Employee Refusals to Cooperate in Internal Investigations: Into the Woods with Employers, Courts, and Labor Arbitrators

Bass v. Nooney Co. established negligent infliction of emotional distress as an independent tort in Missouri. The Missouri Supreme Court, however, left open the question of if and when a bystander can recover under this cause of action. The question remained unanswered for seven years until the Asaro decision. This Note will first analyze that decision, then focus on the traditional rules and restrictions on bystander recovery, and finally set forth for consideration a proposed rule that is less restrictive than the one adopted by the Missouri Supreme Court.