Edwards v. Commonwealth

546 A.2d 1291, 119 Pa. Commw. 116, 1988 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 691
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedAugust 22, 1988
DocketAppeal No. 3679 C.D. 1986
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 546 A.2d 1291 (Edwards v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edwards v. Commonwealth, 546 A.2d 1291, 119 Pa. Commw. 116, 1988 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 691 (Pa. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinions

Opinion by

Senior Judge Barbieri,

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (DOT) appeals an order of the Allegheny County Court [118]*118of Common Pleas granting summary judgment to Honeywill and Company (Honeywill).

This matter stems from a single vehicle accident which occurred August 8, 1984, on Pennsylvania Route 910 in Allegheny County at approximately 2:00 a.m. At that time Yvonne Edwards, who had become intoxicated while drinking at a bar called Dingbats, drove her automobile around a curve and over an embankment at a point at which there was no guiderail. Earlier in the year, DOT had erected a 20 m.p.h. advisory speed limit sign in the area as well as signs warning of the curve.1

At the time of the accident, Honeywill was under contract with DOT to repair or replace guiderail in Beaver and Allegheny Counties, including certain stretches along Route 910. In fact, on the day prior to the accident, Honeywill was working in the vicinity of the accident site but had not yet reached the point where Ms. Edwards vehicle left the road. Honeywill did reach the accident site and erected2 guiderail there later on the day of the accident.

Ms. Edwards was twenty-four years old at the time her automobile went over the embankment on Route 910 and is now a paraplegic as a result of the accident. She brought an action in the trial court against Dingbats for serving her alcoholic beverages while she was visibly intoxicated and against DOT and Honeywill for failing to erect guiderail at the point where the accident occurred.3 DOT and Dingbats subsequently filed cross-[119]*119claims against Honeywill. The Complaint, and both Dingbats and DOTs New Matter filed pursuant to Pa. R.C.P. 2252(d), allege inter alia, that Honeywill was negligent in failing to promptly construct guiderail in the area of the accident and in failing to warn motorists that there was no guiderail in the area when it was in the process of being installed at the time of the accident.

In granting Honey wills motion for summary judgment as to the original complaint and the cross claims, the trial court held that Honeywill had no duty to place traffic control or warning devices at the scene of the accident as it had not yet begun to work at that site. On appeal to this Court, DOT contends that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment as Honeywill had a contractual duty to safeguard the public and failed to place any warning devices in the area despite the fact that it had been working the previous day in the vicinity of the accident site. DOT suggests that Honeywill could have erected lighting devices, signs,, barricades, or drums to warn and protect motorists from the potential, hazard it was engaged to eliminate.

Honeywill entered into two contracts with DOT for the repair and replacement of damaged guiderail in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. Work commenced under the first contract in September of 1983, when DOTs project coordinator and Honeywills superintendent compiled a seventeen page list designating work to be performed on various legislative routes. However, funding ran out before all work on this list could be completed. Additional funds were allocated and by a contract dated July 26, 1984, the remaining work was to be completed. On August 2, 1984, Honeywill commenced work pursuant to DOTs Notice to Proceed. The proposed work on Route 910 began that day and was appar[120]*120ently completed on August 8, 1984, the day of the accident.

DOT contends that the issue of whether or not Honeywill was required by contract to place warning devices4 along that portion of Route .910 where the Edwards vehicle left the road, presents a genuine question of fact precluding summary judgment. In support of its contention, DOT cites the regulations in former Sub-chapter A of 67 Pa. Code Chapter 203 together with Section 900 of Form 408.5

Pursuant to Pa. R.C.P. 1035, summary judgment shall be entered if the pleadings, depositions, admissions, and answers to interrogatories, together with supporting affidavits, reveal there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Professional and Public Service Employees Union Local 1300 v. Trinisewski, 94 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 462, 504 A.2d 391 (1986). A court may enter summary judgment only “in the clearest of cases, i.e., where there is not the slightest doubt concerning the absence of a triable issue of material fact.” Burnside v. Abbott Laboratories, 351 Pa. Superior Ct. 264, 274, 505 A.2d 973, 978 (1986).

Former 67 Pa. Code Chapter 203 was rescinded and replaced in its entirety effective January 1, 1984, and now only applies to “projects already under construction or projects having a bid opening date, permit issuance date or starting date prior to January 1, 1984.” 67 Pa. Code §203.5. Even though the 1984 contract includes work which had originally been scheduled under the 1983 contract, separate bids were taken on the later [121]*121contract. Bids on the 1984 contract were not opened until May of 1984 and the starting date was August 2, 1984. Therefore, we believe the new rather than the former regulations are applicable to this matter.

The 1984 contract between DOT and Honeywill incorporates the provisions of 67 Pa. Code §203. Subchapter A of this Section sets forth basic principles and guidelines for traffic control within construction, maintenance, or utility “work zones” on Commonwealth highways.6 “Work zone” is defined in 67 Pa. Code §203.3 as “[t]he work area and the section of highway used for traffic control devices related to the work area.” “Work area” is defined in this same section as:

[a] location where construction, maintenance, or utility operations are being performed or where previous operations have not yet been completed and potential hazards or traffic obstructions are still present. (Emphasis added.)

“Traffic control devices” are defined as:

[s]igns, signals, markings and devices authorized in Chapter 211 (relating to official traffic control devices) or this chapter and consistent with the basic rules of the road established by the Vehicle Code and placed or erected for the purpose of regulating, warning, or guiding traffic by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction over the roadway.

67 Pa. Code §203.3 (emphasis added).

We disagree with DOTs assertion that Honeywill was under a duty to erect barricades or drums as Subchapter D of the regulations concerning channeling devices provides that the function of these devices is to warn motorists of potential hazards caused by construction or maintenance. 67 Pa. Code §203.51. There is no [122]*122evidence that Honeywill removed existing guiderail which it failed to replace. To the contrary, the deposition testimony reveals that the Edwards’ vehicle left the roadway in an area in which new guiderail was scheduled to be installed and was in fact installed later on that same day.

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Bluebook (online)
546 A.2d 1291, 119 Pa. Commw. 116, 1988 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 691, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-v-commonwealth-pacommwct-1988.