Chayer v. Ethan Allen, Inc.

¶ 1. Plaintiff Rodney Chayer appeals from the trial court’s grant of defendants’ motion to dismiss his claim for civil damages arising out of a workplace accident for which he had previously received workers’ compensation benefits. We affirm.

¶ 2. In 1996, plaintiff was employed at the Ethan Allen furniture manufacturing plant in Orleans, Vermont. As part of his employment, he operated a double-end tenoning machine. The machine includes a moving “table” — essentially a conveyor belt — on which wooden workpieces rest as they move toward the machine’s saw blades. The workpieces are held in place…