Coats v. Gardner

W.H. “Dub” Arnold, Chief Justice.

Appellants, Michael Coats, and his former wife, Rhonda Coats (now Wheeler), appeal an order of the Crawford County Circuit Court dismissing their negligence complaint against appellee Jerry Gardner. In dismissing the complaint, the circuit court found that Mr. Coats’s injuries arose out of his employment with Mr. Gardner, and that the Coatses’ claim was barred by the election-of-remedies doctrine since they had received workers’ compensation benefits. The Coatses filed an appeal with the Arkansas Court of Appeals, which certified the case to this court under…