Brown v. Las Vegas Sands, Inc.

146 F.R.D. 189, 1992 WL 423932
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedDecember 4, 1992
DocketNo. CV-S-91-791-PMP (RJJ)
StatusPublished

This text of 146 F.R.D. 189 (Brown v. Las Vegas Sands, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. Las Vegas Sands, Inc., 146 F.R.D. 189, 1992 WL 423932 (D. Nev. 1992).

Opinion

ORDER

PRO, District Judge.

Before the Court is Defendant Las Vegas Sands’ (“Sands”) Motion for Summary Judgment (# 43), filed on October 26, 1992. Plaintiffs Ruth Brown (“Brown”) and Mildred Floyd (“Floyd”) filed their Opposition (# 45) on November 9, 1992, and the Sands filed its Reply (# 47) on November 24, 1992.

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL POSTURE

Brown and Floyd were registered guests of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 12, 1989. On that date, Brown noticed a clogged drain in her bathroom, and reported it to the Hotel. The Hotel [190]*190informed Brown that it would fix the problem later that day. When Brown returned to her room, she was allegedly overcome by a noxious odor. She notified the Hotel, which then evacuated the floor.

Floyd was a guest whose room was on the same floor as Brown’s. She was evacuated from her room by Hotel personnel after Brown notified the Hotel of the odor. Both Plaintiffs allege that as a result of the Hotel’s attempt to unclog the drain in Brown’s bathroom, they were forced to inhale noxious air and became nauseated and faint. Brown alleges that she vomited and fainted after being exposed to this odor. Both Plaintiffs aver that they suffered personal injuries, emotional distress, physical pain, suffering, anguish, medical expenses, and lost income.

On October 9, 1991, Brown and Floyd filed suit, naming MGM Grand, Inc., d/b/a The Sands Hotel and Casino, Doe Corporations A through C, and Doe Individuals I through X as defendants. On October 24, 1991, Brown and Floyd filed their First Amended Complaint (# 3), and added the Las Vegas Sands, Inc., and MGM Sands, Inc., as Defendants. On December 27, 1991, this Court denied the Las Vegas Sands’ Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint (# 11), and on the same day, denied a Motion to Dismiss filed on behalf of MGM Sands, Inc., and MGM Grand, Inc. (# 10). Pursuant to a stipulation, however, this Court dismissed Plaintiffs’ action against Defendants MGM Grand and MGM Sands on August 20, 1992 (# 33).

Las Vegas Sands filed an answer to Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint and a Third Party Complaint against Certified Laboratories and NCH Corporation on January 6, 1992 (# 12). Las Vegas Sands now moves this Court for Summary Judgment with respect to Brown and Floyd’s First Amended Complaint.

II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, summary judgment is proper “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.”

The party moving for summary judgment has the initial burden of showing the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. See Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); Zoslaw v. MCA Distrib. Corp., 693 F.2d 870, 883 (9th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 460 U.S. 1085, 103 S.Ct. 1777, 76 L.Ed.2d 349 (1983). Once the movant’s burden is met by presenting evidence which, if uncontroverted, would entitle the movant to a directed verdict at trial, the burden then shifts to the respondent to set forth specific facts demonstrating that there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2511, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). If the factual context makes the respondent’s claim implausible, that party must come forward with more persuasive evidence than would otherwise be necessary to show that there is a genuine issue for trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323-24, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553-54, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1355-56, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); California Arch. Bldg. Prod. v. Franciscan Ceramics, 818 F.2d 1466, 1468 (9th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1006, 108 S.Ct. 698, 98 L.Ed.2d 650 (1988).

If the party seeking summary judgment meets this burden, then summary judgment will be granted unless there is significant probative evidence tending to support the opponent’s'legal theory. First National Bank of Arizona v. Cities Service Co., 391 U.S. 253, 290, 88 S.Ct. 1575, 1593, 20 L.Ed.2d 569 (1968); Commodity Futures Trading Comm’n v. Savage, 611 F.2d 270 (9th Cir.1979). Parties seeking to defeat summary judgment cannot stand on their pleadings once the movant has submitted affidavits or other similar materials. Affidavits that do not affirmatively demonstrate personal knowledge are insufficient. British Airways Bd. v. Boeing Co., 585 F.2d 946, 952 (9th Cir.1978), cert. denied, [191]*191440 U.S. 981, 99 S.Ct. 1790, 60 L.Ed.2d 241 (1979). Likewise, “legal memoranda and oral argument are not evidence and do not create issues of fact capable of defeating an otherwise valid motion for summary judgment.” Id.

A material issue of fact is one that affects the outcome of the litigation and requires a trial to resolve the differing versions of the truth. See Admiralty Fund v. Hugh Johnson & Co., 677 F.2d 1301, 1305-06 (9th Cir.1982); Admiralty Fund v. Jones, 677 F.2d 1289, 1293 (9th Cir.1982).

All facts and inferences drawn must be viewed in the light most favorable to the responding party when determining whether a genuine issue of material fact exists for summary judgment purposes. Poller v. CBS, Inc., 368 U.S. 464, 82 S.Ct. 486, 7 L.Ed.2d 458 (1962). After drawing inferences favorable to the respondent, summary judgment will be granted only if all reasonable inferences defeat the respondent’s claims. Admiralty Fund v. Tabor, 677 F.2d 1297, 1298 (9th Cir.1982).

The trilogy of Supreme Court cases cited above establishes that “[sjummary judgment procedure is properly regarded not as a disfavored procedural shortcut, but rather as an integral part of the Federal Rules as a whole, which are designed ‘to secure the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action.’ ” Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 327, 106 S.Ct. at 2555 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 1).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Poller v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.
368 U.S. 464 (Supreme Court, 1962)
First Nat. Bank of Ariz. v. Cities Service Co.
391 U.S. 253 (Supreme Court, 1968)
Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
398 U.S. 144 (Supreme Court, 1970)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
British Airways Board, 1 v. The Boeing Company
585 F.2d 946 (Ninth Circuit, 1978)
Daniel Freund v. Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc.
956 F.2d 354 (First Circuit, 1992)
Raymond Jonathan Hill v. United States Postal Service
961 F.2d 153 (Eleventh Circuit, 1992)
Waclaw Skoczylas v. Federal Bureau of Prisons
961 F.2d 543 (Fifth Circuit, 1992)
In Re Glacier Bay
746 F. Supp. 1379 (D. Alaska, 1990)
Hunt v. Department of the Air Force
787 F. Supp. 197 (M.D. Florida, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
146 F.R.D. 189, 1992 WL 423932, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-las-vegas-sands-inc-nvd-1992.