Murphy v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority

7 Am. Tribal Law 426, 3 G.D.R. 84
Mohegan Gaming Disputes Trial Court·Decided August 2, 2007·No. No. GDTC-T-04-116-TBW·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION ON DEFENDANT, MOHEGAN TRIBAL GAMING AUTHORITY’S, MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

WILSON, Judge.

I.

In his Fourth Amended Complaint, the Plaintiff has alleged that on November 23, 2003, while he was a patron at the Mohegan Sun Casino, (a gaming facility operated by the Defendant), he was caused to fall off an escalator and thereby sustained very serious personal injuries, for which he seeks damages. He alleges that his injuries were caused by the Defendant in one or more of the following ways:

“5. The plaintiff, Jeffrey Murphy’s injuries and damages were caused by the negligence and carelessness of the defendant, Mohegan Sun, their agents, servants and/or employees, in one or more of the following ways, in that they:
a. Failed to inspect the escalator where the plaintiff sustained injuries to ensure that it was safe for use by patrons, including the plaintiff;
[429]*429b. Failed to repair and/or maintain the escalator in question to ensure it was sate for use by patrons, including the plaintiff;
c. Failed to place any warnings signs or barriers to prevent the plaintiff from using the escalator;
d. Failed to adequately and properly train its employees in safety, maintenance and inspection procedure of the escalators;
e. Permitted said condition to exist for such a period of time that the defendant knew, or should have known, of the existence of the defective condition of the escalator that failed to remedy and correct the same;
f. Failed to adequately train and supervise its security staff and personnel;
g. Hired security personnel who were not qualified to provide adequate security for patrons and business invitees upon its property;
h. Failed to investigate the backgrounds of their security personnel to assure their qualifications and thus train accordingly to ensure adequate and proper security on its premises;
i. Failed to provide proper security for patrons and business invitees upon its property; and
j. Failed to provide sufficient security personnel for patrons and business invitees on its property;”

This court has jurisdiction under the Constitution of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, Art. XIII, Secs. 1 and 2; under the Gaming Disputes Court Ordinance, MTC § 3-21 et seq.; and under the Mohegan Torts Code, MTC § 3-241, which is the primary substantive law applicable to this action.

The Defendant has moved for summary judgment as follows:

“Pursuant to G.D.C.P Section 49, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority respectfully moves this court to enter judgment in its favor on the grounds that there are no genuine issues of material fact. Further, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority did not owe a legal duty to the plaintiff as his injuries were not reasonably foreseeable and any alleged acts or omissions of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority were not the proximate cause of the plaintiffs injuries. A detailed Memorandum of Law has been filed in support of this Motion.”

Briefs and supporting documents have been filed by both parties and oral argument has been had. After consideration of the briefs, documents, and oral argument, the court finds that there are genuine issues as to some material facts and that the Defendant is not entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The Defendant’s Motion is denied.

II.

The law applicable to this motion is the substantive law of the Mohegan Tribe which includes inter alia, the Mohegan Torts Code, and the statutory and common law of the State of Connecticut, except if such statutes or common law are in conflict with Mohegan Tribal Law. MTC §§ 3-51, 3-52.

The Mohegan Torts Code contains several provisions which are specifically applicable to this case. MTC § 3-245 contains the following: “Duty means an obligation to which The Mohegan Tribal Courts are authorized to give legal recognition and effect to conform to a particular standard of conduct.” “Fault means the failure to fulfill a legal duty. It includes acts proximately causing or substantially contributing to injury or damages.” “Injury means the invasion of any legally protected interest of a person or a loss of any kind to a [430]*430person.” “Negligence means conduct that falls below the standard established by law or custom for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of injury or harm. The standard of conduct to which a person must conform to avoid being negligent is that of a reasonable person under similar circumstances.” “Person means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association.” “Tort means an injury to a person caused by a breach of legal duty to that person, but does not include a breach of a duty imposed by contract. (Ord. No.2005-02, § 5, 6-22-2005).”

The Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment was filed pursuant to G.D.C.P. Sec. 49 which provides as follows:

“ § 49. Summary Judgment

a. Summary Judgments—Triable Issue as to Damages Only. A summary judgment, interlocutory in character, may be rendered on the issue of liability alone, although there is a genuine issue as to damages.
b. Filing Motion. Any party may, at any time prior to the assignment of a case for trial, move for summary judgment, and with the permission of the court may file such motion after the case has been assigned for trial. These rules shall be applicable to counterclaims and cross-complaints. The pendency of a motion for summary judgment shall delay trial only at the discretion of the trial judge.
c. Proceedings on Motion. A motion for summary judgment shall be supported by such documents as may be appropriate including affidavits, depositions, disclosures, written admissions and like documents which show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The adverse party shall file opposing affidavits or other documentary evidence as provided in this rule within the time set forth in § 15d, setting forth specific facts showing that there is a material issue for trial. If the adverse party does not so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be entered against the adverse party.
d. Form of Affidavits. Supporting and opposing affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matter stated therein. Sworn or certified copies of all papers or parts thereof referred to in an affidavit shall be attached thereto.
e. When Appropriate Documents Unavailable. Should it appear from affidavits of a party opposing a motion for summary judgment, that he cannot, for reasons stated in an affidavit filed with the court, present facts essential to justify his opposition, the court may deny the motion or may order a continuance to permit affidavits to be obtained or discovery to be had or may make such other order as is just.
f. Affidavits made in bad faith.

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Murphy v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, 7 Am. Tribal Law 426, 3 G.D.R. 84 (Mo. 2007).

7 Am. Tribal Law 426 (Murphy v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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