Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-89-02139/USCOURTS-ca10-89-02139-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 350
Nature of Suit: Motor Vehicle Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 

---

UNITED STATES COURT. OF APPEALS 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

HOPE SHAFFER and RUDY LUNA, 

co-personal representatives of 

the ESTATE OF RICHARD RANDOLPH 

LUNA, 

Plaintiffs-Appellants, 

FI LED 

United Srares C-0urt of Appeah 

Tenr'.1 c;~-.,,:, 

FEB 9 1990 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

v. No. 89-2139 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and 

LEROY NORLANDER, 

Defendants-Appellees. 

(D.C. No. 88-0375 HB) 

(District of New Mexico) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before MCKAY, ANDERSON, and BALDOCK, Circuit Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 

34(a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument. 

This appeal is from the grant of summary judgment in favor 

defendant United States of America in a federal tort claims 

* This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall 

not be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, 

except for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of 

the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 

36.3. 

Appellate Case: 89-2139 Document: 01019963006 Date Filed: 02/09/1990 Page: 1 
action. The cause arose from a fatal vehicle crash involving a 

soldier on temporary duty living off base and driving a military 

vehicle made available to his TDY group. The accident occurred 

off base and after regular duty hours. The soldier was intoxicated at the time. 

Plaintiff's theory was that the soldier's supervisor and his 

designees were acting within the scope of their authority and were 

thus "on duty" when they negligently failed to enforce Air Force 

regulations and policies governing after-hour parties and driving 

privileges. 

We have reviewed the record and the briefs as well as the 

trial court's memorandum orders. We are satisfied that the trial 

court correctly applied New Mexico law of respondeat superior when 

it concluded that neither the soldier-driver nor his superiors 

were acting in their "line of duty" at the time of their alleged 

defaults. We therefore affirm for substantially the reasons given 

by the trial court. The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

-2-

Entered for the Court 

Monroe G. McKay 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 89-2139 Document: 01019963006 Date Filed: 02/09/1990 Page: 2