Title: Ingolf U. Biereichel v. Steven Smith et al

State: indiana

Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court

Document:

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT             ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE,                              STEVEN SMITH David P. Jones LaPorte, Indiana                Michael P. Blaize                             Valparaiso, Indiana                                  Nick J. Thiros                             Merrillville, Indiana 
                              ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE                             LOCAL UNION NO. 8 OF THE                             INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF                             PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES 
                             Jennifer Kalas                             Hammond, Indiana 
  
   IN THE 
 SUPREME COURT OF INDIANA  
 
 INGOLF U. BIEREICHEL, ) ) Appellant (Plaintiff Below ), ) 45S03-9812-CV-815 ) in the Supreme Court v. ) ) 45A03-9708-CV-265 STEVEN SMITH AND LOCAL UNION ) in the Court of Appeals NO. 8 OF THE INTERNATIONAL ) BROTHERHOOD OF PAINTERS AND ) ALLIED TRADES, ) ) Appellees (Defendants Below ). ) 
 
 
 
  
 APPEAL FROM THE LAKE SUPERIOR COURT The Honorable E. Duane Daugherty, Special Judge Cause No. 45D01-9404-CT-402 
   
  December 23, 1998    SHEPARD, Chief Justice. 
 
     Appellant Ingolf Biereichel challenges the trial court's grant of partial summary judgment in favor of defendant Local Union No. 8 of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades. We reverse. 
 
 Procedural Posture and Relevant Facts       On March 21, 1995, Biereichel sued Steven Smith, the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades, and Local Union No. 8 for injuries suffered from an alleged altercation between Biereichel and Smith.See footnote 1  Local Union No. 8 filed a motion for partial summary judgment, which the trial court granted. Biereichel appealed that decision, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. Biereichel v. Smith, 693 N.E.2d 634, 635 (Ind. Ct. App. 1998). Biereichel then sought transfer.  
 
 Decision       The trial and appellate courts in this case based their 
 rulings on the then-existing common law rule of Calvary Baptist Church v. Joseph, 522 N.E.2d 371 (Ind. 1988). See (R. at 158-62); Biereichel, 693 N.E.2d  at 636-38. Calvary stood for the proposition that a member of an unincorporated association could not maintain an action against the association itself for a tort committed by another member. 522 N.E.2d  at 372-75. We have today abrogated the former common law rule in the case of Hanson v. Saint Luke's United Methodist Church, No. 49S02-9804-CV-228 (Ind. Dec. 22, 1998), and we now allow such suits. In the wake of Hanson, the grant of partial summary judgment in favor of Local Union No. 8 on the grounds of the common law rule is no longer justified. 
 
 Conclusion       We grant transfer and reverse the partial summary judgment granted in favor of Local Union No. 8. We remand to the trial court for proceedings on the merits.  
  Dickson, Sullivan, Selby, and Boehm, JJ., concur.
 Footnote:      1 Though Biereichel's initial complaint also included See footnote  See footnote  See footnote  Steven Smith and the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades , only Local Union No. 8 is a party to this appeal. Footnote:      1 While Biereichel also apparently sued the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades and Steven Smith as its business representative, only Local Union No. 8 is a party to this appeal. Footnote:      1 While Biereichel also apparently sued the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades and Steven Smith as its business representative, only Local Union No. 8 is a party to this appeal. Footnote:      1 While Biereichel also apparently sued the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades and Steven Smith as its business representative, only Local Union No. 8 is a party to this appeal.