Bridgewater v. New Orleans Regional Transit Authority

190 So. 3d 408, 2015 La.App. 4 Cir. 0922, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 482, 2016 WL 909361
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 9, 2016
DocketNo. 2015-CA-0922
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 190 So. 3d 408 (Bridgewater v. New Orleans Regional Transit Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bridgewater v. New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, 190 So. 3d 408, 2015 La.App. 4 Cir. 0922, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 482, 2016 WL 909361 (La. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

MAX N. TOBIAS, JR., JUDGE.

hThe plaintiff, Emanuel Bridgewater, appeals the granting of summary judgment in favor of the defendants, New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (“RTA”) and the City of New Orleans (“City”); dismissing his claims for personal injuries sustained when he was allegedly run over by a RTA bus. The RTA answered the appeal requesting attorney’s fees and costs ■against Mr. Bridgewater for filing a frivolous appeal. For the reasons that follow, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Facts and Procedural Background

Mr. Bridgewater claims that on 29 August' 2003, while ■ reclining on the neutral ground (median) located at the intersection of Washington Avenue and South Dorge-nois Street in New Orleans, his right arm and right leg were run over by a RTA bus. According to Mr. Bridgewater, Louisiana ■Avenue Bus.-No. 27 was traveling river-bound,. and as it made a left turn off of Toledano Street and an immediate right turn onto Washington Avenue,1 the bus cut the corner too closely causing it to go up onto the neutral ground where he was reclining with the front tire of the bus striking him on his right arm, breaking it and leaving a tire-mark | ^impression, and the right rear tire rolling over his right knee causing injury. He further contends that, at the time of the accident, the neutral ground was .overgrown with weeds and small trees making it visibly hard to see him as he lounged there. Mr. Bridgewa-ter avers that the bus driver did not stop, but rather, fled the scene after the accident.

A male bystander, who, according to the record on appeal,, did not actually witness the accident but was walking.on South Dorgenois Street towards Washington Avenue, heard Mr. Bridgewater calling out for help. The bystander, later identified as Joe Myles,2 then-17 years old, assisted Mr. Bridgewater by calling 911 for emergency assistance. Shortly thereafter, an ambulance arrived op the scene followed by Officer Roger Smith, a policeman with the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) assigned., to the RTA. Mr. Bridgewater contends that prior to his being transported by the ambulance to Charity Hospital, the NOPD officer failed to question him concerning the accident. At Charity, Mr. Bridgewater claims he was treated for his broken wrist and leg injury, both of which he maintains have rendered him permanently disabled.3 Though Mr, Bridgewater, avers that be had not consumed any alcohol within, twelve hours of the accident, the Charity records indicate that his blood alcohol level (obtained four hours after the accident) was measured at 0.132.

In’ August 2004, Mr. Bridgewater filed suit for damages against the RTA and the City alleging their joint and several liabili[411]*411ty on the ground that the City was a | .¡partner with the RTA in running the bus operation. Thereafter, he filed a-first amending and supplemental petition adding as a defendant, TMSEL (Transit Management of Southeast Louisiana, Inc.), reiterating his allegations of the joint liability of the parties,4 and stating that the NOPD officer, who was assigned exclusively to the RTA, acted “in. concert” with RTA/TMSEL' employees to protect the RTA from liability “by hiding or failing to perform their assigned duties.” Further, Mr. Bridgewater averred that the City was liable to him for his injuries based on its failure to place proper signage in the area of the accident warning the public that buses might, run off the road and strike pedestrians, and for its failure to properly design rest areas so as to protect the public from dangers that were not open and obvious.

The City filed a motion for summary judgment on 10 August 2005, but due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the hearing thereon never took place. Thereafter, in September 2014, the City’s motion was reset for hearing on 10 October 2014, at which time the City’s motion for summary judgment was granted. Mr. Bridgewater subsequently-filed a motion for rehearing, which was treated by the trial court as a motion for new trial. Additionally, on 31 October-2014, the RTA filed a motion for summary judgment on liability. Mr. Bridgewater’s motion for rehearing [new trial] on the City’s motion for summary judgment and the RTA’s motion for summary judgment both came for hearing on 8 May 2015. At the close of oral argument, the trial judge denied the motion for rehearing on the City’s motion for summary judgment and granted the RTA’s motion for summary-judgment'on the issue of liability. A judgment to this effect |4was issued on 18 May 2015. In response to Mr. Bridgewater’s request pursuant to La. C.C.P. art,1917, written reasons for judgment were -issued on 15 June 2015.

'Mr.' Bridgewater appeals the trial court’s 18 May 2015 judgment. The RTA answered the appeal seeking attorney’s fees and costs against Mr. Bridgewater for the filing of a frivolous appeal.

Issues Presented for Review

On appeal, Mr. Bridgewater contends the trial court erred in granting the motions for summary judgment in favor of the City and the RTA because genuine issues of material fact remain regarding the accident,, which require a trial on the merits in this case. Additionally,, Mr. Bridgewater argues the trial judge misapplied the law concerning expert opinion.

Standard of Review and General Principles of Summary Judgment

As has been written many times before, a summary judgment is subject to de novo review on appeal, using the same standards applicable to the trial court’s determination of the issues. Hayes v. Sheraton Operating Corp., 14-0675, p. 3 (La.App. 4 Cir. 12/10/14), 156 So.3d 1193, 1196. The summary judgment procedure is expressly favored in the law and is designed to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of non-domestic civil actions. La. C.C.P. art. 966 A(2). Its purpose is to pierce -the pleadings and to assess the proof in order to see whether there exists a genuine need for trial. Hines v. Garrett, 04-0806, p. 7 (La.6/25/04), 876 So.2d 764, 769. Summary judgment is appropriate if the pleadings, depositions,' answers to interrogatories, admissions, and affidavits in [412]*412the record show that no genuine issue of material fact exists and" that the mover is entitled to |,-judgment as a matter of law. La. C.C.P. art. 966 B(2);5 see also- La. C.C.P. art.- 966 A(3). The-burden of proof rests with the moving party and all doubts should be resolved in favor of the .non-moving party. Gailey v. Barnett, 12-0830, p. 4 (La.App. 4 Cir. 12/5/12), 106 So.3d 625, 627-28.

Once a prima facie showing has been established by the mover that the motion for summary judgment should be granted, the burden then shifts to the non-moving party to present evidence demonstrating that genuine issues of material fact remain; failure to do so mandates the granting of the motion. La. C.C.P. art. 966 C(2); Schultz v. Guoth, 10-0343, pp. 6-7 (La.1/19/11), 57 So.3d 1002, 1006; Hayes, 14-0675, pp. 3-4, 156 So.3d at 1196; Smith v. Treadway, 13-0131, p. 4 (La.App. 4 Cir. 11/27/13), 129 So.3d 825, 828. In ruling on a motion for summary judgment, the judge’s role is not to evaluate the weight of the evidence or to determine the-truth of the matter,- but instead, to determine whether a genuine issue of material fact exists. Hines, 04-0806, p. 1, 876 So.2d at 765.

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Bluebook (online)
190 So. 3d 408, 2015 La.App. 4 Cir. 0922, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 482, 2016 WL 909361, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bridgewater-v-new-orleans-regional-transit-authority-lactapp-2016.