Green v. Kearney

719 S.E.2d 137, 217 N.C. App. 65, 2011 N.C. App. LEXIS 2352
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedNovember 15, 2011
DocketNo. COA11-439
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 719 S.E.2d 137 (Green v. Kearney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Green v. Kearney, 719 S.E.2d 137, 217 N.C. App. 65, 2011 N.C. App. LEXIS 2352 (N.C. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

STROUD, Judge.

Plaintiff appeals the trial court’s orders granting summary judgment in favor of defendants.1 Because defendants are immune from liability under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.14, we affirm.

I. Background

This is the second appeal before this Court arising out of the treatment of Mr. Larry Green following his accident on 24 January 2005. See Green v. Kearney, _ N.C. App. _, _, 690 S.E.2d 755, 758-59 (2010) (“Green /”). Although the prior appeal addressed only the dismissal of plaintiffs’ claims against defendant Dr. J.B. Perdue, the factual circumstances surrounding the accident and Mr. Green’s treatment are the same, and were described in the prior opinion as follows:

The facts as alleged in plaintiffs’ complaint show that on 24 January 2005, at approximately 8:53 p.m., emergency services were dispatched in Franklin County, North Carolina to the scene of an accident involving a pedestrian — Green-and a motor vehicle. Green suffered an open head wound as a result of the accident. Defendant Wade Kearney (“Kearney”) with the Epsom Fire Department was the first to arrive at the scene and checked Green for vital signs. Kearney determined that Green was dead and did not initiate efforts to resuscitate him.
[67]*67Several minutes later, defendants Paul Kilmer (“Kilmer”) and Katherine Lamell (“Lamell”) with Franklin County EMS arrived. Kearney asked Kilmer to verify that Green did not have a pulse, but Kilmer declined to do so, stating that Kearney had already checked and that was sufficient. Without checking the pupils or otherwise manually rechecking for a pulse, Kearney and Kilmer placed a white sheet over Green’s body.
At approximately 9:00 p.m., defendants Pamela Hayes (“Hayes”) and Ronnie Wood (“Wood”) with the Louisburg Rescue Unit arrived at the scene. After being informed by Kearney and Kilmer that Green was dead, neither Hayes nor Wood checked Green for vital signs. At around 9:31 p.m., Perdue, the Franklin County Medical Examiner, arrived at the scene. He first conducted a survey of the scene, taking notes regarding the location of Green’s body and the condition of the vehicle that struck him. Once the Crime Investigation Unit arrived, Perdue inspected Green’s body. While Perdue was examining Green, eight people saw movement in Green’s chest and abdomen. Kearney asked Perdue whether Green was still breathing and Perdue responded: “That’s only air escaping the body.” Once Perdue finished examining Green, he directed that Green should be taken to the morgue located at the Franklin County jail.
At approximately 10:06 p.m., Green was transported to the morgue by Hayes and Wood where Perdue examined him. Perdue lifted Green’s eyelids, smelled around Green’s mouth to determine the source of an odor of alcohol that had been previously noted, and drew blood. During this particular examination, Perdue, Hayes, and Wood all observed several twitches in Green’s upper right eyelid. Upon being asked if he was sure Green was dead, Perdue responded that the eye twitch was just a muscle spasm. Plaintiffs claim that Hayes did not feel comfortable with Perdue’s response and went outside to report the eye twitch to Lamell. Hayes then returned inside and asked Perdue again if he was sure Green was dead. Perdue reassured Hayes that Green was, in fact, dead. Green was then placed in a refrigeration drawer until around 11:23 p.m. when State Highway Patrolman Tyrone Hunt (“Hunt”) called Perdue and stated that he was trying to ascertain the direction from which Green was struck. To assist Hunt, Perdue removed Green from the drawer and unzipped the bag in which he was sealed. Perdue then noticed movement in Green’s abdomen and summoned emergency services. Green was [68]*68rushed to the hospital where he was treated from 25 January 2005 to 11 March 2005. Green was alive at the time this action was brought. His exact medical condition is unknown, though plaintiffs allege that he suffered severe permanent injuries.

_ N.C. App. at _, 690 S.E.2d at 758-59. There is no dispute that Mr. Green was immediately disabled by his injuries. On 21 February 2005, Mr. Larry Alston, Mr. Green’s father, was appointed as Mr. Green’s Interim General Guardian. “On 22 May 2008, Green, through his guardian ad Litem, and Green’s parents, Larry and Kelly Alston, brought this action in Franklin County Superior Court.” See id. at __, 690 S.E.2d at 759.

The complaint alleges the factual circumstances as summarized above, and based upon those facts, five claims for relief. Only the first, third, and fourth claims are applicable to defendants in this case. The first claim alleges general negligence on the part of defendants Wade R. Kearney II (“Kearney”), Pamela Ball Hayes (“Hayes”), Ronnie Wood (“Wood”), and Louisburg Rescue and Emergency Medical Services, Inc. (“Louisburg Rescue”). The third claim is against defendants for negligent infliction of emotional distress upon Mr. Green’s parents. The fourth claim is against defendants for “Willful and Wanton Negligence[;]” this claim states that the negligent acts already described constitute “willful and wanton” conduct which “entitles Green to punitive damages.” Defendants filed motions for partial summary judgment as to the claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress, and on 12 March 2009, the trial court granted the motions for partial summary judgment as to this claim.

On 15 November 2010, defendants Hayes, Wood, and Louisburg Rescue filed a motion for summary judgment as to “all remaining claims against them[.]” Defendants Hayes, Wood, and Louisburg Rescue alleged, inter alia, they “are immune from liability to Plaintiff pursuant to G.S. § 90-21.14.” On 16 November 2010, defendant Kearney filed a motion for summary judgment as to “all claims remaining against him,” also alleging, inter alia, immunity. On 13 December 2010, defendants filed motions to strike various affidavits on the grounds that each affidavit “improperly attempted] to offer the witnesses’ legal conclusions purportedly drawn from underlying evidence, and that except the Affidavit of George Wittenburg, MD, PhD, these Affidavits fail to state that the affiants are familiar with the standard of care in Franklin County or similarly situated communities[;]” that same day, the trial court heard the motions to strike and the motions for summary judgment. On 20 December 2010, the trial [69]*69court struck the contested affidavits and granted summary judgment in favor of defendants. Upon entry of the 20 December 2010 orders, all claims as to all defendants had been dismissed. Plaintiff filed notices of appeal from the 20 December 2010 orders.

II. Immunity

Plaintiff argues that the trial court erred by granting summary judgment dismissing his claims against defendants because “[d]efendants’ [c]laims of [ijmmunity on the [g]rounds of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.14 are [inappropriate, since [pjlaintiffs have [established that the [i]njuries [sustained by [p]laintiff were [c]aused by [defendants’ [gjross [n]egligence, and [w]illful and [wjanton [c]onduct[.]”

This Court’s standard of review is de novo, and we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movant. The standard of review for an order granting a motion for summary judgment

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
719 S.E.2d 137, 217 N.C. App. 65, 2011 N.C. App. LEXIS 2352, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/green-v-kearney-ncctapp-2011.