Melton-Matthews v. Casella Waste Sys., Inc.

• Court: Superior Court of Maine
• Decided: February 1, 2007
• Docket: CUMcv-06-307
• Status: Unpublished

Opinion

STATE OF MAINE SUPERIOR COURT CUMBERLAND, ss. CIVIL ACTION I _ DOCKET NO. CV-06-307 T : -2

CATHLEEN MELTON-MATTHEWS,

Plaintiff

DECISION AND ORDER

CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS, INC. and/ or CASELLA WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC. d / b / a PINE TREE WASTE, INC., STEPHEN COGSWELL, JR., DYSART'S TRANSPORTATION, INC., DohlAt'~ G A R ~ I ~ ~ ~ ~ RICHARD HANNAN, and " /RkbgV ROBERT LAFRANCE, MAY 15 2007 Defendants

The matter came before the court on defendant Robert LaFrance's Motion to

Dismiss pursuant to 12(b)(6).

BACKGROUND & PROCEDURAL HISTORY

This action arises from a motor-vehicle collision involving four parties, which

occurred on June 7,2000. A previous action arising from the same event was

commenced on July 5,2005 and was dismissed without prejudice on April 18,2006. A

three-Count complaint was filed on June 5,2006 alleging negligence by three drivers

harmed the plaintiff. The defendants are Stephen Cogswell; Cogwell's employer Casella

Waste Systems, Inc. and/ or Casella Waste Management, Inc. d / b / a Pine Tree Waste,

Inc.; Richard Hannan; Haman's employer Dysart's Transportation, Inc.; and Defendant

Robert LaFrance. LaFrance has filed a Motion to Dismiss pursuant to M.R.Civ.P.

12(b)(6),the other defendants filed answers and all defendants filed cross-claims and answers to those cross claims. The City of Portland, LaFrance's employer, has been

brought into the action through a third-party complaint.

DISCUSSION

When reviewing a Motion to Dismiss based on a failure to state a claim upon

which relief can be granted, the court examines the complaint "in the light most

favorable to the plaintiff and accept[s] the material facts of the complaint as true."

Davric Me. Corp. v. Bangor Historic Track, Inc., 2000 ME 102, 96, 751 A.2d 1024, 1028

(citations omitted); Moody v. State Liquor & Lottery Cornrn'n, 2004 ME 20, ¶ 7, 843 A.2d 43,

46. A court should dismiss the action only if "it appears beyond a reasonable doubt that

a plaintiff is entitled to no relief under any set of facts that [the plaintiff] might prove to

support [their] claim." Moody, 2004 ME 20 ¶ 7, 843 A.2d at 47 (internal citation omitted).

The Maine Tort Claims Act, 14 M.R.S.A €j 8101-8118, provides limited immunity

and, in actions that are allowed, provides specific procedures to bring suit against

governmental entities, including cities. Under the act, an "employee" is defined as "a

person acting on behalf of a governmental entity in any official capacity." 14 M.R.S.A. €j

8102(1). When bringng suit against a government employee in h s or her individual

capacity, for actions taken within the scope of h s or her employment, the procedures of

the Maine Tort Claims Act must be followed. Cushman v. Tilton, et al., 652 A.2d 650, 650-

52 (Me. 1995). The issue is procedural, not whether LaFrance was engaged in a

discretionary act that provides immunity. 14 M.R.S.A. €j 8111(1)(C).

The Maine Tort Claims Act requires that notice be served on a governmental

entity within 180 days of the event that gave rise to the complaint. 14 M.R.S.A €8107. j

The statute of limitations to bring a suit under the Maine Tort Claims Act is two years

from the date of the event. 14 M.R.S.A. 5 8110.

The complaint states; "Defendant LaFrance, an employee of the City of Portland, was driving a truck in the course of his employment" when the accident occurred.

Compl. 9. Talung the facts stated in the complaint as true, defendant LaFrance was

working w i h n h s scope of employment for the City of Portland when the accident

occurred and, therefore, the Maine Tort Claims Act is applicable. The plaintiff has

provided no evidence that the required statutory claim notice was ever served on

LaFrance or the City of Portland w i h n the 180-day period. Furthermore, this complaint

was filed on June 5, 2006, well after the two year statute of limitation expired on June 7,

2002; thus, the suit is clearly barred.'

DECISION

The clerk will make the following entry onto the docket as the Decision and

Order of the court:

1. Defendant LaFrancefsmotion to dismiss is granted.

2. It is ordered that the complaint against defendant LaFrance is dismissed.

3. Defendant LaFrance may recover his costs.

SO ORDERED.

DATED: February 1,2007 0 Thomas E. elahanty I1 Justice, Superior court

LaFrance was not a party to the original suit filed on July 5,2005, but that suit also was filed after the applicable statute of limitations had run. NORMAN HANSON & DETROY PO BOX 4600 PORTLAND ME 04112-4600

FREDERICK BAUGEK E S ~ k-b. RICHARDSON WHITMAN LARGE 6r BADGER PO BOX 2429 BANGOR ME 04402-2429

J P E T E R THOMPSON ESQ - / Q

JAMES MACADAM ESQ - 208 FORE S T PORTLAND ME 04101