Mattern v. City of Sea Isle

131 F. Supp. 3d 305, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 122688, 2015 WL 5445042
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedSeptember 15, 2015
DocketCivil No. 14-7231 (JBS/AMD)
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 131 F. Supp. 3d 305 (Mattern v. City of Sea Isle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mattern v. City of Sea Isle, 131 F. Supp. 3d 305, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 122688, 2015 WL 5445042 (D.N.J. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION

SIMANDLE, Chief Judge:

I. INTRODUCTION

On November 24, 2012, Plaintiff Andrew Mattern, a seasonal employee with the City of Sea Isle.City’s Trash Department, operating a Sea Isle City truck on the Sea Isle City promenade when the truck struck and , killed a pedestrian. Mattern claims he developed post-traumatic stress disorder from the event, and now, with his wife Amanda Mattern, brings this' action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the City of Sea Isle City and several police officers, alleging that Defendants violated his constitutional rights when they failed to evaluate and treat him for shock and emotional trauma while he was detained at the police station for investigation for approximately five hours immediately after the accident. He also brings a legal malpractice claim against his former attorney James R. Birchmeier and the law firm Birchmeier & Powell for failing to take steps to preserve his state tort claims.

The City of Sea Isle City (“City” or “Sea Isle City”) along with police officers Anthony Garreffi, Nicholas Giordano, William Mammele, and Thomas McQuillen (collectively, “Sea Isle City Defendants”), have moved to dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). Defendants Birchmeier & Powell and James R. Birchmeier (“Birchmeier Defendants”) have separately moved to dismiss the claims against them.

For the reasons set forth below, the Court will grant the Sea Isle City Defendants’-motion to dismiss the § 1983 claims. The Court will decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction Over the remaining claim of legal malpractice and will therefore dismiss that claim without prejudice.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

The Court recites the allegations as they are laid out in Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint [Docket Item 9] and attached documents.1

At the time of the incident, Plaintiff Andrew Mattern was an employee of Sea [309]*309Isle.City, and was one of many city employees assigned to the city’s Trash Department and tasked with, debris cleanup following Hurricane Sandy. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 32-33.) On November 24, 2012, Andrew Mattern and three other co-workers, Dennis Felsing, Dylan King, and Daniel Grace, were assigned to clean up beach debris along the beachfront promenade. Mattern was driving a Sea Isle City truck in reverse on the promenade near 51st Street when the truck struck Bernice Pasquerello, a pedestrian who happened to be in the truck’s path. The vehicle knocked Ms. Pasquerello down-' ánd the vehicle backed over her before Mattern realized what had happened. Ms. Pasquerello was pronounced dead at the scene. (Id. ¶¶ 61-67.) A few days after the accident, an investigation revealed that the reverse beeper on Mattern’s truck was not working on the day of the accident and had been broken since June or July. (M ¶ 121.)

Defendant Patrolman Nicholas Giordano was one of the first officers to arrive on the scene at approximately 1:30. p.m. (Id. II70; Giordano Police Report, Ex. D to Am. Compl.) He observed that' Plaintiff did not appear impaired, but was “visibly emotional and shaken up about what occurred.” (Am. Compl. ¶ 71; Giordano Police Report at 2.) Giordano had Plaintiff sit on a bench until Defendant Detective Sergeant William Mammele arrived. (Giordano Police Report at 2.)

Detective Mammele arrived shortly thereafter. He asked Plaintiff if he was okay and Plaintiff responded, “No, I just killed someone.” Mammele asked Plaintiff what happened and Plaintiff recounted the incident. Mammele observed that Plaintiff was “visibly shaken' and very upset,” and that there was “ho sign of physical impairment nor any odor of alcoholic beverage” on Plaintiff. (Am. Compl. ¶ 72; Mammele Police Report, Ex. E to Am. Compl., at 1.)

- Defendant Lieutenant Anthony Garreffi was the last of the three to arrive, and told Plaintiff to wait inside Mammele’s car. (Am. Compl. ¶ 76; Garreffi Police Report, Ex. F to Am. Compl, at 1.) At some point, Amanda Mattern came to the scene, but officers at first did not tell her where her husband was. ■ (Am.. Cbmpl. ¶ 77.) At around 1:50 p.m., Giordano drove the Mat-terns to the police station. He sat with the Matterns in silence in Defendant Lieutenant Thomas McQuillen’s office until McQuillen arrived, at approximately 2:50 p.m. (Am. Compl. ¶ 78-79; Giordano Police Report at 2; McQuillen Police Report, Ex. G to Am. Compl., at 1.) Andrew Mattern alleges that at the time, he was . suffering from mental trauma and “was in a state of mind which was visibly abnormal to everyone he encountered.” (Am. Compl. ¶ 80.)

McQuillen noticed that Andrew Mattern “was visibly upset and appeared to have been crying.” (McQuillen Police Report at 1.) McQuillen told Plaintiff that “it was all a terrible accident, and that [Plaintiff] should try to remain calm.” (Am. Compl ¶87; McQuillen Police Report at 2.) He further explained ' that they wanted to get a tape recorded statement from Plaintiff “to get an idea of exactly what had happened,” but had to wait until an investigator from the prosecutor’s office arrived to begin. (McQuillen Police Report at 2:) Plaintiff repeatedly stated that he “was just driving that truck” and “had no idea where [Ms. Pasquerello] came from.” (Am. Compl. ¶ 84.)

After about 40 minutes of waiting, Amanda Mattern stepped out of the office to make a phone call and came back and told McQuillen that she had retained, an attorney for Mr.. Mattern, John Tumelty, but Mr. Tumelty would not get to the police station until about 6:00 p.m. Plaintiffs allege that McQuillen “flew into a rage” and screamed at Amanda Mattern when he found out that an attorney had [310]*310been' retained, which added to Andrew Mattern’s mental trauma. (Am. Compl. ¶ 94.) According to McQuillen’s police report, McQuillen advised the Matterns that they would wait until his attorney arrived. (Am. Compl. ¶ 94-95; McQuillen Police Report at 2.) The Matterns were also told that they would have to wait to go to the hospital. (Am. Compl, ¶ 97.)

The Matterns stayed in McQuillen’s office until Mr. Tumelty arrived at approximately 6:00 p.m. A minister, Deacon Joseph Murphy, was at the police station to speak with police officers and assess the need for grief counseling. (Am. Compl. ¶ 98; McQuillen Police Report at 3.) Deacon Murphy asked officers whether he was needed to speak with Andrew Mattern, and was told that he was not; (Am. Compl; ¶ 99.) The Matterns left the station with Mr. Tumelty shortly after Mr. Tumelty arrived. Plaintiff was ultimately issued a traffic citation. {Id. ¶¶ 101-102.)

As a result of the incident, Andrew Mat-tern alleges he developed post-traumatic stress disorder. Plaintiffs allege that Andrew Mattern “began to suffer the effects of this trauma immediately, but the drawn-out pressures which were felt by his prolonged, improper detainment, contributed to the continuing trauma from which Plaintiff Andrew Mattern suffers today.” {Id. ¶ 129.) Plaintiffs allege that Andrew Mat-tern can no longer work or hold any form of gainful employment, and that Amanda Mattern is now the sole breadwinner of the family. Plaintiffs further allege that Andrew Mattern is no longer able to perform routine domestic duties, and allege a loss of physical and emotional intimacy. {Id.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
131 F. Supp. 3d 305, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 122688, 2015 WL 5445042, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mattern-v-city-of-sea-isle-njd-2015.