Hillsboro Management, LLC v. Pagono

112 So. 3d 620, 2013 WL 1748615, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 6546
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedApril 24, 2013
DocketNo. 4D11-2024
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 112 So. 3d 620 (Hillsboro Management, LLC v. Pagono) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hillsboro Management, LLC v. Pagono, 112 So. 3d 620, 2013 WL 1748615, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 6546 (Fla. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

WARNER, J.

Appellant, Hillsboro Management, LLC, d/b/a Living Legends Retirement Center (“Hillsboro”), appeals a final judgment in favor of appellee Karen Pagono, as personal representative of the Estate of Frances Tremblay, for negligence. The final judgment awarded both compensatory and pu[622]*622nitive damages. After trial, the appellant discovered that one of the jurors had a significant history of litigation, which he failed to disclose in voir dire. The court, however, denied the motion for new trial based upon juror misconduct without conducting a juror interview. We reverse for the court to permit a juror interview and then reconsider the motion based upon the total circumstances presented.

Frances Tremblay, a 98-year-old woman, was admitted to Living Legends Retirement Center by her granddaughter. Even though the staff noted on her admission chart that Tremblay did not use or need any walking assistance, on the very first day of residence she fell and she experienced multiple falls thereafter when she was not attended by the staff. In all she experienced nineteen falls in the twenty-six days she was in the facility. She suffered significant injuries, although there was a dispute as to whether these injuries caused her death. After her death, Pagono, Tremblay’s granddaughter, instituted a negligence action against Hills-boro for failing to properly supervise Tremblay and for violating her statutory rights pursuant to sections 429.297 and 429.298, Florida Statutes. The testimony at trial showed many instances of failing to report Tremblay’s condition, failing to supervise her when the staff knew she was at risk of falling, and other even more intentional acts directed at her. For purposes of the issues addressed in this appeal, we need not delve further into the factual predicate for the liability and damage awards.

At trial, the prospective jurors were asked whether they had ever been involved in the trial of a lawsuit, either as a plaintiff, a defendant, or a witness. Juror R.F. disclosed that his daughter had been involved in an accident in the 1980s resulting in litigation, and his wife was also involved. He stated that nothing about that case would affect his ability to serve in this case. Later, in voir dire, Juror R.F. was again questioned about the case, and he again assured the attorneys that the case would not affect his service as a juror in this case.

Hillsboro’s attorney also asked the jury about litigation. He said:

You were asked, folks, about litigation, particularly medical malpractice, claims against nursing homes, automobile accidents. But let me ask that question about your involvement in litigation in a more expansive and broader definition of litigation, which can include problems with your credit card company, bankruptcy, landlord/tenant problems, slip and falls, commercial disputes, contract disputes, probate litigation, maybe a claim where there is no lawsuit or lawyer involved, but just you against somebody else.
Does anybody have ... any other litigation that hasn’t been disclosed already?

Several other potential jurors offered additional litigation experience at that point. Hillsboro’s attorney then specifically addressed Juror R.F., asking, “[Juror R.F.], the only litigation involving your family was the lawsuit involving your youngest daughter; is that correct sir?” Juror R.F. replied, 'Tes.” Eventually Juror R.F. was chosen as part of the jury panel.

After the jury came back with a verdict of $145,828.05 in past medical expenses, $750,000 in non-economic damages, and $1.5 million in punitive damages, Hillsboro filed a motion for new trial based upon several issues and also alleging juror misconduct, because Juror R.F. had made materially false statements in voir dire regarding his litigation history. Hillsboro listed twelve actions filed in Broward County involving a person with the same [623]*623name, one of which was the automobile accident that Juror R.F. mentioned in voir dire. The list included a domestic violence injunction, several foreclosures, and civil damage suits. Hillsboro also filed an affidavit of its trial attorney. In this sworn statement, he asserted “that in view of [Juror R.F.’s] extensive litigation history and the character of same, I likely would have exercised a peremptory challenge with regard to [Juror R.F.].” He stated that the litigation history was relevant to Juror R.F.’s honesty and impartiality; that Juror R.F.’s participation in negligence and foreclosure cases “may have given him a bias and/or prejudice against litigation proceedings;” that each suit for civil damages involved a corporate entity, “leading to a question of bias against corporate entities like” Hillsboro; that the domestic violence accusations give doubt to Juror R.F.’s “temperament and fitness to serve as a juror;” and, that because one of the issues in the case involved allegations that a Hillsboro worker “slammed” Tremblay’s head into a table, his domestic violence cases suggest that he might be biased. The trial attorney stated that the failure to disclose these statements “deprived me of the fair opportunity to ask questions of him in voir dire regarding same and make an informed judgment, which would have likely resulted in a peremptory challenge.” Hillsboro requested a juror interview of Juror R.F., and, subject to the results of the juror interview, a new trial.

At the hearing, Pagono opposed the motion, suggesting that several of the lawsuits may not have involved the juror, and most were too remote in time to be material. The trial court denied the motion without granting a juror interview. It also denied the motion for new trial as to the substantive issues raised. As well, it denied Hillsboro’s motion for remittitur as to both compensatory and punitive damages. This appeal follows.

De La Rosa v. Zequeira, 659 So.2d 239 (Fla.1995), established a three-part test for determining whether a juror’s non-disclosure of information during voir dire requires a new trial:

First, the complaining party must establish that the information is relevant and material to jury service in the case. Second, that the juror concealed the information during questioning. Lastly, that the failure' to disclose the information was not attributable to the complaining party’s lack of diligence.

Id. at 241 (citing Skiles v. Ryder Truck Lines, Inc., 267 So.2d 379, 380 (Fla. 2d DCA 1972)). With respect to the nondisclosure of prior litigation, the court in Roberts ex rel. Estate of Roberts v. Tejada, 814 So.2d 334, 341 (Fla.2002), which controls this case, explained that “[t]o be material, a prospective juror’s litigation history does not necessarily have to involve an action similar to the one in which he or she may be required to serve,” but also noted that not “all prior litigation history (while relevant) is per se material.” Id. The court further explained materiality:

“No ‘bright line’ test for materiality has been established and materiality must be based on the facts and circumstances of each case. Leavitt v. Krogen, 752 So.2d 730 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000). Nondisclosure is considered material if it is substantial and important so that if the facts were known, the defense may have been influenced to peremptorily challenge the juror from the jury.”

Id. (quoting Garnett v. McClellan, 767 So.2d 1229, 1230-31 (Fla. 5th DCA 2000)) (emphasis supplied).

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Bluebook (online)
112 So. 3d 620, 2013 WL 1748615, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 6546, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hillsboro-management-llc-v-pagono-fladistctapp-2013.