Mickeda Barnes v. Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

Syllabus

The plaintiff, Mickeda Barnes, appealed pro se from a Superior Court order dismissing her 245-page complaint against the defendant, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1), (b)(3), and (b)(6) of the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure. The plaintiff brought this action seeking compensation for work-related injuries. On appeal, the plaintiff argued, inter alia, that the defendant owes her workers' compensation. The Court concluded that the plaintiff failed to properly set forth her claims and did not provide the defendant with adequate notice of the basis of her assertions. Additionally, the Court held that the plaintiff is barred from asserting all work-related injury claims in the Superior Court, because subject-matter jurisdiction for those claims is vested in the Workers' Compensation Court. The Court also held that a prior settlement agreement executed between the parties precluded plaintiff's claims that were unrelated to workers' compensation. Therefore, the Supreme Court affirmed the order of the Superior Court granting the defendant's motion to dismiss.