Poynor v. BMW of North America, LLC

383 S.W.3d 201, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6251, 2012 WL 3140212
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 31, 2012
DocketNo. 05-10-00724-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 383 S.W.3d 201 (Poynor v. BMW of North America, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Poynor v. BMW of North America, LLC, 383 S.W.3d 201, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6251, 2012 WL 3140212 (Tex. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

Opinion By

Justice BRIDGES.

Appellants Scott and Kimberly Poynor, Individually and as Next Friend of Spenser Miles, a Minor, appeal the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of appellees BMW of North America, LLC (“BMW NA”) and BMW (US) Holding Corp. (“BMW US”). In three issues, appellants contend: (1) the record contains sufficient evidence to raise a fact issue as to negligent undertaking by BMW NA; (2) the principles of respondeat superior apply to the relationship between BMW NA and Classic BMW despite a contractual provision which states Classic BMW is an independent contractor; and (3) the denial of appellants’ motion for continuance was improper. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

In July of 2005, appellants went to Classic BMW to shop for a new car. Christopher Homer, a salesperson, took appellants for a test drive in a 2006 BMW 3325L Homer explained it was the dealer’s policy to have a sales person drive the car first to explain the vehicle’s features. During the test drive, Homer drove recklessly and lost control of the vehicle, crashing the car into a traffic sign, guardrail, a retaining wall and pillar.1 Appellants were injured as a result of the accident.

Appellants filed suit against fourteen defendants.2 Their third amended petition specifically asserted the following causes of action against BMW NA and BMW US:3 (1) negligence; (2) negligent hiring, training and supervision; (3) negligence per se; (4) intentional infliction of emotion distress; and (5) respondeat superior, vicarious liability and agency. BMW NA and BMW U.S. filed separate traditional motions for summary judgment, which the trial court granted.

In their brief before this Court, appellants claim BMW NA is directly liable because it negligently undertook to train Homer. Appellants further contend BMW NA is vicariously liable for the acts of Homer due to its agency relationship with Classic BMW. Finally, appellants argue the trial court improperly denied their motion for continuance when appellees failed to produce evidence subject to an order to compel.

Analysis

A. Standard of Review

The standards for reviewing a traditional summary judgment are well established. The party moving for summary judgment has the burden of showing no genuine issue of material fact exists and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c); Nixon v. Mr. Prop. Mgmt. Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548 [205]*205(Tex.1985). In deciding whether a disputed material fact issue exists, precluding summary judgment, evidence favorable to the non-movant will be taken as true. Nixon, 690 S.W.2d at 548-49. Further, every reasonable inference must be indulged in favor of the non-movant and any doubts resolved in his favor. Id. A motion for summary judgment must expressly present the grounds upon which it is made and must stand or fall on those grounds alone. McConnell v. Southside Indep. Sch. Dist., 858 S.W.2d 337, 341 (Tex.1993); Espalin v. Children’s Med. Ctr. of Dallas, 27 S.W.3d 675, 688 (Tex.App.-Dallas 2000, no pet.).

B. Negligent Undertaking

In their first issue, appellants contend the record contains sufficient evidence to raise a fact issue as to negligent undertaking by BMW NA. Specifically, appellants argue because BMW NA undertook to train Homer on how to conduct demonstration drives, BMW NA is liable.

To sustain their negligence claim, appellants were required to establish that BMW NA violated a legal duty owed to them. See Torrington Co. v. Stutzman, 46 S.W.3d 829, 837 (Tex.2000). Whether such a duty exists is a question of law for the court to decide based on the' facts surrounding the occurrence in question. See Abdel-Fattah v. Pepsico, Inc., 948 S.W.2d 381, 383 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1997, no pet.). Texas law generally imposes no duty to take action to prevent harm to others absent certain special relationships or circumstances. See SmithKline Beecham Corp. v. Doe, 903 S.W.2d 347, 353 (Tex.1995). However, one who voluntarily undertakes an affirmative course of action for the benefit of another has a duty to exercise reasonable care that the other’s person or property will not be injured thereby. See Fort Bend County Drainage Dist. v. Sbrusch, 818 S.W.2d 392, 395-96 (Tex.1991) (citing Colonial Sav. Ass’n v. Taylor, 544 S.W.2d 116, 119 (Tex.1976)). Still, a person’s duty to exercise reasonable care in performing a voluntarily assumed undertaking is limited to that undertaking alone. See Sbrusch, 818 S.W.2d at 397.

Appellants contend BMW NA assumed a duty toward them under the Restatement (Second) of Torts § 324A:

One who undertakes, gratuitously or for consideration, to render services to another which he should recognize as necessary for the protection of a third person or his things, is subject to liability to the third person for physical harm resulting from his failure to exercise reasonable care to protect his undertaking if (a) his failure to exercise reasonable care increases the risk of harm, or (b) he has undertaken to perform a duty owed by the other to the third person, or (c) the harm is suffered because of reliance of the other or the third person upon the undertaking.

See Seay v. Travelers Idem. Co., 730 S.W.2d 774, 776-77 (Tex.App.-Dallas 1987, no writ).

We first consider appellants’ allegation that BMW NA satisfied the requirements of subpart (a) by increasing the risk of harm to appellants. Appellants contend BMW NA undertook to train Homer on how to conduct demonstration drives, but failed to exercise reasonable care in that undertaking, thereby increasing the risk of harm to appellants. In particular, appellants allege “BMW taught and encouraged aggressive driving techniques designed to demonstrate the 3 Series’ power and engage its safety features — all while continually directing Homer and the participants to incorporate what they learned into their [206]*206sales processes and demonstration drives.”4

However, Jeff Smerek, area manager of BMW NA, stated in his affidavit as follows:

BMW NA does not dictate the manner in which demonstration drives to prospective customers should be conducted by dealers. BMW NA does not have any requirements for its dealers to conduct test drives in any particular manner. BMW NA does not control the details of test drives conducted by its dealers, nor does BMW NA tell dealers what requirements the dealers should have for test drives.... Dealers are responsible for the conduct of their sales associates on test drives and BMW NA did not have any program in place to monitor the manner in which sales associates conducted test drives.... [T]he sales associate determines the details of the test drive and sales presentation made to the customer.

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

Related

Shell Oil Co. v. Khan
138 S.W.3d 288 (Texas Supreme Court, 2004)
Patino v. Complete Tire, Inc.
158 S.W.3d 655 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Lee v. Haynes & Boone, L.L.P.
129 S.W.3d 192 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
Victoria Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Williams
100 S.W.3d 323 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
Colonial Savings Ass'n v. Taylor
544 S.W.2d 116 (Texas Supreme Court, 1976)
Baptist Memorial Hospital System v. Sampson
969 S.W.2d 945 (Texas Supreme Court, 1998)
Torrington Co. v. Stutzman
46 S.W.3d 829 (Texas Supreme Court, 2001)
Cooper v. Circle Ten Council Boy Scouts of America
254 S.W.3d 689 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008)
Seay v. Travelers Indemnity Co.
730 S.W.2d 774 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1987)
Ely v. General Motors Corp.
927 S.W.2d 774 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1996)
Abdel-Fattah v. PepsiCo, Inc.
948 S.W.2d 381 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1997)
McConnell v. Southside Independent School District
858 S.W.2d 337 (Texas Supreme Court, 1993)
Farlow v. Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital
284 S.W.3d 903 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Tenneco Inc. v. Enterprise Products Co.
925 S.W.2d 640 (Texas Supreme Court, 1996)
St. Joseph Hospital v. Wolff
94 S.W.3d 513 (Texas Supreme Court, 2002)
Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co.
690 S.W.2d 546 (Texas Supreme Court, 1985)
Carter v. MacFadyen
93 S.W.3d 307 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2002)
TEXAS a & M UNIVERSITY v. Bishop
156 S.W.3d 580 (Texas Supreme Court, 2005)
Bell v. VPSI, INC.
205 S.W.3d 706 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
383 S.W.3d 201, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6251, 2012 WL 3140212, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/poynor-v-bmw-of-north-america-llc-texapp-2012.