Hardy v. City of Somerville

3 Mass. L. Rptr. 158
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1994
DocketNo. 94-2979
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 3 Mass. L. Rptr. 158 (Hardy v. City of Somerville) 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
Hardy v. City of Somerville, 3 Mass. L. Rptr. 158 (Mass. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

Bohn, J.

INTRODUCTION

On November 18, 1994, this matter was before the Court for hearing on the motion of the defendants,3 City of Somerville (“City”) and Officer John Monte (“Officer Monte”), to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). In support of their motion, the defendants contend: (1) Officer Monte is not liable pursuant to G.L.c. 258, §2; (2) the claims of Mr. Hardy’s minor children should be dismissed since the personal representative asserts all claims of the designated category of beneficiaries; (3) the claims for both conscious pain and suffering and loss of consortium should be dismissed for lack of proper presentment; and (4) the defendants are immune from liability pursuant to G.L.c. 258, §§10(a), (b), (h), (i) and/or (j). For the reasons set forth below, defendants’ motion to dismiss will be ALLOWED.

BACKGROUND

On May 21, 1991, the Somerville Police Department received an emergency call from a city employee, who informed them that Mr. Hardy, a Somerville High School maintenance employee, was drunk; that there was a default warrant for his arrest for violation of a restraining order; and that Mr. Hardy was contemplating suicide. John Monte, a Somerville police officer, was instructed to respond to the scene where Mr. Hardy was said to be intoxicated and suicidal. Officer Monte did respond and, at the scene, placed Mr. Hardy in protective custody. Officer Monte then drove Hardy to the Albany Street House in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a facility which offers services to substance abusers.

Shortly after arriving at the voluntary admission facility, Mr. Hardy left. The following day, May 22, 1991, he was found dead on the banks of the Charles River from self-inflicted alcohol intoxication.

The plaintiffs commenced this action against the defendants arguing that Officer Monte was negligent in releasing Mr. Hardy toa facility from which he could freely leave, with the knowledge that he was in a distraught and suicidal condition. It is argued that the negligence of Officer Monte was the direct and proximate result of Mr. Hardy’s death.

DISCUSSION

When evaluating the sufficiency of a complaint pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), the Court must accept as true the well pleaded factual allegations of the complaint, as well as any inference which can be drawn therefrom, in the plaintiffs favor. Eyal v. Helen Broadcasting Corp., 411 Mass. 426, 429 (1991), and cases cited. The complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of her claim which would entitle her to relief. Nader v. Citron, 372 Mass. 96, 98 (1977), quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46 (1957). All inferences should be drawn in the plaintiffs favor, and the complaint “is to be construed so as to do substantial justice . . .” Ourfalian v. Aro Mfg. Co., 31 Mass.App.Ct. 294, 296 (1991).

The Minor Children’s Claims

The claims of Mr. Hardy’s minor children, for loss of consortium, are set out in Counts II, III, IV and V. The plaintiffs do not oppose defendants’ motion to [159]*159dismiss the separate claims of the children, since these claims should be joined with the claim of the Administratrix. “The wrongful death statute, G.L.c. 229, §2, provides for a single action brought by the decedent’s executor or administrator. The executor or administrator presents all claims by the designated beneficiaries for damages flowing from the wrongful death.”4 Hallett v. Wrentham, 398 Mass. 550, 555 (1986). “The [children] may not maintain a separate action for loss of consortium. In addition, the $100,000 limitation on recovery from a governmental entity, G.L.c. 258, §2, applies to the total recovery by the executor or administrator in the wrongful death action, and not separately to each beneficiary’s damages.” Id. at 556.

The Presentment Issue

The plaintiffs’ presentment letter, required by G.L.c. 258, §4, notifies Michael E. Capuano, the Mayor of Somerville, that the family and heirs-at-law of Mr. Hardy, including his widow, Linda Hardy, and his children, James F. Hardy III, Christopher M. Hardy, Alan J. Hardy, and Erin L. Hardy are bringing a claim pursuant to G.L.c. 258 §4, as a result of Mr. Hardy’s wrongful death. The letter states that the “[H]ardy family claims the Ciiy of Somerville, through its police department, including the dispatcher and Officer Monte, were negligent, and legally responsible for James Hardy’s death, by failing to take action to protect Mr. Hardy; failing to take him into custody, although an outstanding warrant for his arrest was pending; and/or for failing to arrange for immediate hospitalization of Mr. Hardy, due to his depressive and suicidal state. These failures constitute actionable negligence, within the meaning of [G.L.c. 258, §4].” “The question raised by the [letter] is whether [it] can be fairly read as disclosing claims against the defendants for [loss of consortium and conscious pain and suffering].” Tambolleo v. Town of West Boylston, 34 Mass.App.Ct. 526, 532 (1993).

Although “[presentment must be made ‘in strict compliance with the statute,’ ” Wightman v. Methuen, 26 Mass.App.Ct. 279, 281 (1988), quoting Weaver v. Commonwealth, 387 Mass. 43, 47 (1982), “the statute does not specify what information must be included in a presentment for it to be deemed sufficient ...” Tambolleo, 34 Mass.App.Ct. at 533. G.L.c. 258, §4, states, in part,

[a] civil action shall not be instituted against a public employer on a claim for damages under this chapter unless the claimant shall have first presented his claim in writing to the executive officer of such public employer within two years after the date upon which the cause of action arose . . .

G.L.c. 258, §4. “The statute is not intended to afford an arbitrary or trick means of saving the governmental entities from their just liabilities.” Carifio v. Water-town, 27 Mass.App.Ct. 571, 576 (1989). The purpose of presentment is to “ensure[ ] that the responsible public official receives notice of the claim so that that official can investigate to determine whether or not a claim is valid, preclude payment of inflated or non-meritorious claims, settle valid claims expeditiously, and take steps to ensure that similar claims will not be brought in the future.” Wightman, 26 Mass.App.Ct. at 281, quoting Lodge v. District Attorney for the Suffolk Dist, 21 Mass.App.Ct. 277, 283 (1985). “Unless presentment is to become a fetish, there was adequate presentment here to fulfil the purposes of the requirement.” Carifio, 27 Mass.App.Ct. at 576.

The stated purposes of the presentment requirement are served by the letter in the present case. In the presentment letter, the plaintiffs state they are bringing a claim for wrongful death under the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act. Loss of consortium and conscious pain and suffering are recoverable damages under the wrongful death statute. G.L.c. 229, §§2, 6. These claims, for damages, stem from the same injury which is allegedly caused by the negligence of the named defendants. “While a presentment letter should be precise in identifying the legal basis of a plaintiffs claim, . . .

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