Davis ex rel. Estate of Davis v. Bredvik

9 Mass. L. Rptr. 373
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1998
DocketNo. 951185B
StatusPublished

This text of 9 Mass. L. Rptr. 373 (Davis ex rel. Estate of Davis v. Bredvik) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis ex rel. Estate of Davis v. Bredvik, 9 Mass. L. Rptr. 373 (Mass. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

Doerfer, J.

INTRODUCTION

The present action arises out of personal injuries sustained by Priscilla K. Davis when she slipped and fell on the stairs of the Barnstable branch of the Bank of Boston on February 8, 1990. This matter is before the court on the plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment against defendant First National Bank of Boston. For the reasons discussed below, the plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment is ALLOWED.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On February 8, 1990, while entering the rear entrance of the Barnstable branch of the Bank of Boston (the Bank), Priscilla Davis tripped and fell, breaking her hip. On October 9, 1992, Mrs. Davis and her husband Lee Davis filed an action against the Bank alleging that it had negligently failed to maintain the stairway at the rear entrance of the Barnstable branch. Shortly prior to trial in January of 1995, the plaintiffs discovered a blueprint plan dated December 12, 1988 indicating that a handicap access ramp was to be built at the rear entrance of the Bank. This blueprint plan had been prepared under the supervision of Wayne Bredvik (Bredvik), the manager of the Bank’s architecture and construction department from 1981 to 1989. Accordingly, on May 11, 1995, the Davises moved to amend their complaint to add a claim that the Bank violated G.L.c. 22, §13A and G.L. chapter 93Aby failing to provide a handicap accessible entrance. On May 16, the court denied the motion to amend with respect to the Chapter 93A claim but otherwise allowed it. Following a jury trial, judgment entered for Priscilla Davis in the amount of $200,000 plus interest and for Lee Davis in the amount of $60,000 plus interest.

The Davises commenced the present negligence action against Bredvik on May 26, 1995. On July 6, 1995, they were allowed to amend their complaint to allege that Bredvik violated Chapter 93A, Section 9 by failing to ensure the existence of a handicap access ramp as required by G.L.c. 22, §13A. Thereafter, on June 18, 1996, the Davises again moved to amend their complaint to add as defendants the Bank and John Carroll, the Bank’s designated liaison with plaintiffs’ counsel in the Barnstable suit. This Court (Volterra, J.) initially denied the motion but upon reconsideration, granted the motion and allowed the desired amendment.

The third amended complaint alleges that the Bank violated Chapter 93A by failing to comply with G.L.c. 22, § 13A and by withholding documents and information in the prior action. The plaintiffs now move for partial summary judgment seeking an order that as a matter of law, the absence of a handicap accessible entrance at the Bank’s Barnstable branch violated the provisions of G.L.c. 22, §13A.

BACKGROUND

The undisputed facts as contained in the summary judgment record are as follows. On February 8, 1990, Priscilla Davis fell and fractured her hip as she attempted to enter the Barnstable branch of the Bank of Boston through the rear entrance. The rear entrance consisted of a cement walkway leading up to a single step with a one inch overhang, which adjoined a brick entry platform to the double glass entrance doors.

On the day of Mrs. Davis’ accident, the Barnstable branch lacked a handicap accessible entrance. Prior to the accident, Mrs. Davis was an independent person who could get around on her own; she did not use a walker or a cane and the motor vehicle she drove did not have handicapped plates. However, she was 69 years old and she shuffled her feet when she walked. Immediately following the accident, Mrs. Davis told the branch manager, Carlene Barnes, that she was clumsy and had tripped over her own feet.

The Barnstable branch was located in a two-story house that had been converted to commercial use. The Bank was the sole occupant of both the first floor, which contained 1797.5 square feet of space, and the second floor, which contained 974 square feet of space. At all times relevant to this action, approximately 45.8% of the total area of the Barnstable branch, or 1269.5 square feet, was open to the public. As of the date of Mrs. Davis’ accident, the second floor of the building was neither occupied nor open to the public, although it contained the only restrooms in the building.

In late 1987 or early 1988, the consulting firm of Landor & Associates created a new corporate image for Bank of Boston (the Bank), known as the “Landor Look,” which stipulated the colors of the carpet, paint and plastic laminate for all branches of the Bank. Between 1988 and 1989, the Landor Look was implemented at all 120 Massachusetts branches of the Bank, including both floors of the Barnstable branch.

On December 20, 1988, the Bank entered into a contract with Sherim Painting Co. (Sherim) for the implementation of the Landor Look on the first floor of the Barnstable branch for the sum of $35,000. The Sherim work proposal describes the work to be done on the first floor as “Interior renovations” to include [375]*375sanding, priming, and preparing woodwork, doors and baseboards; painting; relaminating counter tops; and installing new windows. Bredvik, the Bank’s supervising architect, oversaw the work on the first floor, which was undertaken after banking hours and was completed on March 15, 1989.

The Bank contracted separately with Sherim to implement the Landor Look on the second floor of the Barnstable branch for the sum of $16,000. A Bank work request dated June 13, 1989, describes the second floor project as “Refinish 2nd Floor to new Corporate Image, including removal of walls to enlarge reception area.” The work on the second floor was completed by March 30, 1989.

The work performed in implementing the Landor Look at the Barnstable branch consisted of painting, installation of carpet and ceramic tile, construction of built-in cabinets, replacement of plastic laminate on existing surfaces, cabinetry work, cleaning of drapes, purchase and installation of Levelor blinds, modification of security wiring, movement of electrical cable, manufacture and installation of an interior information sign, and wiring and installation of three light boxes. None of this work required a building permit under the State Building Code.

According to a ledger sheet listing the total amount of work done in the fiscal year ending 7 /31 /89 for the Barnstable branch, the Bank spent $43,747.01 on the first floor and $19,362.80 on the second floor. Of the $63,000 the Bank spent on the “Landor Look,” $56,000 was for interior decoration work. The parties have stipulated that the one hundred percent equalized assessed value of the Barnstable branch building for the period 1989-1990 was $441,300.

DISCUSSION

Summary judgment shall be granted where there are no genuine issues as to any material fact and where the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Community Nat’l. Bank v. Dawes, 369 Mass. 550, 553 (1976); Cassesso v. Commissioner of Correction, 390 Mass. 419, 422 (1983); Mass.R.Civ.P. 56(c). The moving party bears the burden of affirmatively demonstrating the absence of a triable issue, and that the summary judgment record entitles the moving parly to judgment as a matter of law. Pederson v. Time, Inc., 404 Mass. 14, 16-17 (1989). The moving party may satisfy this burden either by submitting affirmative evidence that negates an essential element of the opposing parly’s case or by demonstrating that the opposing parly has no reasonable expectation of proving an essential element of his case at trial. Kourouvacilis v. General Motors Corp., 410 Mass. 706, 716 (1991);

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Bluebook (online)
9 Mass. L. Rptr. 373, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-ex-rel-estate-of-davis-v-bredvik-masssuperct-1998.