Smith v. Board of County Com'rs of County of Lyon

216 F. Supp. 2d 1209, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14714, 2002 WL 1813685
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedJuly 16, 2002
Docket01-4018-SAC
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 216 F. Supp. 2d 1209 (Smith v. Board of County Com'rs of County of Lyon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Board of County Com'rs of County of Lyon, 216 F. Supp. 2d 1209, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14714, 2002 WL 1813685 (D. Kan. 2002).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CROW, District Senior Judge.

This is a case in which the plaintiff allegedly suffered injuries from having fallen in the kitchen of the Lyon County jail while an inmate there, and from his care and treatment thereafter. Plaintiff has brought various negligence and constitutional claims against the Board of County Commissioners of Lyon County, its former Sheriff, Clifford Hacker, and its current Sheriff, Gary Eiehorn.

Two motions are before the court: plaintiffs motion for leave to file a second amended complaint, and defendants’ “motion for summary judgment.” 1

Additionally, plaintiff has, by letter, requested oral argument of the motions. To the extent plaintiffs request for oral argument could somehow be construed as a motion, it is denied, as the court does not believe that oral argument would be of substantial assistance in resolving this matter.

PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT

Plaintiff has moved for permission to file a second amended complaint (Dk. 55) containing claims in addition to those asserted in his amended complaint. 2

Two days after plaintiffs motion to file a second amended complaint was filed, the final pretrial order was filed. (Dk. 58). As the parties are well aware,

the pretrial order, when approved by the court and filed with the clerk, together with any memorandum entered by the court at the conclusion of the final pretrial conference, will control the subsequent course of the action unless modified by consent of the parties and court, or by an order of the court to prevent manifest injustice.

D. Kan. R. 16.2(c). An order entered pursuant to Rule 16(e) supersedes the pleadings and controls the subsequent course of litigation. Hullman v. Board of Trustees of Pratt Community College, 950 F.2d 665, 668 (10th Cir.1991). The pretrial order in the present case would supercede plaintiffs second amended complaint and no purpose would be served by granting plaintiffs motion. Further, because the claims which plaintiff seeks to add in its second amended complaint are already included in the pretrial order, neither party will be prejudiced as a result of this ruling. This motion shall therefore be denied as moot.

DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Standard for summary judgment

More than a “disfavored procedural shortcut,” summary judgment is an impor *1214 tant procedure “designed ‘to secure the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action.’ Fed.R.Civ.P. 1.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265(1986). At the same time, a summary judgment motion does not empower a court to act as the jury and determine witness credibility, weigh the evidence, or choose between competing inferences. Windon Third Oil and Gas Drilling Partnership v. Federal Deposit Ins. Corp., 805 F.2d 342, 346 (10th Cir.1986), cert. denied, 480 U.S. 947, 107 S.Ct. 1605, 94 L.Ed.2d 791(1987).

Under this standard, this court examines the record to determine whether any genuine issue of material fact is in dispute, construing the factual record and reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. See Curtis v. Oklahoma City Pub. Schs. Bd. of Educ., 147 F.3d 1200, 1214 (10th Cir.1998). When the nonmovant will bear the burden of proof at trial, he can survive summary judgment only by going beyond the pleadings and presenting evidence sufficient to establish the existence, as a triable issue, of any essential and contested element of his case. See McKnight v. Kimberly Clark Corp., 149 F.3d 1125, 1128 (10th Cir.1998).

Facts

The factual posture of this case is unusual in that defendants chose to set forth in their memorandum only a few uncontro-verted facts, and did not challenge even in part any of the 61 uncontroverted facts set forth by plaintiff in its response. The following facts, viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, are thus uncontested.

1.The Board of County Commissioners of the County of Lyon is the owner and operator of the Lyon County jail in Empo-ria, Kansas.

2. On or about April 16, 1999, plaintiff, who was placed in custody of the Lyon County jail several weeks earlier, was made a trustee. Trustee duties for plaintiff included kitchen and laundry duties such as delivering meals to inmates, returning dishes to the kitchen, washing pots and pans, mopping the floor and keeping the kitchen in a reasonably clean and safe condition.

3. In April of 1999 and until January, 2001, Clifford Hacker was the sheriff and administrator for the Lyon County jail.

4. Gary Eichorn is the current sheriff of Lyon County, having assumed office in January, 2001. He did not hold any positions in an official capacity for the Lyon County jail at the time of this alleged incident in May-August, 1999.

5. Plaintiff alleges that he fell while in the kitchen and sustained injuries therefrom. The date of plaintiffs fall is disputed. According to the record, plaintiffs fall is said to have occurred on May 2, 1999 (Dr. Curtis depo. p. 28-29); on May 3, 1999 (Dk. 57, p. 2); in the last part of May (plaintiffs depo. p. 90-92); sometime in April (plaintiffs depo. p. 88-89); on June 2, 1999 (Exh. K — accident form); and sometime in the week preceding June 3d or June 5th (nurse’s note bearing illegible date).

6. One morning, jail guard Tim Winter-ringer noticed plaintiff limping when he was delivering breakfast at the jail facility. When he questioned plaintiff about his condition, plaintiff stated that he had fallen in the kitchen about a week ago. Guard Winterringer immediately took plaintiff to the medical room for evaluation.

7. This was the first notice guard Win-terringer had from plaintiff of any back problems or injury.

8. On that same day, plaintiff was seen by the nurses who evaluate and treat pa- *1215 tiente 2-3 days a week at the Lyon County jail. He was also given an ice pack and two Ibuprofen by the jail staff.

9. The Nursing Assessment Note is dated either 6/3/99 or 6/5/99, in handwriting which is illegible as to the date. That note reports that plaintiff complained of “back pain.” It also states: “... injured at work previously Nov. 1998. Slipped here last week pain returned and has worsened ...” Based upon her evaluation, the nurse recommended plaintiff be seen by a doctor.

10. On that same day, plaintiff was taken to see Dr. Wright, a physician who contracted to provide medical services for the jail, for evaluation of plaintiffs back pain.

11.

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

Related

Rhodes v. Smith
W.D. Kentucky, 2021
Hicks v. Williams
W.D. Kentucky, 2020
Tapp v. Onan
W.D. Kentucky, 2019
Williamson v. Kenney
W.D. Kentucky, 2019
Estate of Hammers v. Douglas Cnty.
303 F. Supp. 3d 1134 (D. Kansas, 2018)
A.B. ex rel. B.S. v. Adams-Arapahoe 28J School District
831 F. Supp. 2d 1226 (D. Colorado, 2011)
Ebonie S. v. Pueblo School District 60
819 F. Supp. 2d 1179 (D. Colorado, 2011)
Blume v. Meneley
283 F. Supp. 2d 1178 (D. Kansas, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
216 F. Supp. 2d 1209, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14714, 2002 WL 1813685, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-board-of-county-comrs-of-county-of-lyon-ksd-2002.