Irina N. Shea v. Kevic Corporation

328 P.3d 520, 156 Idaho 540, 2014 WL 2854710, 2014 Ida. LEXIS 176
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 24, 2014
Docket40563
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 328 P.3d 520 (Irina N. Shea v. Kevic Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Irina N. Shea v. Kevic Corporation, 328 P.3d 520, 156 Idaho 540, 2014 WL 2854710, 2014 Ida. LEXIS 176 (Idaho 2014).

Opinion

W. JONES, Justice.

I. Nature of the Case

Appellant Irina N. Shea brought a negligence suit against Respondent Kevic Corporation (Kevie), d/b/a Lett’s Downtown Car Wash, located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Shea claimed that she was injured when she slipped and fell on ice near the exit of the car wash due to Kevic’s negligence in allowing ice to build up near the ear wash exit or in failing to warn of the danger of ice buildup. The district court granted Kevic’s motion to strike portions of the affidavit of Shea’s attorney Henry Madsen and also granted Kevic’s motion for summary judgment. Shea appeals these rulings. In addition, Shea appeals the district court’s denial of her two motions for reconsideration. Kevie cross-appeals the district court’s order denying its motion to strike portions of Shea’s affidavit, which Shea had filed in support of her first motion for reconsideration.

II. Factual and Procedural Background

On November 14, 2011, Shea filed a complaint and demand for a jury trial against Kevic. Shea alleged that on January 22, 2011, she “sustained certain injuries as a result of a fall on the ice at the premises of’ Lett’s Downtown Car Wash, “when she exited her vehicle to adjust her mirrors which had been moved during the ear wash.” Shea asserted that Kevie was negligent in allowing ice to build up at Lett’s Downtown Car Wash premises and in failing to warn or protect patrons from the ice. Shea sought over $30,000 in damages.

Kevie moved for summary judgment. Shea responded in opposition to Kevic’s motion and submitted an affidavit of her attorney Madsen in support of her opposition. Kevic moved to strike portions of the affidavit and two of its accompanying exhibits. *544 The district court granted Kevic’s motion to strike and motion for summary judgment.

Shea moved for reconsideration. In support of her motion, Shea submitted her own affidavit. Kevic moved to strike Shea’s affidavit, but the district court denied Kevic’s motion. The district court also denied Shea’s motion for reconsideration. The district court entered judgment in favor of Kevic.

Shea filed a second motion for reconsideration and Madsen submitted another affidavit in support of the motion. Kevic again moved to strike portions of the affidavit and its accompanying exhibits. The district court granted Kevic’s motion. The district court also denied Shea’s second motion for reconsideration and granted Kevic’s motion for Idaho Rule of Civil Procedure (I.R.C.P.) 11 sanctions.

Shea appeals to this Court, asserting that the district court erred in (1) granting Kevic’s motion for summary judgment; (2) granting Kevic’s motions to strike; (3) denying Shea’s first motion for reconsideration; and (4) denying Shea’s second motion for reconsideration. Kevic cross-appeals, raising the issue of whether the district court erred in denying Kevic’s motion to strike Shea’s affidavit.

III. Issues on Appeal

1. Whether the district court abused its discretion in granting Kevic’s two motions to strike portions of Madsen’s affidavits and accompanying exhibits.

2. Whether the district court erred in granting Kevic’s motion for summary judgment.

3. Whether the district court abused its discretion in denying Kevic’s motion to strike Shea’s affidavit.

4. Whether the district court erred in denying Shea’s two motions for reconsideration.

IV. Standard of Review

A. Motions to Strike

“Summary judgment proceedings are decided on the basis of admissible evidence.” Campbell v. Kvamme, 155 Idaho 692, 696, 316 P.3d 104, 108 (2013). Hence, “[t]he admissibility of evidence contained in affidavits and depositions in support of or in opposition to a motion for summary judgment is a threshold matter before applying the liberal construction and reasonable inferences rule to determine whether the evidence creates a genuine issue of material fact for trial.” Fragnella v. Petrovich, 153 Idaho 266, 271, 281 P.3d 103, 108 (2012). “This Court applies an abuse of discretion standard when determining whether testimony offered in connection with a motion for summary judgment is admissible.” Gem State Ins. Co. v. Hutchison, 145 Idaho 10, 15, 175 P.3d 172, 177 (2007). “A trial court does not abuse its discretion if it (1) correctly perceives the issue as discretionary, (2) acts within the bounds of discretion and applies the correct legal standards, and (3) reaches the decision through an exercise of reason.” Fragnella, 153 Idaho at 271, 281 P.3d at 108 (quoting O’Connor v. Harger Constr., Inc., 145 Idaho 904, 909, 188 P.3d 846, 851 (2008)).

B. Summary Judgment

“In an appeal from an order granting summary judgment, this Court’s standard of review is the same as that used by the trial court in ruling on the motion.” Summers v. Cambridge Joint Sch. Dist. No. 432, 139 Idaho 953, 955, 88 P.3d 772, 774 (2004). Under I.R.C.P. 56, summary judgment is proper “if the pleadings, depositions, 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.” I.R.C.P. 56(c).

The party initially bringing the motion has the burden to prove that no genuine issues of material fact exist and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. After the moving party meets this burden, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to show the existence of a genuine issue of material fact. This Court will construe the record in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, drawing all reasonable inferences in that party’s favor. However, the adverse party may not rest upon mere allegations in the pleadings, but *545 must set forth by affidavit specific facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial.

Gagnon v. W. Bldg. Maint, Inc., 155 Idaho 112, 114-15, 306 P.3d 197, 199-200 (2013) (quoting Boise Mode, LLC, v. Donahoe Pace & Partners Ltd., 154 Idaho 99, 103-04, 294 P.3d 1111, 1115-16 (2013)). “Circumstantial evidence can create a genuine issue of material fact____However, the non-moving party may not rest on a mere scintilla of evidence.” ParkWest Homes, LLC, v. Barnson, 154 Idaho 678, 682, 302 P.3d 18, 22 (2013) (internal citation omitted).

C. Motions to Reconsider

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
328 P.3d 520, 156 Idaho 540, 2014 WL 2854710, 2014 Ida. LEXIS 176, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/irina-n-shea-v-kevic-corporation-idaho-2014.