Trott v. Brinks, Inc.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama has certified the following question pursuant to Rule 18, Ala. R.App. P.: "Whether an employer's insurance carrier is entitled to be reimbursed for medical expenses from amounts recovered from a third party in a wrongful death action filed by the employee decedent's personal representative?" This Court accepted the question; we now answer it in the negative.

Facts and Procedural History

In certifying this question, the federal district court set forth the facts of this case:

"On the morning of August 23, 2000, [Ronald D.]…