Cruz v. Advance Stores Co.

842 F. Supp. 2d 1356, 2012 WL 423342, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20579
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 10, 2012
DocketCase No. 11-60924-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 842 F. Supp. 2d 1356 (Cruz v. Advance Stores Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cruz v. Advance Stores Co., 842 F. Supp. 2d 1356, 2012 WL 423342, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20579 (S.D. Fla. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

WILLIAM J. ZLOCH, District Judge.

THIS MATTER is before the Court upon Defendant, Advance Stores Company, Inc.’s Motion For Summary Final Judgment (DE 20). The Court has carefully reviewed said Motion, the entire court file and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

Plaintiff Francisco Cruz, a former customer of Defendant Advance Stores Company, initiated the above-styled cause with the filing of a two-count Complaint (DE 1-2). Count I alleges that Plaintiff was battered by Defendant’s employee, John Doe (hereinafter referred to by his proper name, Jesus Arascue), and that this battery was the proximate result of Defendant’s negligent hiring, supervision, or training of Arascue. Count II alleges battery against Arascue. The Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. For the reasons detailed [1358]*1358below, the Court will grant the instant Motion.

I. Background

Plaintiff alleges that on September 5, 2007, Defendant’s employee, Jesus Arascue, “without provocation, pushed, struck and shoved” him into a wall at Defendant’s store in Deerfield Beach, Florida. According to Cruz, he had previously allowed Arascue to borrow his buffing machine and fan to clean Defendant’s store. When he later asked Arascue to return these items, Arascue claimed he did not know where they were. Defendant’s Manager, Fred, brought Plaintiff and Arascue into his office area and ordered Arascue to return the equipment, or have its cost deducted from his paycheck. Arascue then allegedly carried out the above-mentioned attack on Plaintiff, and Fred quickly intervened and ended the confrontation.

By the instant Motion (DE 20), Defendant moves for summary judgment on both Counts. Moreover, it notes that Plaintiff has failed to submit a Statement of Material Facts with its Response To Defendant’s Motion For Summary Judgment (DE 29), in violation of S.D. Fla. L.R. 56.1(a). Therefore, Defendant’s Statement of Material Facts (DE 20) is deemed admitted to the extent it is supported by the record. See LiR. 56.1(b). Those facts include, but are not limited to the following: first, there is nothing in the record to show that Defendant became aware of, or should have become aware of, any problems with Arascue that belied his unfitness as an employee; and second, there is nothing in the record to show that Defendant negligently trained Arascue. The Court finds that both of these facts are supported by the record.

II. Standard of Review

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a), a court shall grant summary judgment “if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). The party seeking summary judgment

always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.

Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (quotation omitted). “Only when that burden has been met does the burden shift to the non-moving party to demonstrate that there is indeed a material issue of fact that precludes summary judgment.” Clark v. Coats & Clark, Inc., 929 F.2d 604, 608 (11th Cir.1991); Avirgan v. Hull, 932 F.2d 1572, 1577 (11th Cir.1991).

The moving party is entitled to “judgment as a matter of law” when the non-moving party fails to make a sufficient showing of an essential element of the case to which the non-moving party has the burden of proof. Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548; Everett v. Napper, 833 F.2d 1507, 1510 (11th Cir.1987). Further, the evidence of the non-movant is to be believed, and all justifiable inferences are to be drawn in his favor. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). But all such inferences “must, in every case, fall within the range of reasonable probability and not be so tenuous as to amount to speculation or conjecture.” Thompson Everett, Inc. v. Nat’l Cable Advert., 57 F.3d 1317, 1323 (4th Cir.1995).

III. Analysis

As to Count I of the Complaint (DE 1-2), the issue for the Court is whether there is a genuine issue of material fact tending to show that Defendant (1) negligently [1359]*1359hired, (2) negligently supervised, or (3) negligently trained Araseue, and that such negligence proximately caused the battery against Plaintiff.

“Negligent hiring occurs when, prior to the time the employee is actually hired, the employer knew or should have known of the employee’s unfitness, and the issue of liability primarily focuses upon the adequacy of the employer’s pre-employment investigation in the employee’s background.” Garcia v. Duffy, 492 So.2d 435, 438 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1986). To prove a negligent hiring claim, a plaintiff must show that (1) the employer was required to make an appropriate investigation of the employee and failed to do so; (2) an appropriate investigation would have revealed the unsuitability of the employee for the particular duty to be performed or for employment in general; and (3) it was unreasonable for the employer to hire the employee in light of the information he knew or should have known. Id. at 440.

In his response brief (DE 29), Plaintiff now appears to have abandoned his negligent hiring claim. See DE 29, p. 3. But even assuming arguendo he has not abandoned it, the Court finds that he has presented no genuine issue of material fact to support it. By contrast, Defendant has submitted the affidavit of its Human Resources Manager, Tamara G. Colon (DE 20-3). She attests that Jesus Araseue applied for employment with Defendant on July 18, 2003, and was hired by Defendant as a commercial driver / mobile sales professional on July 23, 2003. DE 20-3, ¶¶ 4-5. In his job application and driver history form, Araseue did not report any criminal convictions or motor vehicle related offenses. See DE 20-3, Exhibits A & B. Defendant then requested his arrest record from the Broward County Sheriffs Office and learned that he had no prior arrests. See DE 20-3, Exhibit C. Thus, there are no facts in the record that could possibly give rise to a negligent hiring claim, and the Court will grant Defendant summary judgment on that claim.

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842 F. Supp. 2d 1356, 2012 WL 423342, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20579, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cruz-v-advance-stores-co-flsd-2012.