Maze v. Regions Bank, Inc.

265 F.R.D. 465, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 93110, 2009 WL 3248228
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedOctober 6, 2009
DocketNo. 408CV822 FRB
StatusPublished

This text of 265 F.R.D. 465 (Maze v. Regions Bank, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maze v. Regions Bank, Inc., 265 F.R.D. 465, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 93110, 2009 WL 3248228 (E.D. Mo. 2009).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

FREDERICK R. BUCKLES, United States Magistrate Judge.

Presently pending before the Court is defendant Regions Bank, Inc.’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. # 35) and Motion to Strike (Doc. #49); and plaintiff Laura Maze’s Motion to Strike Exhibit F of Defendant Regions Bank, Inc.’s Memorandum in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment and Statement of Uncontroverted Material Facts (Doc. #44). All matters are pending before the undersigned United States Magis[467]*467trate Judge, with consent of the parties, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).

Plaintiff Laura Maze originally brought this action in the Circuit Court of St. Charles County, Missouri, alleging in a two-count Petition that the negligence of defendant Regions Bank, Inc. (Regions • Bank), caused plaintiffs father, decedent Anthony A. Sgroi, to fall and sustain injuries which ultimately resulted in his death. Defendant Regions Bank removed the cause to federal court invoking this Court’s diversity jurisdiction inasmuch as complete diversity exists between the parties and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.00. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1332, 1441.

In her Petition, plaintiff claims that the paved portion of defendant’s premises, including the walkway leading into its business facility, was not reasonably safe in that it was cracked and uneven. Plaintiff claims that the defendant knew or should have known of this unsafe condition but failed to repair the pavement, barricade the dangerous portions, or warn of the dangerous condition. Plaintiff claims that on or about December 14, 2005, the condition of the pavement caused her father to trip and fall and sustain injuries; and that on November 30, 2006, he died as a result of said injuries. Count I of the Petition, in which plaintiff brought a claim as plaintiff ad litem on behalf of her deceased father for defendant’s alleged negligence, was previously dismissed by the Court. {See Memo. & Order, filed Jan. 13, 2009, Doc. # 17.) Remaining before the Court for disposition is Count II of the Petition, in which plaintiff claims, on her own behalf, that the wrongful death of her father was allegedly caused by the injuries sustained by him as a result of defendant’s negligence.

Defendant now moves for summary judgment arguing that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Specifically, defendant contends that the undisputed evidence shows the condition of the sidewalk at issue not to be unreasonably safe as a matter of law inasmuch as the “rise” in the sidewalk between the concrete slabs over which the decedent tripped was only one-half of an inch. Defendant further argues that because this minimal rise in the sidewalk did not create an unsafe condition as a matter of law, it could not have known that the sidewalk was in an unsafe condition and thus is not liable for any injuries allegedly resulting therefrom. Finally, defendant contends that plaintiff is unable to establish that the decedent’s fall on defendant’s premises caused his death inasmuch as the testimony of plaintiffs expert witness as to such causation is inadmissible as a matter of law. Plaintiff has responded to the motion to which defendant has replied.

Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), a court may grant summary judgment if the information before the court shows that there are no material issues of fact in dispute and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The burden of proof is on the moving party to set forth the basis of its motion, Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986), and the court must view all facts and inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio, 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). Once the moving party shows there are no material issues of fact in dispute, the burden shifts to the adverse party to set forth facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial. Id. The non-moving party may not rest upon her pleadings, but must come forward with affidavits or other admissible evidence to rebut the motion. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548. To oppose summary judgment successfully, the plaintiff “must show that admissible evidence will be available at trial to establish a genuine issue of material fact.” Churchill Bus. Credit, Inc. v. Pacific Mut. Door Co., 49 F.3d 1334, 1337 (8th Cir.1995).

Throughout the briefing on defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, the parties have filed motions seeking to strike various exhibits, or portions thereof, which were filed in support of the parties’ respective positions on summary judgment. Because whether, and to what extent, the Court considers such challenged exhibits necessarily impacts the determination of defendant’s Motion for [468]*468Summary Judgment, the Court tons first to the motions to strike.

A. Plaintiff’s Motion to Strike Exhibit F of Defendant Regions Bank, Inc.’s Memorandum in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment and Statement of Un-controverted Material Facts

The decedent, Anthony Sgroi, fell while on the premises of defendant Regions Bank on December 14, 2005. On the following date, Mr. Sgroi underwent surgery for repair of a fractured left hip. On January 25, 2006, at a time subsequent to Mr. Sgroi’s hospital stay relating to his surgery and recovery, defendant’s insurance representative visited Mr. Sgroi at his home to conduct an interview with Mr. Sgroi relating to the fall which occurred on December 14, 2005. Mrs. Sgroi and the plaintiff, Laura Maze, were present during this interview. The interview was tape recorded by the insurance representative with the knowledge and consent of Mr. Sgroi. Defendant Regions Bank submitted the transcript of this interview as Exhibit F in support of its Motion for Summary Judgment.

During this interview, the insurance representative asked Mr. Sgroi if there were any foreign objects on the sidewalk at issue which may have caused him to fall. In response, Mr. Sgroi stated, “No, the sidewalk was clear.” (Deft.’s Mot. Sum. Judg, Exh. F at p. 5.) When describing his fall and the assistance he received subsequent to the fall, Mr. Sgroi stated, “All I remember is that doggone sidewalk. It was a difference of about a half an inch higher than the first sidewalk.” (Id. at p. 7.) Throughout this interview, unidentified persons designated as “Other” made various corrections and clarifications to some of Mr. Sgroi’s statements. No attempts were made to correct or clarify the specific statements set out above.

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Bluebook (online)
265 F.R.D. 465, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 93110, 2009 WL 3248228, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maze-v-regions-bank-inc-moed-2009.