Glass v. Southern Wrecker Sales

990 F. Supp. 1344, 1998 WL 13536
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Alabama
DecidedJanuary 9, 1998
DocketCIV. A. 97-A-135-E
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 990 F. Supp. 1344 (Glass v. Southern Wrecker Sales) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Glass v. Southern Wrecker Sales, 990 F. Supp. 1344, 1998 WL 13536 (M.D. Ala. 1998).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ALBRITTON, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This case is before the court on a Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the Defendant, Southern Wrecker Sales, a Division of Augusta Bumper & Glass, Inc. (“Southern Wrecker”), on October 31,1997.

The Plaintiff, Billy Glass d/b/a B & G Towing (“Glass”) originally filed a Complaint in this case in the Circuit Court of Macon County, Alabama. Glass brings a count for fraud and deceit against Southern Wrecker.

On February 6, 1997, Southern Wrecker filed a Notice of Removal, stating that this court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1441(b) and 28 U.S.C. § 1332. No Motion to Remand was filed in this court.

On February 6, 1997, Southern Wrecker filed an Answer in this case. On October 31, 1997, Southern Wrecker filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, a Brief in Support of the Motion, and a Narrative Statement of Undisputed Facts.

Glass filed a Response to the Motion for Summary Judgment on November 25, 1997, to which Southern Wrecker responded on December 2, 1997. Southern Wrecker also filed a Motion to Strike Inadmissible Testimony on December 2, 1997. Southern Wrecker also filed a Request for Oral Argument on December 9,1997. 1

For reasons to be discussed, Southern Wrecker’s Motion for Summary Judgment is due to be GRANTED.

II. FACTS

The submissions of the parties establish the following facts:

*1347 Billy Glass is engaged in the commercial towing business. In 1990, Billy Glass opened his own business and currently does business as B & G Towing.

In 1995, Glass was seeking a Chevrolet rollback wrecker. Richard Traugh (“Traugh”) represented that he could locate such a truck for Glass and, in fact, later contacted Glass and informed him that he had located a truck. The owner of the truck was Southern Wrecker. Glass drove to Georgia to purchase the rollback wrecker from Southern Wrecker.

In October of 1996, Glass was using the truck when the frame of the truck broke. In December of 1996, the truck was inspected by an Alabama State Trooper and was placed out of service.

The Plaintiff has alleged that he purchased the truck without knowing that the cutting, extension, and welding of the truck had been done in a manner which was unsafe and in violation of regulations of the Federal Department of Transportation. Glass alleges that Southern Wrecker suppressed this information and made other material misrepresentations.

III. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

Under Rule 56(c) of the Federal. Rules of Civil Procedure, 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.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

The party asking for 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.” Id. at 323. The movant can meet this burden by presenting evidence showing there is no dispute of material fact, or by showing, or pointing out to, the district court that the nonmoving party has failed to present evidence in support of some element of its ease on which it bears the ultimate burden of proof. Id. at 322-324.

Once the moving party has met its burden, Rule 56(e) “requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by [its] own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” Id. at 324. To avoid summary judgment, the nonmoving party “must do more than show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). On the other hand, the evidence of the nonmovant must be believed and all justifiable inferences must be drawn in its favor. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

After the nonmoving party has responded to the motion for summary judgment, the court, must grant summary judgment if there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c).

IV. DISCUSSION

A Choice of Law

Southern Wrecker has argued that the substantive law to be applied in this case is the law of the State of Georgia. In determining which law to apply, a federal district court sitting in diversity must apply the choice of law rules of the forum state. Trumpet Vine Investments v. Union Capital Partners I, Inc., 92 F.3d 1110 (11th Cir.1996). Aabama applies the rule of lex loci delicti, which means that Alabama courts apply the law of the state where the injury occurred. See Fitts v. Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., 581 So.2d 819, 820 (Ala.1991). In other words, it is not the site of the alleged tortious act that is relevant, but the site of the' injury, or the site of the event that created the right to sue. Gulf States Steel, Inc. v. Lipton, 765 F.Supp. 696, 701 n. *1348 2 (N.D.Ala.1990), aff'd, 934 F.2d 1265 (11th Cir.1991).

Southern Wrecker has argued that because Glass “actually purchased the tow truck from Southern Wrecker in Georgia, it can be argued that the injury should be deemed to have occurred in Georgia.” Brief in Support of Summary Judgment, page 8.

Glass argues in response that the transaction had been agreed to and misrepresentations had been made in Alabama before Glass purchased the truck in Georgia. 2

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Bluebook (online)
990 F. Supp. 1344, 1998 WL 13536, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/glass-v-southern-wrecker-sales-almd-1998.