Loomis v. Ameritech Corp.

764 N.E.2d 658, 2002 Ind. App. LEXIS 290, 2002 WL 274910
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 27, 2002
Docket45A03-0012-CV-474
StatusPublished
Cited by98 cases

This text of 764 N.E.2d 658 (Loomis v. Ameritech Corp.) 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
Loomis v. Ameritech Corp., 764 N.E.2d 658, 2002 Ind. App. LEXIS 290, 2002 WL 274910 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinions

OPINION

MATTINGLY-MAY, Judge.

Arthur E. Loomis, III, ("Arthur") and Linda D. Loomis (collectively, the "Loom-ises") appeal the trial court's grant of motions for judgment on the pleadings in favor of Ameritech Corp. ("Ameritech") and Attorney John McCrum ("MeCrum") and the law firm of Eichhorn & Eichhorn ("Eichhorn") (collectively "the Attorneys"). The Loomises raise two issues for our review, which we restate as: 1) whether the trial court erred by not expanding the tort of intentional interference with civil litigation by spoliation of evidence to include the spoliation of testimonial evidence; 2) whether Ameritech and the Attorneys are immune from suit because their actions arose out of their performance of their duties in a judicial proceeding; and 3) whether the Loomises' complaint sets out cireumstances whereby relief could be granted under various other theories of liability.

We affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In August of 1996, the Loomises filed a personal injury lawsuit against Ameritech arising out of a collision between Arthur's van and an Ameritech truck. Ameritech asserted release as one of their affirmative defenses.1 One of the issues that arose in the personal injury lawsuit was whether Ameritech fraudulently induced Arthur to sign a release that discharged all personal injury claims under the pretense that the release was needed only in order for Am-eritech to pay for the repairs to Arthur's van. Darrel Wright ("Wright") witnessed the signing of the release.

On December 8, 1999, while the Loomis-es' personal injury lawsuit against Ameri-tech was pending, the Loomises filed the suit that is the subject of this appeal [661]*661against Ameritech and the Attorneys. The Loomises' complaint consisted of six counts. Counts I, II, and III apparently restated the causes of action from the personal injury suit.2 Counts IV and V related to alleged misconduct on the part of the Attorneys arising out of their defense of Ameritech in the personal injury suit. Count VI3 alleged Ameritech was liable for the actions of the Attorneys performed in the defense of Ameritech.

In their complaint the Loomises allege that in December of 1997, McCrum, as a member of the Eichhorn law firm on behalf of its client Ameritech, made false statements to non-party lay witness Wright about Arthur's deposition testimony "for the purpose of poisoning the attitude of and adversely affecting the testimony of Darrel Wright towards [Arthur] about the facts and circumstances that surrounded the modification and signing of the Ameritech Corp. release." (R. at 31.)

The complaint further alleges that the Attorneys knowingly and intentionally presented false statements to Wright in an effort or scheme to intentionally induce Wright to sign an affidavit they drafted that contained false and misleading statements concerning the facts and circumstances of Arthur's signing of the release. Wright's deposition included some testimony different from that in his affidavit. An Eichhorn attorney impeached Wright with the statements contained in his affidavit and later sought to strike Wright's deposition testimony due to the inconsistent statements contained in his affidavit.

The complaint further alleged that the Loomises "have suffered certain injuries, damages, and attorney fees" due to the wrongful conduct of Ameritech and its attorneys. Id. at 83-86. Ameritech and the Attorneys filed motions for judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Ind. Trial Rule 12(C) stating that the Loomises had not stated a claim upon which relief could be granted. The trial court conducted a hearing and, on December 1, 2000, granted Ameritech's and the Attorneys' motions for judgment on the pleadings.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Standard of Review

TR. 12(C) provides that "[alfter the pleadings are closed but within such time as not to delay the trial, any party may move for judgment on the pleadings." Like a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim pursuant to T.R. 12(B)(6), a T.R. 12(C) motion attacks the legal sufficiency of the pleadings. Richards-Wilcox, Inc. v. Cummins, 700 N.E.2d 496, 499 (Ind.Ct.App.1998). Our review of the trial court's ruling on a T.R. 12(C) motion is de movo and a motion for judgment on the pleadings will not be granted unless it is clear from the face of the complaint that under no cireumstances could relief be granted. Id. In reviewing a TR. 12(C) dismissal, courts of appeal accept as true all well-pleaded facts set out in the complaint. Schuman v. Kobets, 716 N.E.2d 355, 356 (Ind.1999). We look only to the pleadings in making this assessment. Id.

Conduct During Personal Injury Lowswuit

The Loomises are seeking to maintain a suit against the Attorneys for conduct that occurred in the course of their defense of Ameritech in the personal injury lawsuit. The Loomises argue that the tort of intentional interference with civil litigation by [662]*662spoliation of evidence should be expanded to include testimonial evidence. Additionally, the Loomises argue that a cause of action exists against the Attorneys on the basis of the attorney deceit statute,4 attorney common law liability for fraud, undue influence, fraud in the inducement, abuse of confidential relationship, breach of an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and obstruction of justice. Ameri-tech, they argue, is liable for the acts of its attorneys. Ameritech and the Attorneys argue that even if the facts alleged in the Loomises' complaint were true, the Loom-ises have no cause of action under Indiana law.

1. Spoliation of Testimonial Evidence

The Loomises allege they have a cause of action against the Attorneys 5 based on the tort of intentional interference with civil litigation by spoliation of evidence. The Loomises argue the Attorneys had a duty to maintain and preserve the integrity of Wright's testimonial evidence and that the "spoliation occurred when Ameri-tech's lawyers impeached the lay witness [Wright] with false and misleading statements that those same lawyers had drafted, and then moved to strike all testimony of the non-party lay witness." (Br. of Appellant at 8.) In essence, the Loomises invite us to recognize for the first time that the doctrine of spoliation of evidence includes the spoliation of testimonial evidence. We must decline their invitation.

Spoliation of evidence consists of "[the intentional destruction, mutilation, alteration, or concealment of evidence, usually a document. If proved, spoliation may be used to establish that the evidence was unfavorable to the party responsible." Cahoon v. Cummings, 734 N.E.2d 535, 545 (Ind.2000) (quoting Black's Law Dictionary 1409 (7th ed.1999)). "In Indiana, the exclusive possession of facts or evidence by a party, coupled with the suppression of the facts or evidence by that party, may result in an inference that the production of the evidence would be against the interest of the party which suppresses it." Id. (quoting Porter v. Irvin's Interstate Brick & Block Co., 691 N.E.2d 1363, 1364-65 (Ind.Ct.App.1998)). In Cakoon, our supreme court found that the spoliation rule applies to altered as well as destroyed documents.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
764 N.E.2d 658, 2002 Ind. App. LEXIS 290, 2002 WL 274910, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/loomis-v-ameritech-corp-indctapp-2002.