Mistecka v. Commonwealth

408 A.2d 159, 46 Pa. Commw. 267, 1979 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 2039
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 1, 1979
DocketNos. 1801 and 1809 C.D. 1977
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 408 A.2d 159 (Mistecka v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mistecka v. Commonwealth, 408 A.2d 159, 46 Pa. Commw. 267, 1979 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 2039 (Pa. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinions

Opinion by

Judge Craig,

Consolidated here for argument and disposition are two trespass cases arising out of similar incidents occurring at the same place on the same date.

In the first case, Jeri and Anthony Mistecka, wife and husband, filed their complaint in trespass against the Commonwealth, to recover, according to their allegations, for injuries suffered September 7, 1975 by the wife plaintiff while traveling in a motor vehicle on State Route 1 under the Bancroft Road Bridge, in [270]*270New Garden Township,. Chester County, as a result of a large rock being thrown by unknown assailants from the bridge down upon plaintiff’s motor vehicle.

The complaint further avers that at least 26 similar incidents of rock-throwing upon motorists traveling Route 1 had occurred at or near that location and had been reported to the state police during the two years preceding. Plaintiffs also aver that 3 such incidents occurred on the same date within 25 minutes preceding the striking of plaintiffs’ car.

The complaint avers negligence on the basis that, despite notice of the rock-throwing incidents averred, the Commonwealth had failed to erect appropriate barriers or screens to protect the traveling public on Route 1, failed to warn the traveling public on Route 1 of the danger, failed to investigate, police and prevent such incidents and otherwise failed to take adequate precautions to protect the motoring public on Route 1 from the danger of rockthrowing. The averments conclude with a description of the injuries and a demand for judgment in an amount in excess of $10,000.00.

The averments of the trespass complaint in the case of Sherley M. Davis and Elsie Davis, her mother, against the Commonwealth and others, are substantially similar, describing injuries to plaintiff Sherley M. Davis on the same date and at the same location. With the exception of the Mistecka complaint’s reference to other incidents on the same day, the Davis averments of notice and negligence against the Commonwealth are similar.

In addition, the Davis complaint identifies defendant township and defendant county as the local government jurisdictions within which the site is located. The Davis complaint also names as defendant Grof and Myers, Inc., identifying that corporation as an independent consulting engineer for the Common[271]*271wealth with respect to the design of bridges, highways and overpasses.

A separate Davis count avers negligence in design, manufacture, construction, installation and maintenance as an alternative basis for liability.

Although the Davis complaint names James Wilson, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and Robert P. Kane, Attorney General of the Commonwealth, as defendants in the caption, those individuals are not identified in the complaint so that none of the averments of negligent conduct appear to be directed toward them.

In both cases, the Commonwealth, by answer and new matter, pleads sovereign immunity as a defense, and that issue has been placed before us by the Commonwealth’s motion for judgment on the pleadings in both cases.

In the Davis case, the Commonwealth, by preliminary objections, has also entered a demurrer with respect to the naming of Secretary James Wilson and Attorney General Robert P. Kane as defendants in the caption.

In addition, defendant Chester County, by preliminary objection, has filed a demurrer for failure to state a cause of action against the county; also raised is the bar of pendency of a prior action. In addition, the county claims that venue properly lies in Chester County.

With respect to the central question of sovereign immunity, the plaintiffs and the Commonwealth are in agreement that the Act of September 28, 1978, P.L. 788, Act No. 152-1978 (Act 152), amending the Judicial Code, 42 Pa. C.S. §101 et seq., is applicable to these cases. Section 5 of Act 152, 42 Pa. C.S. §5110 (Note), after the abrogation of the doctrine of sovereign immunity in Mayle v. Pennsylvania Department of Highways, 479 Pa. 384, 388 A.2d 709 (1978), [272]*272reinstated that doctrine with retroactive effect. We have recently held the retroactive effect to be constitutional. Brungard v. Hartman, 46 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 10, 405 A.2d 1089 (1979).

Therefore, the prime question is whether or not the liability claims in these cases fall within any one of the eight instances enumerated by Act 152, 42 Pa. C.S. §5110, as to which the legislature has granted a limited waiver of sovereign immunity.

We conclude that subsection (a)(5) of 42 Pa. C.S. §5110, is, in the main, inapplicable to the situation here because it pertains to “Damages, other than property damages, caused by a dangerous condition of highways under the jurisdiction of Commonwealth agencies created by potholes or sinkholes or other similar conditions created by natural elements. . . .” (Emphasis supplied.) The situations described in these complaints are clearly not created by natural elements.

Accordingly we focus on subsection (a)(4) of that same section, which subsection reads as follows:

(4) Commonwealth real estate, highways and sidewalks. — Damages caused by a dangerous condition of Commonwealth real estate and sidewalks, including Commonwealth-owned real property, leaseholds in the possession of the Commonwealth and Commonwealth real property leased to private persons, and highways under the jurisdiction of Commonwealth agencies except as limited in paragraph (5).. . 1

Thus, the first specific issue is, where there are averments of a continuing history of unknown assail[273]*273ants throwing rocks from a local highway bridge overpass down upon a state highway beneath, so as to injure travelers on the state highway, does that situation constitute a “dangerous condition” of a highway under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth?

Counsel for the Commonwealth stress the fact, established by the averments, that the danger does not arise from something resting within the right-of-way of the state highway, but rather involves the intervention of third parties, unconnected with the Commonwealth, who are themselves physically situated upon an overpass above — and to that extent, removed from —the state highway. Although we must accept every well-pleaded averment as a true statement of fact, there are no averments that the Bancroft Road Bridge itself is under Commonwealth jurisdiction and therefore we can, at the most, consider it to be identified as a public road and bridge under local jurisdiction.

As a matter of law, we conclude that such a situation is a “condition” within the terms of subsection (a)(4). Among the ordinary meanings of the word “condition” is reference to “a state of affairs that hampers or impedes or requires correction.” Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary 235 (1977). Most importantly, it is clear that the circumstances here give rise to a condition which is related to travel on the highway and is conceivably correctable.

Generally, in cases under 42 Pa. C.S. §5110(a)(4), we will leave to the determination of a jury the question of whether or not the condition is a dangerous one.

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

Related

Cowell v. Commonwealth, Department of Transportation
883 A.2d 705 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2005)
Booth v. State
83 P.3d 61 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2004)
Booth v. State of Arizona
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2004
Osborne v. Cambridge Township
736 A.2d 715 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1999)
Rothermel v. Commonwealth, Department of Transportation
672 A.2d 837 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1996)
Fidanza v. Commonwealth, Department of Transportation
655 A.2d 1076 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1995)
Mason & Dixon Lines, Inc. v. Mognet
645 A.2d 1370 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1994)
Wade v. Department of Corrections
483 N.W.2d 26 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1992)
Battle v. Philadelphia Housing Authority
594 A.2d 769 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1991)
Alexander v. Dept. of Public Welfare
586 A.2d 475 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1991)
Douglas v. Philadelphia Housing Authority
578 A.2d 1011 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1990)
Molinaro v. PennDOT
4 Pa. D. & C.4th 524 (Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas, 1989)
Snyder v. Harmon
562 A.2d 307 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Trenco, Inc. v. Dept. of Transp.
560 A.2d 285 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Bradley v. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
550 A.2d 261 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1988)
Houston v. Central Bucks School Authority
546 A.2d 1286 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1988)
Gallagher v. COM. OF PA., BUR. OF CORR.
545 A.2d 981 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1988)
Solyan v. Fontana
49 Pa. D. & C.3d 84 (Erie County Court Common Pleas, 1988)
Burgan v. City of Pittsburgh
542 A.2d 583 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1988)
Rippy v. FOGEL
529 A.2d 608 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
408 A.2d 159, 46 Pa. Commw. 267, 1979 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 2039, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mistecka-v-commonwealth-pacommwct-1979.