Zaborowski v. Hospitality Care Center of Hermitage Inc.

60 Pa. D. & C.4th 474, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 169
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Mercer County
DecidedDecember 10, 2002
Docketno. 2002-1188
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 60 Pa. D. & C.4th 474 (Zaborowski v. Hospitality Care Center of Hermitage Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Mercer County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zaborowski v. Hospitality Care Center of Hermitage Inc., 60 Pa. D. & C.4th 474, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 169 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2002).

Opinion

DOBSON, J.,

The matter before this court for disposition is defendants Hospitality Care Center of Hermitage Inc.’s Faye M. Cassity’s and Robert W. Bible’s preliminary objections to plaintiff Michael Zaborowski’s complaint.

Defendants collectively filed preliminary objections in the nature of demurrer to Counts IV and VII-X of Zaborowski’s complaint, as well as to Zaborowski’s request for punitive damages, attorney’s fees and treble [476]*476damages. Defendants also collectively filed preliminary objections in the nature of a motion to strike certain paragraphs of Zaborowski’s complaint. For the reasons set forth below, defendants’ preliminary objections will be sustained with respect to Counts IV, VII, IX and X and Zaborowski’s request for attorney’s fees and overruled with respect to Count VIII and Zaborowski’s request for punitive damages. With respect to defendants’ preliminary objections for a more specific pleading, the objections will be sustained in part and overruled in part.

Additionally, Hospitality individually filed a preliminary objection in the nature of demurrer to Count VI. The court will overrule this objection. Cassity and Bible, as individuals, filed preliminary objections in the nature of demurrer to Counts II, IV-V and VII-XI. The court will sustain these objections.

For purposes of reviewing preliminary objections based upon demurrer, “all well-pleaded material, factual averments and all inferences fairly deducible therefrom” are presumed to be true. Tucker v. Philadelphia Daily News, 757 A.2d 938, 942 (Pa. Super. 2000). When presented with preliminary objections whose end result would be the dismissal of a cause of action, a court should sustain the objections only where “it is clear and free from doubt from all the facts pleaded that the pleader will be unable to prove facts legally sufficient to establish [its] right to relief.” Bourke v. Kazaras, 746 A.2d 642, 643 (Pa. Super. 2000). (citations omitted) Furthermore,

“[I]t is essential that the face of the complaint indicate that its claims may not be sustained and that the law will not permit recovery. If there is any doubt, it should be [477]*477resolved by the overruling of the demurrer.... Put simply, the question presented by demurrer is whether, on the facts averred, the law says with certainty that no recovery is possible.” Bailey v. Storlazzi, 729 A.2d 1206, 1211 (Pa. Super. 1999). (citations omitted)

Hospitality is a skilled care nursing home facility licensed in Pennsylvania to provide services to those unable to independently care for themselves. Hospitality also participates in the Medicare/Medicaid program. As such, it is subject to various statutes applicable to Medicare and Medicaid, as well as provider agreements between itself and Medicare and Medicaid. Cassity and Bible, at all relevant times to the instant matter, were directors and officers of Hospitality. In addition, Cassity and Bible are its sole shareholders.

On September 4, 1997, Zaborowski, acting as an agent for his mother Anna M. Zaborowski (plaintiff decedent), admitted plaintiff decedent as a resident to Hospitality pursuant to the terms and conditions of a written admissions agreement.1 Plaintiff decedent remained a resident of Hospitality from the date of her admission until her death on April 15, 2001. Zaborowski maintains that the quality of care delivered by Hospitality was properly provided to plaintiff decedent until December 2000.

Around December 2000, Hospitality terminated its then president, Steven Bible, and director of nursing, Lori Bible. Following their discharge, Hospitality, at the direction of Cassity and Bible, retained the services of [478]*478Nubridge Development Inc. to manage and operate Hospitality. Sometime thereafter, Hospitality sent a letter to plaintiff decedent informing her of the change in management and also representing that “[a]s always, [Hospitality’s] priority is to provide quality care and to provide a safe and comfortable environment for [its] residents.”

Hospitality failed to provide such an environment. Instead, under Cassity’s and Bible’s sole control and Nubridge’s management, Hospitality failed to properly maintain plaintiff decedent’s quality of care. As a result of the inadequate care provided by Hospitality, plaintiff decedent suffered various conditions and injuries, including but not limited to bleeding around the areas of the G-tube and lungs, significant weight loss, choking, dehydration, seizures, labored respiration, stage I pressure sores and death. Consequently, Zaborowski commenced the instant suit by filing a survival action and a wrongful death action against Hospitality, Nubridge, Bible and Cassity.

I. MOTION FOR DEMURRER

A. Participation Theory

Cassity and Bible filed preliminary objections in the nature of demurrer to Counts II (negligence), IV (negligence per se), V (respondeat superior),2 VII (third party [479]*479contract),3 VIII (breach of fiduciary duty), IX (fraud),4 X (Unfair Trade Practice and Consumer Protection Law),5 and XI (wrongful death) of Zaborowski’s complaint. Zaborowski argues that Cassity and Bible can be held personally liable for each of these counts under the participation theory. Cassity and Bible contend that they cannot be held personally liable since the alleged actions were taken by them in their capacity as directors and officers of Hospitality, a corporate entity. The court sustains these objections.

Under the participation theory, “the court imposes liability on the individual as an actor rather than as an owner. Such liability is not predicated on a finding that the corporation is a sham and a mere alter ego of the individual corporate officer. Instead, liability attaches where the record establishes the individual’s participation in the tortious activity....

“Pennsylvania law recognizes the participation theory as a basis of liability.

“The general, if not universal, rule is that an officer of a corporation who takes part in the commission of a tort by the corporation is personally liable therefor; but that an officer of a corporation who takes no part in the commission of the tort committed by the corporation is not personally liable to third persons for such a tort, nor for the acts of other agents, officers or employees of the cor[480]*480poration in committing it, unless he specifically directed the particular act to be done or participated, or cooperated therein....

“Liability under this theory attaches only where the corporate officer is an actor who participates in the wrongful acts. Therefore, corporate officers may be held liable for misfeasance [but not for mere nonfeasance].” Wicks v. Milzoco Builders Inc., 503 Pa. 614, 621-22, 470 A.2d 86, 90 (1983). (citations omitted)

In Wicks, the plaintiffs, who were homeowners in a subdivision called Monroe Acres, brought a cause of action alleging that the corporation and its individual shareholders were liable in tort. See id. at 616-17, 470 A.2d at 87.

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

Related

O'Dell v. Vrable III, Inc.
2022 Ohio 4156 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2022)
Com. of PA Acting by AG Kathleen Kane v. Golden Gate National Senior Care LLC
158 A.3d 203 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2017)
Simmons v. Simpson House, Inc.
224 F. Supp. 3d 406 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2016)
GGNSC Clarion LP v. Kane
131 A.3d 1062 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2016)
Manor Care Inc. v. Tom Douglas
763 S.E.2d 73 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 Pa. D. & C.4th 474, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zaborowski-v-hospitality-care-center-of-hermitage-inc-pactcomplmercer-2002.