Rolison v. City of Meridian

691 So. 2d 440, 1997 WL 109650
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 13, 1997
Docket94-CA-00990
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 691 So. 2d 440 (Rolison v. City of Meridian) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rolison v. City of Meridian, 691 So. 2d 440, 1997 WL 109650 (Mich. 1997).

Opinion

691 So.2d 440 (1997)

Darrin ROLISON
v.
The CITY OF MERIDIAN, Mississippi.

No. 94-CA-00990.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

March 13, 1997.

*441 Danny K. Clearman, Decatur, for Appellant.

Arlo Temple, Meridian, for Appellee.

Before DAN LEE, C.J., and PITTMAN and MILLS, JJ.

MILLS, Justice, for the Court:

Darrin Rolison appeals a grant of summary judgment issued against him in the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County.

On June 21, 1993, Darrin Rolison filed a complaint against Jerry Wyrick, Jr., and the City of Meridian (the City), alleging that during a softball game conducted under the supervision of officials chosen and compensated by the City, Wyrick negligently threw a bat seriously injuring Rolison. The complaint further alleged that the officials used by the City were negligently selected and inadequately trained and that the City permitted the games to be conducted in an unreasonably unsafe manner.

On July 13, 1993, the City answered and initially pled assumption of the risk. The City later amended its answer and raised the additional defense that the Meridian Umpires Association, an independent contractor, employed officials of the games. The City later again amended its answer to raise the further defense that the officials conducting the games were immune from liability by statute, and that such immunity flowed to the City.

The lower court found, by summary judgment, that the accident was not foreseeable and was not proximately caused or contributed to by the negligence of the City. The lower court further found that no relationship of employer and employee or principal and agent existed and that the Meridian Umpire Association was an independent contractor. Based on these findings, the lower court dismissed the suit against the City with prejudice.

Rolison timely filed his appeal to this Court assigning as error the following issues:

I. Whether a question of material fact exists as to whether the injuries suffered by Rolison were a foreseeable consequence or were proximately caused or contributed to by the negligence of the City of Meridian?
II. Whether the trial court erred by finding that the Meridian Umpire Association, an insolvent unincorporated association, is an independent contractor and thus no relationship of employer and employee or principal and agent existed between that organization, or its members, and the City of Meridian?

FACTS

A. The accident

On June 25, 1992, Rolison participated in a softball game at the Sammie Davidson Complex in Meridian. While playing in this game, Wyrick, Rolison's teammate, hit a "pop fly" ball with two outs. Thereafter, Wyrick released his bat and it flew through the air approximately fifteen yards striking Rolison in the head. Rolison was struck while on his way from third base to home plate. The bat knocked Rolison unconscious and, because of his injury, he was transported to a local hospital. As a result of the accident, Rolison lost the use of five percent of his brain and suffered other injuries.

Although Wyrick indicated that the bat only slipped from his hand, he apologized for throwing it in anger. Wyrick, before being rehabilitated by counsel, indicated that the accident might have been avoided if the City had taken action against bat slinging in the past. It was indicated that the throwing of bats during league play in the City may have become commonplace. Virtually no action *442 was taken by the officials to end this practice.[1]

B. Control of the games

The City maintained general oversight of softball games at the park and had the authority to bar individual players, or entire teams, from participation in league play for disciplinary reasons. However, the umpires were the only persons who had direct control over the games and the responsibility of enforcing the rules of the games and the game in question.

A few years before the accident, the City began contracting with the Meridian Umpire Association (the Association) to provide officials for the games. The Association allegedly is not incorporated, carries no liability insurance, and is without significant assets. The City pays the Association an agreed amount for providing officials for the games. The Association, in turn, pays the officials according to the number of games officiated. At the end of the season, any funds not disbursed by the Association to the officials are returned to the City.

According to the affidavit of Rhonda Brand, who was and had been the Athletic Director of the Parks and Recreation Department of the City, the City supervised the softball league during 1992. The City's supervision included receipt of team fees of $250.00 paid by the participating teams. The City obtained rosters of teams and put teams in various leagues or groups. The City scheduled the games, provided and maintained the fields, and turned the lights on and off as needed. At the end of the season the City paid for and awarded trophies. The teams or their sponsors paid for all uniforms, balls, bats, gloves, and equipment used by the teams.

During the 1992 softball season, there were 774 softball games scheduled at the Sammie Davidson Complex. At the time of the accident, Rolison had been playing for a couple of months. The games were played and conducted under the rules of the American Softball Association of America (ASA).

The Meridian Umpires Association (MUA) was not a part of the City government, but according to Brand, was a group of individuals who had special training as umpires. Their training and instruction were continued from time to time so that they would be competent sports officials. Two umpires officiated each game, including the game in which Rolison was injured on June 5, 1992.

The umpires had the responsibility of enforcing the rules of the games, such as disciplining a player or team for unsportsmanlike conduct. They determined what discipline should apply as accorded under the rules. Discipline of a player could include ejection from a game for throwing bats. The discipline depended on the gravity of the situation, and the umpires' determination of the applicable rules.

The umpires were trained and certified by the ASA as competent umpires, including the ones umpiring on the date in question. The MUA selected the umpires and chose the times they worked and the games they officiated. The City did not employ the umpires, did not have a right to discharge them, and did not pay them, except as provided in the contract. The City did not pay or withhold social security, unemployment, or income tax for the umpires, and did not provide any insurance for the MUA or its members.

Mr. Howard Beeland, the president of the Meridian Umpire Association during the time of the accident, submitted an affidavit substantially verifying the City's version of the facts. Also, the commissioner of the ASA in Lauderdale County stated by affidavit that the ASA is a national softball organization and that the MUA's umpires were specially trained and experienced in serving as umpires during the 1992 softball games. Likewise, the Parks and Recreation Director of the City of Meridian, Allan Naylor, submitted an affidavit saying the MUA had a contract with the City to provide umpires for adult softball games.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

As was restated in Ellis v. Powe, 645 So.2d 947 (Miss. 1994):

*443 In determining whether the trial court properly granted a motion for summary judgment this Court conducts a de novo review of the record. Daniels v.

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Bluebook (online)
691 So. 2d 440, 1997 WL 109650, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rolison-v-city-of-meridian-miss-1997.