Joseph v. LaPorte County

651 N.E.2d 1180, 1995 Ind. App. LEXIS 721, 1995 WL 364042
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 20, 1995
Docket64A03-9501-CV-6
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 651 N.E.2d 1180 (Joseph v. LaPorte County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Joseph v. LaPorte County, 651 N.E.2d 1180, 1995 Ind. App. LEXIS 721, 1995 WL 364042 (Ind. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

STATON, Judge.

Cynthia Joseph, Justin Joseph, Julia Joseph, and Gregory Joseph (collectively "Joseph") appeal the grant of summary judgment in favor of LaPorte County, the Board of Commissioners of LaPorte County ("Board"), and the Highway Department of LaPorte County (collectively "Laporte). 1 Joseph claims injuries from the negligent posting of a forty-five mile per hour speed limit and the failure to erect warning signs near a dangerous intersection. Joseph raises three issues on appeal which we restate as follows:

I. Whether the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to La-Porte because the Board's decision to post the speed limit was an operational function.
II. Whether the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to La-Porte because the failure to post the established speed limit was an operational omission.
Whether the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to La-Porte because the failure to place warning signs at the intersection was an operational omission. TIL

We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.

The facts most favorable to the non-mov-ant, Joseph, are as follows. Cynthia Joseph and her two children suffered severe, permanent injuries from an automobile accident at the intersection of Johnson Road and County Road 400 West in LaPorte County, Indiana. The speed limit for westbound traffic approaching the intersection was posted at forty-five m.p.h., which exceeds accepted standards. Further, based upon the applicable ordinances, the speed limit was incorrectly posted; it should have been thirty-five m.p.h. Finally, no warning signs were posted at the intersection, contrary to acceptable stan *1183 dards. These factors combined to make the intersection inherently dangerous and caused Joseph's injuries. 2

LaPorte moved for summary judgment based upon governmental immunity for performance of a discretionary function. The trial court granted the motion and Joseph appeals.

I.

Setting Speed Limit

Joseph first argues that the trial court erred in holding that the Board exercised a discretionary function when posting the speed limit. Joseph argues that the posted forty-five m.p.h. speed limit was excessive for Johnson road.

Summary judgment is appropriate only when the moving party proves there is no genuine issue of material fact and they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Ind. Trial Rule 56(C). Onee the movant has sustained this burden, the opponent must respond by setting forth facts showing a genuine issue for trial; they may not simply rest on the allegations of their pleadings. Stephenson v. Ledbetter (1992), Ind., 596 N.E.2d 1869, 1871. At the time of filing the motion or response, a party shall designate to the court all parts of pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions, and any other matters on which they rely for purposes of the motion. T.R. 56(C).

When reviewing an entry of summary judgment, we stand in the shoes of the trial court. We do not weigh the evidence but will consider the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Collins v. Covenant Mut. Ins. Co. (1992), Ind.App., 604 N.E.2d 1190, 1194. We may sustain a summary judgment upon any theory supported by the designated materials. T.R. 56(C).

The Indiana Tort Claims Act ("ITCA") allows suit against government entities for torts committed by their agencies or employees. Ind.Code §§ 34-4-16.5-1 to 20. The ITCA grants government entities immunity under specific - cireumstances. Among those cireumstances, "[a] governmental entity or an employee acting within the scope of the employee's employment is not liable if a loss results from ... [tlhe performance of a discretionary function[.]" IC. § 34-4-16.5-3(6) 3

The Indiana Supreme Court has offered guidance as to what constitutes discretionary functions under the ITCA. Dis-eretionary-function immunity shields only those policy decisions which cannot be assessed by tort standards. Peavler v. Monroe Cty. Bd. of Comm'rs (1988), Ind., 528 N.E.2d 40, 45. In making this determination, we apply the planning/operation test. Id, at 46. Planning functions are discretionary and therefore shielded by immunity, while operational functions are not. Planning functions involve the "formulation of basic policy characterized by official judgment, discretion, weighing of alternatives, and public policy choices." Voit v. Allen County (1994), Ind. App., 634 N.E.2d 767, 770, trans. pending. Operational functions involve the "execution or implementation of already formulated poli-ey." Id.

Whether an act is discretionary and therefore shielded by immunity is a question of law for the court. Peavier, supra, at 46. The essential inquiry is whether the legislature intended acts such as those challenged to enjoy immunity. Id. We narrowly construe immunity because it provides an exception to the general rule of liability. Id. If the establishment of a particular speed limit arises from an affirmative policy decision, tort standards provide an inadequate basis *1184 for evaluating the decision. However, if a speed limit is established based upon professional judgment, tort standards for professional negligence form an adequate basis for evaluation. Thus, we conclude that setting speed limits does not so clearly implicate government policy that all such decisions are discretionary as a matter of law. See Peav-ler, supra, at 47.

Accordingly, LaPorte bears the burden of proving that the challenged act or omission was a policy decision made after consciously balancing risks and benefits. Id. LaPorte may do so by proving that the Board consciously considered the Johnson road speed limit,. Id., at 48. This proof might take the form of Board meeting minutes, comprehensive ordinances, or any other method which shows the Board made an affirmative policy decision. Id.

To carry their burden, LaPorte introduced several ordinances which set the speed limit for Johnson road. Most revealing is the ordinance from 1982 ("1982 ordinance") which set speed and load restrictions and included this preamble:

WHEREAS, the [Board] hals] decided # is essential for the safety of the traveling public to establish a forty-five mile per hour speed zone on said road; and, sooth ok
WHEREAS, the citizens of LaPorte County depend on the daily use of county roads for the normal flow of community services, including mail deliver, school bus services, home to job travel, and home to market travel; and,
WHEREAS, the load-carrying capacities of said road are insufficient to accommodate excessive loads and,

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651 N.E.2d 1180, 1995 Ind. App. LEXIS 721, 1995 WL 364042, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/joseph-v-laporte-county-indctapp-1995.