Johnson Controls, Inc. v. David Trimmer

Johnson Controls, Inc., appeals the judgment of the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission granting David Trimmer’s claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Because we find that this claim was barred by the doctrine of res judicata, we reverse the judgment.

Background

At the time of Trimmer’s claimed injury in 2003, he had worked for Johnson Controls (“Employer”) for almost thirty years. The vast majority of his job responsibilities for the past twenty-five years involved stacking batteries on and off the production line. The task required Trimmer to physically pick up the batteries and…