M.B. v. Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., and Leslie Ramsey

Missouri Court of Appeals·Decided August 9, 2022·No. ED110291·Published

Opinion

In the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District

DIVISION TWO

M.B., ) No. ED110291 )

Appellant, ) Appeal from the Circuit Court ) of St. Louis County vs. )

) Honorable Thomas C. Albus LIVE NATION WORLDWIDE, INC., and ) LESLIE RAMSEY, )

)

Respondents. ) FILED: August 9, 2022

Introduction

M.B. appeals from the circuit court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. (“Live Nation”) and Leslie Ramsey (“Ramsey”) (collectively, “Respondents”). M.B. raises three points on appeal. Point One argues the circuit court erred in finding Respondents had no legal duty to M.B. because M.B. adduced sufficient facts that Respondents assumed a legal duty to her while attending a concert at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater operated by Live Nation. Point Two maintains the circuit court erred in finding any breach of duty was too attenuated and unforeseeable to support a finding that Respondents proximately caused M.B.’s damages. Point Three asserts the circuit court erred in finding that Respondents cannot be held liable for any medical negligence claim because M.B. brought no medical malpractice claim. As a general rule, businesses have no duty to protect an invitee from third- party criminal acts. The summary-judgment record does not establish the special facts and

circumstances required to create a duty for Respondents to protect M.B. from an off-premise sexual assault as an exception to this general rule. Accordingly, we deny Point One. Because M.B. cannot prevail on her negligence claim absent a duty of care, Point One is dispositive of the appeal, and we deny Points Two and Three. Accordingly, we affirm the circuit court’s grant of summary judgment.

Factual and Procedural History On July 17, 2016, M.B. and A.R. attended a concert together at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, owned and operated by Live Nation. M.B. had met A.R. earlier that year and agreed to go to the concert as friends. A.R. met M.B. at her apartment, where M.B. consumed one vodka mixed drink. A.R. then drove them to the concert in his truck. Approximately 13,000 people attended the concert, and it was a hot summer day. At the concert, M.B. drank two beers. Both beers were poured in front of M.B., and she never saw anyone place anything in the drinks while she consumed them. At some point, M.B. became very ill. M.B.’s head became foggy, and she felt extremely intoxicated. M.B. recalled vomiting near a shaved ice stand. M.B. suspected she was given a date rape drug, either by A.R. or someone else.

M.B. told A.R. that she felt sick and wanted to leave the concert early. A.R. went to get his truck from the parking lot to pick her up at the front gate. M.B. did not remember that conversation and only remembered bits and pieces of the remainder of the day because she felt drugged and kept blacking out.

While A.R. was getting his truck, M.B. was treated at the medical tent by registered nurse Chelsea Nolan (“Nurse Nolan”), who was employed by Priority EMS, an independent contractor providing services at the concert venue. Although Nurse Nolan did not specifically recall treating M.B. that day, the first-aid log completed by Nurse Nolan stated that M.B. was overheated and had overconsumed alcohol. Nurse Nolan treated M.B. with air conditioning, a

cold towel, and water. After determining M.B. was fit to leave the concert, Nurse Nolan released M.B., who signed herself out on the first-aid log. M.B. did not remember receiving medical treatment from Nurse Nolan or anyone else at the concert, and believed that her ability to communicate at the concert was severely compromised.

M.B. recalled sitting in a security tent located next to the medical tent. Ramsey was employed by Live Nation as its operations director and was responsible for security that day. Someone from security asked M.B. if her friend drove a truck, and M.B. said yes. Although M.B. did not recall doing so, she walked to the front gate and got into A.R.’s truck. A.R. drove them from the concert venue to M.B.’s apartment, where M.B. alleged A.R. raped her. M.B.’s friend later arrived at the apartment and believed M.B. was too impaired to have consented to sex. A.R. maintains the sex was consensual.

M.B. filed suit in the circuit court against Respondents and A.R. on August 1, 2019. A.R.

was dismissed as a defendant because the circuit court found M.B.’s claim was time-barred by the statute of limitations. M.B. alleged Respondents were liable for A.R.’s sexual assault at her apartment because Respondents assumed a duty to prevent M.B. from leaving the concert with A.R. while she was under an extremely intoxicated and impaired state. Specifically, M.B. alleged that Respondents assumed a duty to provide adequate security for M.B. and to ensure she was capable of caring for her own safety before releasing her to A.R. M.B. reasoned that such legal duty included interviewing and vetting A.R. before permitting M.B. to leave with him. M.B. claimed Respondents are liable for the physical and mental damages resulting from A.R.’s alleged sexual assault at M.B.’s apartment.

During discovery, Live Nation produced its protocols related to guest safety at the venue.

The protocols included providing guests with access to independently-contracted medical staff,

maintaining a “bullpen” area designed to temporarily hold people for security reasons, including extreme intoxication, and completing incident reports for situations in which a guest requires medical attention or is taken to the security office for violating venue rules. Live Nation’s security personnel did not prepare an incident report relating to M.B.’s medical treatment. M.B. submitted deposition testimony from an expert witness in the security field opining that Respondents breached their duty of care to M.B.

Live Nation moved for summary judgment, contending that Respondents owed M.B. no duty to prevent the alleged crime that occurred at her apartment. Following briefing and argument, the circuit court granted summary judgment to Respondents. M.B. now appeals.

Points on Appeal

Point One posits the circuit court erred in granting summary judgment in favor of Respondents because the circuit court improperly held that Respondents owed no legal duty to M.B. where M.B. properly pleaded and provided sufficient facts in the record to support the existence of an assumed duty by Respondents. Point Two argues the circuit court erred in granting summary judgment in favor of Respondents because the circuit court wrongly found that any breach of duty by the Respondents was too attenuated and unforeseeable to support a finding that Respondents proximately caused M.B.’s injuries and damages. Point Three asserts the circuit court erred in granting summary judgment in favor of Respondents because the circuit court wrongly held that Respondents cannot be held liable for medical negligence for the conduct of Priority EMS’s registered nurse who provided care to M.B. where no such medical malpractice claim was raised by M.B.

Standard of Review

We review a circuit court’s grant of summary judgment de novo. Green v.

Fotoohighiam, 606 SW 3d 113, 115 (Mo. banc 2020); see also Rule 74.04.1 Summary judgment is proper if the moving party establishes that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Id. (quoting Goerlitz v. City of Maryville, 333 S.W.3d 450, 452 (Mo. banc 2011)).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

M.B. v. Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., and Leslie Ramsey, (Mo. Ct. App. 2022).

M.B. v. Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., and Leslie Ramsey (M.B. v. Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., and Leslie Ramsey) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Lopez v. Three Rivers Electric Cooperative, Inc.
26 S.W.3d 151 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2000)
Richardson v. QuikTrip Corp.
81 S.W.3d 54 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2002)
Madden v. C & K Barbecue Carryout, Inc.
758 S.W.2d 59 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1988)
Keenan v. Miriam Foundation
784 S.W.2d 298 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1990)
Goerlitz v. City of Maryville
333 S.W.3d 450 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2011)
L.A.C. Ex Rel. D.C. v. Ward Parkway Shopping Center Co.
75 S.W.3d 247 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2002)
Hudson v. Riverport Performance Arts Centre
37 S.W.3d 261 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2000)
Stafford v. Drury Inns, Inc.
165 S.W.3d 494 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2005)
State v. Gargus
462 S.W.3d 417 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2013)
Scott v. King
510 S.W.3d 887 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2017)
Wieland v. Owner-Operator Servs., Inc.
540 S.W.3d 845 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2018)
K.L.S. v. Union Pac. R.R.
575 S.W.3d 259 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2019)