Racine v. PHW Las Vegas, LLC

46 F. Supp. 3d 1028, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123374, 2014 WL 4354111
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedSeptember 2, 2014
DocketCase No. 2:10-cv-01651-LDG-VCF
StatusPublished

This text of 46 F. Supp. 3d 1028 (Racine v. PHW Las Vegas, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Racine v. PHW Las Vegas, LLC, 46 F. Supp. 3d 1028, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123374, 2014 WL 4354111 (D. Nev. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

LLOYD D. GEORGE, District Judge.

The plaintiff, Vanessa Racine, alleges that she was physically and sexually assaulted by an unidentified man while she was staying at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino (“Planet Hollywood”). She brought the instant suit against the defendants, PHW Las Vegas, LLC, and PHW Manager, LLC, (“PHW”) as the owners of Planet Hollywood. Racine brings her claim against PHW pursuant to Nevada Revised Statute 651.015, which establishes a duty for innkeepers to protect their patrons from foreseeable harms. [1030]*1030Racine is additionally alleging that PHW was grossly negligent, and is seeking punitive damages. Both parties have moved for summary judgment regarding the element of duty under NRS 651.015 (# 71 & # 75). Racine additionally seeks summary judgment on all remaining elements of NRS 651.015. PHW additionally seeks summary judgment as to Racine’s gross negligence claim and her prayer for punitive damages. For the reasons stated below, the Court will deny Racine’s motion, and grant PHW’s motion.

Background

As suggested by the evidence in this case, the Planet Hollywood property includes a casino, a mall, a hotel with a lobby and rooms located in what the Court will refer to as the Casino Tower, and a hotel with a lobby and rooms located in what the Court will refer to as the Westgate Tower, and a parking garage. PHW employs a single security force for the property, but has separate dispatch offices for the Casino Tower and the Westgate Tower.

On June 20, 2010, shortly after 3 a.m., an unidentified man approached Keanna Alamsahebpour and placed his arm around her waist while she was walking in the mall area of Planet Hollywood (# 70, ¶ 4). Alamsahebpour moved away from the man, entered the lobby of the Westgate Tower hotel, and described the man and the incident to someone she believed was a member of the hotel’s security staff (# 70, ¶ 5). The Court will refer to this as the Alamsahebpour incident.

Shortly thereafter, an unidentified man followed Susan Lee (who was staying in the same set of adjoining hotel rooms as Alamsahebpour) through the casino and mall. At about 3:40 a.m., Lee and the man got into a Westgate Tower elevator, and both exited the elevator on the 56th floor. The man followed Lee to her room. Lee told the man to leave after he inappropriately touched her, and then entered room 5620. About five minutes after Lee first entered the room, someone (who had not been invited into the room) grabbed Lee’s buttocks from behind, and attempted to push her onto the bed. He subsequently fled from the room when Lee screamed (#70, ¶ 11, 14; #75, ¶31). The Court will refer to this as the Lee incident.

At about 3:46 a.m., the man who had accompanied Lee onto the elevator to the 56th floor got onto the elevator on the 56th floor, and took that elevator to the lobby. He then walked and ran through the lobby area.

At about 3:54 a.m., a call was placed from hotel room 5620 in the Westgate Tower to security in which the caller reported that she and another guest had been sexually assaulted, and requested the presence of a security officer in their hotel room.

At about 3:56 a.m., the man who had accompanied Lee onto the elevator to the 56th floor of the Westgate Tower accompanied another, unknown woman down the escalator going from the PHW casino area to the valet area, placing his hand on her back while riding the escalator. The two then sat down and remained in the valet area.

At about 3:58 a.m., Security Officer Scott Koss arrived at room 5620, and took statements from Lee and Alamsahebpour. Alamsahebpour reported that Lee had arrived at the room 10-15 minutes earlier, and had been followed by and inappropriately touched by a man. Alamsahebpour further reported that the same man1 who [1031]*1031assaulted Lee had followed and touched her in the mall. Lee then described her incident with the man to Officer Koss. At 4:20 a.m., Koss contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) (# 75, Exhibit E).

At about 4:03 a.m., the plaintiff, Vanessa Racine, arrived at Planet Hollywood by taxi. She wandered around the valet parking area for several minutes. Just prior to 4:10 a.m., Racine got onto an elevator in the Casino Tower. The same man who had accompanied Lee onto the elevator to the 56th floor of the Westgate Tower also got onto the elevator with Racine, placed his hand on her back, then her hair, and appeared to talk with Racine. The man exited the elevator with Racine. (# 70, ¶ 19-20; # 75, ¶ 33). At about 4:35 a.m., the man got onto the elevator in the Casino Tower on the floor of Racine’s room, holding a bag. (# 70, ¶ 25; # 75, ¶ 31).

Racine did not awake until much later that day. She subsequently contacted hotel security and the LVMPD and reported that she had been sexually assaulted. A subsequent examination by the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner showed the presence of semen on Racine, which semen that did not belong to her boyfriend. (# 70, ¶ 32-34; # 75, ¶ 35). Racine thereafter brought this action against PHW.

Standard of Review

In considering a motion for summary judgment, the court performs “the threshold inquiry of determining whether there is the need for a trial — whether, in other words, there are any genuine factual issues that properly can be resolved only by a finder of fact because they may reasonably be resolved in favor of either party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); United States v. Arango, 670 F.3d 988, 992 (9th Cir.2012). To succeed on a motion for summary judgment, the moving party must show (1) the lack of a genuine issue of any material fact, and (2) that the court may grant judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Arango, 670 F.3d at 992.

A material fact is one required to prove a basic element of a claim. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The failure to show a fact essential to one element, however, “necessarily renders all other facts immaterial.” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. Additionally, “[t]he mere existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the plaintiffs position will be insufficient.” United States v. $138,120.00 in U.S. Currency, 672 F.3d 629, 638 (9th Cir. 2012) (quoting Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505).

“[T]he plain language of Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s ease, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex,

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46 F. Supp. 3d 1028, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123374, 2014 WL 4354111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/racine-v-phw-las-vegas-llc-nvd-2014.