 90 F.3d 107 (5th Cir.1996); United States v. Lueben, 812 F.2d 179, 182-86 (5th Cir.1987), vacated in part on other grounds, 816 F.2d 1032 (5th Cir.1987); United States v. Oneida Research Servs., Inc., No. 97-CR-373 (RSP), 1998 WL 59453 , at *3 (N.D.N.Y.
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Danny CUPIT and Betty Cupit, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
Charles WALTS, Doing Business as Merchants, Inc.; Merchants Fast Motor Lines, Inc.; And Gypsum Transport, Inc., Defendants-Appellees
95-40557.
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Jul 24, 1996.
90 F.3d 107
Douglas E. Lowe, Douglas E. Lowe & Associates, Palestine, TX, Paul E. White, Lufkin, TX, for plaintiffs-appellants., Edmund Burke Huber, Jr., Ramon Daniel Bissmeyer, Foster, Heller & Kilgore, San Antonio, TX, for defendants-appellees.
Smith, Duhé, Demoss.
Cited by 12 opinions  |  Published
PER CURIAM:

Plaintiffs-Appellants Danny and Betty Cu-pit, husband and wife, appeal from the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Defendants-Appellees Walts, Merchants and Gypsum (collectively, Defendants). We find the Cupits’ appeal unmerito-rious, but write nonetheless to remove any doubt about this Circuit’s position on federal preemption under § 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), [1] relative to those aspects of the Workers Compensation Law of Texas discussed below.

I.

FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS

The basic facts of this case are not disputed. Cupit, a truck driver employed by Gypsum, was represented by the Union of Transportation Employees (UTE) which had entered into a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with Gypsum. On February 1, 1992, Gypsum became a “nonsubscriber to the Texas Workers Compensation Act.” In September 1992, Cupit suffered an injury while in the course and scope of his employment. After reporting his injury, Cupit received and accepted weekly checks from September 21, 1992, until September 18, 1994. Cupit never filed a grievance under the CBA concerning his injury; however, on September 12, 1994, the Cupits filed suit against the Defendants in Texas state court. In that suit Cupit alleged negligence and gross negligence, and his wife alleged a loss of consortium.

The Defendants removed the case to federal district court based on federal preemption of § 301 of the LMRA. In March of 1995, the Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment and their brief in support thereof. The Cupits responded to the Defendants’ motion; Gypsum replied; and the district court requested the Cupits to file a supplemental brief.

Some two months after Defendants’ summary judgment motion was filed, the district court issued a memorandum opinion and order granting summary judgment. The district court expressed the following conclusion:

Danny Cupit’s negligence and gross negligence claims against Gypsum were waived by UTE when it entered into a collective bargaining agreement with Gypsum that provided the exclusive remedy for compensating employees for on-the-job injuries and resolving disputes regarding the compensation provided. Because of Mr. Cu-pit’s failure to institute a grievance under the provisions of the CBA, he is now barred from asserting negligence and gross negligence claims against Gypsum. Since Mr. Cupit’s claims of negligence and gross negligence against Gypsum are barred, Mrs. Cupit’s derivative claim for loss of consortium is also barred.

The district court entered judgment that the Cupits take nothing from Gypsum. The court also declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the claims filed against Walts and Merchants Fast Motor Lines. The Cupits timely filed a notice of appeal.

II.

ANALYSIS

We review a district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo. Topalian v. Ehrman, 954 F.2d 1125, 1131 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 825, 113 S.Ct. 82, 121[*109] L.Ed.2d 46 (1992). Summary judgment under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c) is proper “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). In this case, the Cupits are not arguing that the summary judgment was inappropriate due to the existence of a factual dispute; rather, they take issue with the district court’s legal conclusions.

Pursuant to § 406.002 of the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act (TWCA), [2] Gypsum elected not to obtain workers’ compensation insurance. Under § 406.033 of the TWCA, an employer who does not have workers’ compensation insurance cannot assert the defenses of contributory negligence, assumption of the risk, or negligence of a fellow employee in an action brought by an employee to recover damages for personal injuries or death. [3] In the Gypsum/UTE CBA, Article 32 § 4 provides,

In lieu of subscribing to the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, the Company agrees to provide directly to its employees the compensation and benefits otherwise available under the provisions of the Texas Workers Compensation Act. In any proceeding concerning an injury or illness sustained in the course of employment (e.g., grievance procedure or arbitration — not court action), the Company further agrees to waive its common law defenses, except those defenses applicable to alleged gross negligence.

Under § 406.034 of the TWCA, unless an employee gives notice to the contrary, “an employee of an employer waives the employee’s right of action at common law or under a statute of this state to recover damages for personal injuries or death sustained in the course and scope of the employment.” [4]

Cupit asserts that this arrangement is contrary to the public policy behind the TWCA, arguing that the CBA creates an unregulated self-insuring scheme. Cupit’s position is wholly dependent on his assertion that his union was without authority to bargain away his right to sue for his injuries. We disagree with Cupit and agree with the district court in Lozano v. Ingram Mfg. Co., 5 which held:

The collective bargaining agreement does not violate public policy as expressed in the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act. Participation in the statutory workers’ compensation plan is voluntary, and an employer may elect to refrain from being a subscriber under the Act. An agreement between a non-subscribing employer and its employees whereby the non-subscribing employer contractually obligates itself to provided benefits to its employees equal to or greater than those provided under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act is a valid and enforceable contract.

Cupit has cited no case law supporting his contrary assertion, and we find none independently. We therefore hold today that the analysis and conclusion reached by the quoted language of the district court in Lozano [6] reflects the correct status of the law applicable to this situation.

Other than in his argument that the UTE could not bargain that right away, Cupit does not specifically address the district court’s conclusion that he is barred from filing suit because he did not exhaust his remedies under the CBA. Neither does Cupit address the district court’s interpretation of the CBA that his gross negligence claim was covered by the language of the CBA and TWCA. As he thus forfeits any objection to those rulings, they too must stand. See Randall v. Chevron, 13 F.3d 888 (5th Cir.1994).

III.

• CONCLUSION

For the reasons set forth above, we affirm the summary judgment of the district court[*110] in favor of the Defendants. In so doing, we reject the Cupits’ contentions that in this instance the applicable provisions of § 301 of the LMRA do not preempt state law, and that those provisions are somehow unlawful under Texas law and against Texas public policy.

AFFIRMED.

1

. 29U.S.C. § 185.

2

. Tex.Labor Code Ann. § 406.002 (West 1995).

3

. Tex.Labor Code Ann. § 406.033 (West 1995).

4

.Tex.Labor Code Ann. § 406.034 (West 1995).

5

. 1989 WL 251223, 132 L.R.R.M. 2741, 2743 (BNA) (W.D.Tex.1989), citing Tigrett v. Heritage Bldg. Co., 533 S.W.2d 65 (Tex.App.1976).