Ex Parte Martin

The four coemployee-liability actions now before us on this certiorari review arose from an explosion at a 3M Corporation chemical plant that killed three employees and injured another. The injured employee and the widows of the three deceased employees sued John Martin, who was the plant manager and thus a coemployee of the victims. First, the plaintiffs claimed, under Ala. Code 1975, § 25-5-11(c)(1), that Martin had willfully failed to provide a safe workplace for the employee victims. Second, the plaintiffs claimed, under § 25-5-11(c)(2), that Martin's failure to upgrade the relief system…