Winters v. Protective Casualty Ins.

678 F. Supp. 144, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1176, 1988 WL 8663
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 3, 1988
DocketCiv. A. No. 86-540-A
StatusPublished

This text of 678 F. Supp. 144 (Winters v. Protective Casualty Ins.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Winters v. Protective Casualty Ins., 678 F. Supp. 144, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1176, 1988 WL 8663 (M.D. La. 1988).

Opinion

JOHN V. PARKER, Chief Judge.

This matter is before the court on motions for summary judgment on behalf of defendants, H.B.M., Inc. d/b/a Murphy’s Bar and its insurers, Constitution State Insurance Company and Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company (“Murphy’s”). Theodore Cangelosi d/b/a The University Shopping Center also moves for summary judgment. The motion for summary judgment by Murphy’s Group is opposed by plaintiff, intervenor, Blue Cross and Blue Shield United of Wisconsin (“Intervenor”), and by the Tulane University Chapter of Sigma Nu Fraternity and its insurer, United States Fire Insurance Company (“Sigma Nu”). The motion for summary judgment on behalf of University Shopping Center is opposed by plaintiff and intervenor. The court finds that there is no need for oral argument. Subject matter jurisdiction is allegedly based upon diversity of citizenship.

Plaintiff, Michael Winters, allegedly suffered serious injuries when he was dragged beneath a car driven by defendant, Lawson Wilder. Plaintiff alleges that Wilder was intoxicated from alcoholic beverages which had been served to him by employees of Murphy’s and that as result of his intoxication, he did not observe plaintiff lying on the ground in front of his automobile. Plaintiff further alleges that his injuries were proximately caused by the negligence of Murphy’s in selling alcoholic beverages to defendant Wilder to the point of intoxication and in failing to supply proper and adequate security in the parking lot outside Murphy’s. Plaintiff also asserts that his injuries were proximately caused by the negligence of the University Shopping Center in failing to supply proper and adequate security personnel in the University Shopping Center parking lot.

Under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56, a motion for summary judgment shall be granted if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions on file, and any affidavits, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The party seeking summary judgment always bears the initial responsibility for demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. When a party makes such a properly supported motion for summary judgment, the adverse party must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Celotex v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The court must look to the substantive law’s identification of which facts are material, and in this diversity case, the substantive law which must be considered is Louisiana tort law.

MURPHY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

As to plaintiff’s claims against defendant, Murphy’s, for alleged negligence in [146]*146selling alcohol to Wilder, defendant contends that at the time of this incident, Louisiana cases held that there was no “dram shop” liability for retailers of alcohol, except where a retailer committed an affirmative act which increased the danger posed by the condition of intoxication. See Thrasher v. Leggett, 373 So.2d 494, 497 (La.1979); LeBlanc v. Adams, 510 So.2d 678 (La.App. 4 Cir.1987). Defendants assert that plaintiff has not alleged or pointed to evidence of any affirmative acts. In brief, plaintiff concedes that he has no information to refute defendant’s arguments of fact and law on the “dram shop” issue. Intervenor and defendant, Sigma Nu, also state in brief, that under Louisiana law, there can be no basis for finding Murphy’s liable for negligence in the sale of alcohol to an individual who caused injury to someone else.

Plaintiff, however, also bases his claim against Murphy’s upon a second theory of liability — failing to supply proper and adequate security personnel in the parking lot outside Murphy’s Bar. Plaintiff, intervenor and Sigma Nu contend that there are genuine issues of material fact in dispute as to this allegation. These parties assert that there are genuine issues of material fact as to precisely where defendant Wilder’s vehicle was parked; where off-duty sheriff’s deputies hired by Murphy’s were stationed; whether plaintiff was lying in front of or underneath the vehicle, and whether Murphy’s failed to provide adequate security outside its bar. Defendants argue that under Louisiana law, the bar has no duty to provide security in its area of the parking lot to protect patrons from unforeseeable and isolated incidents caused by third persons. Furthermore, defendant argues that even if it owed such a duty, it would not extend to parking areas of other stores.

In Harris v. Pizza Hut, 455 So.2d 1364 (La.1984), the Louisiana Supreme Court held that a business which undertakes to hire a security guard to protect itself and its patrons is liable for physical harm which occurs because of negligence on the part of that guard. Where, a duty has been assumed to provide a security guard, it is necessary to decide whether that guard was acting with reasonable care in preventing the harm incurred. Harris, at p. 1372.

In determining negligence liability, the courts of Louisiana have adopted a duty-risk analysis approach. See Dixie Drive It Yourself Sys. v. American Beverage Co., 137 So.2d 298 (1962). Before liability can be imposed, it must be determined under a duty-risk analysis that the risk of injury that occurred to this plaintiff falls within the scope of the duty owed by the defendant. Did the defendant have a duty to protect the plaintiff from accidents of the type which occurred in this case. See Cheramie v. Brunet, 510 So.2d 700 (La. App. 1 Cir.1987); Crochet v. Hospital Service Dist. No. 1 of Terrebone Parish, 476 So.2d 516 (La.App. 1 Cir.1985) (trial court granted summary judgment in negligence case and Court of Appeal affirmed). Whether or not the risk of harm that occurred to this plaintiff falls within the scope of the duty owed must be determined on a case by case basis with each court weighing the important policy factors. Ronstadt v. Begnaud Motors, Inc., 427 So.2d 911 (La.App. 3d Cir.1983).

It is undisputed that the accident occurred in the parking lot of University Shopping Center, located near the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The shopping center contains a number of business establishments, including Murphy’s. There is one parking lot common to all businesses with no specific identification of parking for any particular establishment. It is also undisputed that when plaintiff left the bar it was completely dark, probably after midnight.

In the present case, plaintiff makes no claim, nor does he present any evidence that he was so visibly intoxicated and obviously unable to care for himself when he left the bar, that the security guards should have noticed his condition and taken measures to see that he got safely to his car. Plaintiff merely claims that Murphy’s was negligent in failing to supply proper and adequate security in the parking lot outside the bar. Assuming as true all [147]

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Related

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Miles v. Flor-Line Associates
442 So. 2d 584 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1983)
Ronstadt v. Begnaud Motors, Inc.
427 So. 2d 911 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1983)
Rodriguez v. New Orleans Public Serv., Inc.
400 So. 2d 884 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1981)
Crochet v. HOSP. SERV. DIST. NO. 1, ETC.
476 So. 2d 516 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1985)
Harris v. Pizza Hut of Louisiana, Inc.
455 So. 2d 1364 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1984)
Dixie Drive It Yourself System New Orleans Co. v. American Beverage Co.
137 So. 2d 298 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1962)
Cheramie v. Brunet
510 So. 2d 700 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
LeBlanc v. Adams
510 So. 2d 678 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
Thrasher v. Leggett
373 So. 2d 494 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1979)

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Bluebook (online)
678 F. Supp. 144, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1176, 1988 WL 8663, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/winters-v-protective-casualty-ins-lamd-1988.