Gordon v. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

238 F. Supp. 3d 229, 2017 WL 841275, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30509
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedMarch 3, 2017
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 15-13289-MBB
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 238 F. Supp. 3d 229 (Gordon v. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gordon v. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., 238 F. Supp. 3d 229, 2017 WL 841275, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30509 (D. Mass. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER RE: DEFENDANT STARWOOD’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (DOCKET ENTRY # 16)

BOWLER, United States Magistrate Judge.

Pending before this court is a motion for summary judgment filed by defendant Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (“defendant”). (Docket Entry # 16). Plaintiff Susan Gordon (“plaintiff’) opposes the motion. (Docket Entry # 18). After conducting a hearing, this court took the motion (Docket Entry # 16) under advisement.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On or about September 2, 2014, plaintiff filed an action in Pennsylvania state court in Wayne County against defendant seeking damages for injuries sustained while a guest of Cove Haven Resort in Lakeville, Pennsylvania. (Docket Entry # 17-1). Plaintiff voluntarily dismissed this action prior to June 30, 2015. (Docket Entry # 17-1). On June 30, 2015, plaintiff filed suit for the same injury in Massachusetts Superior Court (Suffolk County). (Docket Entry # 17-2).

The complaint contains two causes of action. (Docket Entry #17-2). Count I alleges that plaintiff sustained personal injuries as a result of the negligence of one of defendant’s employees and Count II alleges that defendant breached its duty to adequately train and supervise its employees. (Docket Entry # 17-2).

On September 3, 2015, defendant removed this case to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. (Docket Entry # 1). Jurisdiction is based on diversity under 28 U.S.C. § 1332, as plaintiff is a resident of Massachusetts (Docket Entry # 17-1) and defendant is a Maryland corporation with a principal place of business in Connecticut (Docket Entry # 17-4). The amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. (Docket Entry ## 17-2 & 19-1).

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Summary judgment is designed “to ‘pierce the boilerplate of the pleadings [232]*232and assay the parties’ proof in order to determine whether trial is actually required.’ ” Tobin v. Federal Express Corp,, 775 F.3d 448, 450 (1st Cir. 2014) (quoting Wynne v. Tufts Univ. Sch. of Med., 976 F.2d 791, 794 (1st Cir. 1992)). It is appropriate “if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). It is inappropriate “if the record is sufficiently open-ended to permit a rational factfinder to resolve a material factual dispute in favor of either side.” Pierce v. Cotuit Fire Dist., 741 F.3d 295, 301 (1st Cir. 2014).

“Genuine issues of fact are those that a factfinder could resolve in favor of the rionmovant, while material facts are those whose ‘existence or nonexistence has the potential to change the outcome of the suit.’” Green Mountain Realty Corp. v. Leonard, 750 F.3d 30, 38 (1st Cir. 2014) (quoting Tropigas de Puerto Rico, Inc, v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London, 637 F.3d 53, 56 (1st Cir. 2011)). The evidence is viewed “in the light most favorable to the non-moving party” and “all reasonable inferences” are drawn in his favor. Ahmed v. Johnson, 752 F.3d 490, 495 (1st Cir, 2014). “Unsupported allegations and speculation,” however, “do not demonstrate- either entitlement to summary judgment or the existence of a genuine issue of material fact sufficient to defeat summary judgment.” Rivera-Colón v. Mills, 635 F.3d 9, 12 (1st Cir. 2011); see Serra v. Quantum Servicing, Corp., 747 F.3d 37, 39-40 (1st Cir. 2014) (“allegation's of a merely speculative -or conclusory nature are rightly disregarded”).

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Plaintiff lives in Lunenburg, Massachusetts and works for UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts as a phlebotomist. (Docket Entry # 17-3, No. 1). In August 2012, plaintiff made a reservation directly with Cove Haven Resort in Lakeville, Pennsylvania (“the resort”) (Docket Entry # 17-3),1 which is owned and operated by defendant (Docket Entry # 17-4). On the morning of September 1, 2012, plaintiff and her husband drove from their residence in Massachusetts and arrived at the resort in Pennsylvania for a weekend vacation. (Docket Entry # 17-3).

The next morning on September 2, 2012, plaintiff and her husband went on a boat ride tour operated by the resort. (Docket Entry # 17-3). Having had a good time in the morning, plaintiff and her husband decided to go on another boat ride tour operated by the resort in the afternoon. (Docket Entry # 17-3). During the afternoon tour, at around 2:00 p.m., the operator of the boat hit the waves of other boats on the lake. (Docket Entry # 17-3). As a result, plaintiff was thrown off the boat and twice flew into the air and landed on her buttocks, causing fractures to her T-12 vertebrae and bruises on her back, buttocks and thighs. (Docket Entry’# 17-3).

Immediately after the injury, plaintiff was taken by ambulance to Scranton Hospital in Pennsylvania where she received a CAT scan and numerous follow-up exams. (Docket Entry ## 19-1 & 17-3). The next day on September 3, 2012; plaintiff and her husband drove back to Massachusetts and went to Massachusetts General Hospital (“Mass. General”) in Boston, Massachusetts. (Docket Entry ## 19-1 & 17-3). She received treatment at the hospital on September 3 and 4. and had blood work done on September 5. (Docket Entry # 17-3, [233]*233No. 6). She was treated at Mass. General for the next seven months. (Docket Entry # 19-1). In November, she underwent spine cementation, a procedure also known as “vertebral augmentation,” at Mass. General. (Docket Entry #17-3, No. 6), She was “covered under Harvard Pilgrim medical insurance” and. “incurred approximately $70,000 in medical expenses.” (Docket Entry # 19-1).

DISCUSSION

Defendant seeks summary judgment because Pennsylvania’s two-year statute of limitations for personal injury tort claims bars plaintiffs claims as untimely. (Docket Entry # 16). Plaintiff argues that the Massachusetts three-year statute' of limitations for tort claims, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A, applies thereby rendering this actioh timely filed. (Docket Entry # 18).

A federal court sitting in diversity applies the choice of law rules of the forum state. See Klaxon Co. v. Stentor Electric Mfg. Co., 313 U.S. 487, 496, 61 S.Ct. 1020, 85 L,Ed. 1477 (1941); see also Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. CNA Ins. Co. (Europe) Ltd., 633 F.3d 50, 54 n.7 (1st Cir.

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238 F. Supp. 3d 229, 2017 WL 841275, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gordon-v-starwood-hotels-resorts-worldwide-inc-mad-2017.