Stelly v. Barlow Woods, Inc.

830 F. Supp. 936, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11225, 1993 WL 307944
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Mississippi
DecidedAugust 12, 1993
DocketCiv. A. No. 1:90-CV-344R
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 830 F. Supp. 936 (Stelly v. Barlow Woods, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stelly v. Barlow Woods, Inc., 830 F. Supp. 936, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11225, 1993 WL 307944 (S.D. Miss. 1993).

Opinion

BENCH MEMORANDUM

DAN M. RUSSELL, Jr., District Judge.

This matter is before this Court on the issue of liability and damages listed in the complaint filed by the plaintiff, Kenneth Stelly (hereinafter “Mr. Stelly”) against the defendant, Barlow Woods, Inc., d/b/a Best Western Seaway Inn (hereinafter “Michael’s”). This cause of action was tried before this Court beginning on June 21,1993, at the United States Courthouse located in Gulfport, Mississippi, and thereafter conclud[938]*938ed on June 22, 1993. The defendant reargues to this Court to grant its Motion to Dismiss pursuant to Rules 12 and 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

FACTS

On June 18, 1988, at approximately 12:30 a.m.,1 the plaintiff Kenneth Stelly allegedly slipped and fell due to liquids that were allegedly spilled on the dance floor at the defendant’s establishment, a restaurant/nightclub known as “Michael’s,” which operates out of the Best Western Seaway Inn on Highway 49 in Gulfport, Mississippi. After several minutes of dancing with Mr. Stelly’s girlfriend on the night in question, Gina Seymore-Powell, Mr. Stelly slipped and fell twisting his left knee. An ambulance was summoned from Mobile Medic Ambulance Service which then took Mr. Stelly to the emergency room at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport where he was treated for an injury to his left knee.

Upon release from Memorial Hospital, Mr. Stelly was referred to Dr. M.F. Longnecker for follow-up treatment. Subsequently, Mr. Stelly underwent physical therapy at Rehab One in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. In 1989, Mr. Stelly moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, where he was then treated by Dr. J. Lee Leonard and Dr. John E. Cobb. It was Dr. Leonard who became Mr. Stelly’s treating physician and on July 20, 1989, Dr. Leonard performed surgery on Mr. Stelly’s knee. Dr. Leonard performed further surgery on the subject knee as well as the right knee in June 1992.

Mr. Stelly alleges in his complaint that the defendant was negligent in failing to properly maintain the floor; failing to prevent a dangerous condition from existing on the floor by allowing the surface to become unsafe for patrons to dance on; allowing the surface to remain in an unsafe condition; and failing to warn Mr. Stelly of the allegedly dangerous condition. Specifically, the plaintiff states the defendant was negligent in the following:

defendant knew or should have known of liquid spills under the circumstances and failed to take reasonably necessary steps in removing or preventing such conditions.
b) That defendant failed to adequately light the said dance floor.
c) that defendant failed to conduct regular inspections.

(Complaint at page 2).

As a result of the plaintiffs injury, the plaintiff has suffered an acute injury to his left knee which has required two separate surgeries. The plaintiff argues he is no longer able to work in certain occupations due to his physical disability; thus his job base has been seriously depleted, if not eliminated.

The contested issues of fact before this Court are as follows: Whether there was any moisture or debris on the floor at the time of the fall; whether the injury was proximately caused by the defendant or if it was due to a congenital abnormality of the plaintiffs knee; the nature and extent of the medical expenses and lost wages proximately caused by the fall of June 19,1988; and the issue of the defendant’s negligence and liability therefrom and the nature and extent of the plaintiffs damages, vel non.

The contested issues of law before this Court are as follows: The defendant’s negligence or lack thereof; and the nature and extent of the plaintiffs damages, vel non; and defendant’s liability therefor.

Plaintiff claims the total amount of medical bills, as a direct and proximate result of the defendant’s breach of duty, is $13,368.24. Further, the plaintiff asserts he has lost past wages in the amount of $44,086 (we feel this is excessive and was based upon an unrealistic hourly wage) and future lost wages in the amount of $520,208 (we do not find the defendant to be disabled). Furthermore, the plaintiff claims to have a total loss of health insurance in the amount of $30,734 and lost entitlement of $50,035.

TRIAL TESTIMONY

Mr. Stelly testified that he slipped and twisted his knee while falling onto the dance floor at Michael’s. He believes the fall was [939]*939caused by spillage on the dance floor and stated that the left side of his body was damp after touching the ground on which he fell. The surgeries were painful, and he claims he suffers swelling in his knee due to such discomfort; he cannot sit or stand for long periods of time. He claims to have been out of work approximately one year after the accident. Mr. Stelly further testified that he cannot read, write, or spell and has never acquired GED certification.

David Stanfield (hereinafter “Mr. Stan-field”), a patron of Michael’s on the night in question, who was seated at the bar approximately 25 to 30 feet away from the dance floor, testified that he saw drinks being spilled on the dance floor. Mr. Stanfield, through his unobstructed view, saw people dancing with drinks in their hands for two hours continuously. Further, Mr. Stanfield heard two separate complaints regarding the condition of the dance floor, the first to the bartender about spillage on the dance floor and the second to the waitress about the spillage on the dance floor. Mr. Stanfield does not know if the spills were ever cleaned up.

Mrs. Leroy Stelly (hereinafter “Mrs. Stelly”), the mother of Kenneth Stelly, testified that her son was extremely uncomfortable after the accident and was in an intense amount of pain. In fact, it was Mrs. Stelly with whom her son lived, and it was she who took care of him after the surgeries. She noted that her son was anxious, depressed, a low self esteem, and as a result her son had problems sleeping. Mrs. Stelly said her son’s knee and leg were “swollen badly” and she would rub the leg in the middle of the night to try and help Mr. Stelly sleep. Additionally, Mrs. Stelly testified that her son received social security checks each month.

The plaintiffs expert in Vocational Rehabilitation, Shirley Dickie (hereinafter “Ms. Dickie”), testified that Mr. Stelly was functioning at a fourth grade level and was not a candidate for intellectual training. Ms. Dickie does not fell that he is employable, but she later clarified, in stating that he is not employable in the sense of gainful employment in a competitive environment. If he is in a protective environment, for instance, one in which a friend or family member has hired him, he would be able to function. Ms. Dickie further testified that Mr. Stelly could have joined a union before the accident, which would have been more lucrative for him in the long run, but he cannot now due to the fact that he can no longer do physical labor. She also noted that his knee would swell during visits.

Mr. Stellas girlfriend on the night in question, Gina Seymour-Powell, does not remember whether there was any moisture on the dance floor.

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Related

Stelly v. Woods D
47 F.3d 427 (Fifth Circuit, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
830 F. Supp. 936, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11225, 1993 WL 307944, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stelly-v-barlow-woods-inc-mssd-1993.