Mahar v. StoneWood Transport

2003 ME 63, 823 A.2d 540, 2003 Me. LEXIS 71
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedMay 1, 2003
StatusPublished
Cited by88 cases

This text of 2003 ME 63 (Mahar v. StoneWood Transport) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mahar v. StoneWood Transport, 2003 ME 63, 823 A.2d 540, 2003 Me. LEXIS 71 (Me. 2003).

Opinion

CLIFFORD, J.

[¶ 1] Ronald and Susan Mahar, individually and as parent and next friend of Kelsey Snowman, appeal from a summary judgment entered in the Superior Court (Penobscot County, Mead, C.J.) in favor of defendant StoneWood Transport. The Mahars’ complaint, filed against Stone-Wood and Frederick J. Linfield, arose out of the actions of Linfield who, in December of 1998, assaulted and threatened the Ma-hars on Route 9 between Bangor and Aurora. The Mahars contend that summary judgment was improperly entered in favor of StoneWood on their claims alleging (1) that StoneWood negligently hired and supervised Linfield as an employee and/or as an independent contractor, and (2) that StoneWood is vicariously hable for the actions of Linfield as the employer or principal of Linfield. The Mahars contend that summary judgment was inappropriate because there are disputed issues of material fact, and also contend that the court improperly awarded costs to StoneWood. Finding no error, we affirm.

[¶ 2] StoneWood Transport, a division of StoneWood Investments, is a trucking company incorporated and managed in New Brunswick. Beginning in 1994, StoneWood periodically retained Linfield’s services on a part-time basis. In 1996 and 1997, Linfield signed contracts with Stone-Wood to provide transportation services on essentiahy a full-time basis.

[¶ 3] On December 5, 1998, Linfield was driving east on Route 9 to McAdam, New Brunswick from Bangor. The Mahar fam *542 ily was also traveling east on Route 9 after a shopping trip to Bangor. The Mahars approached Linfield’s flatbed truck and drove behind him for several miles. At some point, Linfield turned on his rear-facing floodlights, which induced the Ma-hars to flash their headlights to show Lin-field that their high beams were not on. This sequence of events repeated periodically until the vehicles reached Aurora and Linfield suddenly stopped his truck to block the road.

[¶4] Linfield exited his truck with a three to four foot long pipe, and approached the Mahars’ car in a threatening manner while screaming obscenities and holding the pipe above his head like a baseball bat. The driver of another truck, behind the Mahars, began to yell at Lin-field, who ran back to move his truck, thereby allowing the Mahars to continue traveling on Route 9. Linfield caught up to the Mahars, however, and followed them closely for approximately fifty miles until a local police officer pulled Linfield over.

[¶ 5] As a result of his conduct, Linfield was convicted of disorderly conduct (Class E), in violation of 17-A M.R.S.A. § 501 (1983 & Supp.2002); criminal threatening (Class D), in violation of 17-A M.R.S.A. § 209 (1983); and driving to endanger (Class E), in violation of 29-A M.R.S.A. § 2413(1) (1996). He was sentenced to a term of six months in prison, all but forty-five days suspended, and placed on probation for one year. Linfield’s license to operate a vehicle in Maine was also suspended for 180 days. StoneWood terminated his services.

[¶ 6] The Mahars sued Linfield and StoneWood, alleging negligent infliction of emotional distress against Linfield, and seeking damages against StoneWood for the negligent hiring and supervision of an employee/independent contractor, and vicarious liability for Linfield’s actions.

[¶ 7] The Mahars filed this appeal following the entry of a summary judgment by the Superior Court in favor of Stone-Wood on all of their claims against Stone-Wood, and the allowance by the Superior Court of StoneWood’s bill of its costs. 1

[¶ 8] On appeal from a summary judgment, we consider only the portions of the record referred to, and the material facts set forth, in the M.R. Civ. P. 56(h) statements to determine whether there was no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the successful party was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Levine v. R.B.K. Caly Corp., 2001 ME 77, ¶ 4, 770 A.2d 653. We examine the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Johnson v. Carleton, 2001 ME 12, ¶ 11, 765 A.2d 571, 575; see Curtis v. Porter, 2001 ME 158, ¶ 7, 784 A.2d 18, 21-22 (“Summary judgment is no longer an extreme remedy.... It is simply a procedural device for obtaining judicial resolution of those matters that may be decided without fact-finding.”).

I.

[¶ 9] The Mahars contend that the Superior Court erred in entering summary judgment for StoneWood because Stone-Wood had notice of Linfield’s propensity for erratic behavior, based on prior complaints about Linfield’s dangerous driving. 2 *543 The Mahars argue that StoneWood’s decision to allow Linfield to operate a flatbed following those complaints demonstrates StoneWood’s failure to follow its own procedure and, from this failure, a trier of fact could find that StoneWood acted negligently in its supervision of Linfield. We disagree.

[¶ 10] We have not yet recognized the independent tort of negligent supervision of an employee. See Napieralski v. Unity Church of Greater Portland, 2002 ME 108, ¶¶ 6, 10, 802 A.2d 391, 392-93 (refusing to recognize tort of negligent supervision); see also, e.g., Hinkley v. Penobscot Valley Hosp., 2002 ME 70, ¶ 16, 794 A.2d 643, 647 (avoiding recognition of negligent supervision and deciding case on other grounds); Santoni v. Potter, 222 F.Supp.2d 14, 28 (D.Me.2002) (observing “[t]he Maine Law Court has never recognized the tort of negligent supervision”); Swanson v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland, 1997 ME 63, ¶ 9, 692 A.2d 441, 443-44 (declining to recognize tort of negligent supervision).

[¶ 11] Even were we to adopt negligent supervision as an independent tort, as the Mahars urge, the facts of this case do not support such a cause of action. See Restatement (Second) of Torts § 317 (1965); 3 Restatement (Seoond) of Agency § 213 (1958). 4 The prior actions of Linfield of which StoneWood was aware did not involve acts of violence, and would not support a finding that StoneWood should have foreseen Linfield’s assault on the Mahars. Although the evidence might support a finding of foreseeability as to a minor traffic violation, Linfield misused the vehicle to threateningly follow the Mahars for fifty miles. Moreover, the Mahars’ cause of action against StoneWood is based on the totality of Linfield’s conduct, and the total damages resulting from that conduct. The Mahars have made no attempt to separate Linfield’s threatening pursuit of the Mahars along Route 9 from the pipe assault that preceded it. See generally Barter v. Boothbay/Boothbay Harbor Cmty. Sch. Dist., 564 A.2d 766, 768 (Me.1989) (noting “a plaintiff seeking legal relief must plead all theories of recovery then available to him”) (citations omitted). *544 Accordingly, the court correctly entered summary judgment for StoneWood on the claim for negligent supervision.

II.

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2003 ME 63, 823 A.2d 540, 2003 Me. LEXIS 71, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mahar-v-stonewood-transport-me-2003.