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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Supreme Court says a plaintiff's immigration status should not be considered in a workplace injury case because it can cause confusion and unfair prejudice.
The court in a unanimous ruling Thursday said "Indiana's tort trials should be about making injured parties whole — not about federal immigration policies and laws."
The court ruled in the case of Noe Escamilla, a Mexican native who entered the U.S. illegally with his parents at age 15. Escamilla sued Indianapolis construction company Shiel Sexton for lost future wages after he slipped on ice in 2010 and severely injured his back while on a project at Wabash College in Crawfordsville.
The Supreme Court reversed a trial court's ruling that Escamilla's immigration status was admissible at trial and ordered the court to reconsider it.
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