Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 , the C ourth as determined th at this opinionshould not * be publishe d an d is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHE FIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 08- 60651
S P E N C E R B R O W N ; A R L E N E B R O W N ; F L O R E N C E C L A R K E ; S T E V E N C L U N IS ; L E S L IE D AV IS ; M IR IA M D AV IS ; O L IV E R F E R G U S O N ; ELAI N E FORB ES; AN N ETTE GR AN T; DELRO Y H I N DS; BEVE RLY N E L S O N ; VA N IC E P A T R IC K ; R A N D O L P H O W E N ; M IL E A N O W E N ; DAVI D RO W E; DO REE N SHAW ; W YCLI FE W I LLIAM S; TELKA G RAN TW I LLI AM S; J U LLA I N E W I SD O M ; M AX I N E W I LLI AM S P l ai n t i f fs- A pp el l an t s v. C U R TIZE D
. JO H N SO N ; G R E Y H O U N D B U S C O M PA N Y , doi ng busi nes s as G R E Y H O U N D L IN E S , IN C

. D efen da n t s- A pp el l ees

A p p ea lf

rom the U n i ted S tates D i stri ct C ou rt fo rth e S o u th e r n D is tr ic t o f M is s is s ip p i

N o . 2 : 0 8 VB4KS- M TP

B ef ore R E AV L E Y , D AV IS, an d B E N AV ID E S , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R I A M: * T h e p l ai n t i f

fs ap pea lthe j u dg m en tof the di st ri ctcourtenfor ci n g rel eases t h ey si gn ed i n set t l em en tof i nj u ri es s u st ai n ed i n a cr ash w h i l e t h ey w ere pass enger s on a ch a r t er ed G r eyhound bus. Based on o ur c onc l usi on t hat United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D June 9, 20 09 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 08- 60651

Th e short rele a serea d a s f ollows: 1 GENE RAL RE LEASE I/We, in consi derationof the payment of _

____ ____ _ Dollars $__

____ __, hereby rele ase and forever dischargeany and allcl aims whatsoever arisin g f r oman acci dent, occurrence of lo ss on or about __

___________ at or near

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ . Itis expresslyagreed that this relea se and payment of said sum is not to b e co n stru eda s ana dmis sionof li ab ility . Thisi s af

ullan d fin al rele a sean d sati sf actionof allclaim s. E achrelea sewa s app ropriatelyc om pl etedwhenf in aliz ed
. 2 gen u i n e i ssues of

factexi stregardi n g t h e enfor cea b i l i t y of t h ose r el eases o bt ai ne d s ho r t l y af

t e rt he a c c i de nt , w e r e ve r s e a nd r e m and
.

I. O n M a rch 14 , 20 0 7 , a G rey h ou n d ch a rter ca rry i n g 3 0 Ja m a i ca n reside n ts t o w or k as s eas onall abori n B r anso n, M i ss our iw as i nvolved i n an ac c i dentnear W i ggi ns, M i ss i ss i ppi
. The ac c i dentoc c urr ed af t ert he dr iver d rop p ed hi s m ap a n d b e n t d o w n t o re tr ie v e it. T h e b u s o v e r tu r n e do n th e h ig h w a ym e d ia n . E l even passen gers w ere tr an sport ed by am bu l an ce to t h ree s epa rat e area h ospi t al s. N i n et een passen gers (i n cl u di n g al lbu tf ou r of t h e app el l an t s) w ere tran sp orted to h osp i tals bysch oo lbu s be ca u se th eir i nj u ri es d i d n o t a p p e a r to b e s ig n ific a n t, m a in lyco n tu s io n s , sp r a in s a n ds tr a in s . G r e yho und di s pa t c he d adj us t e r s f r o m F r o nt i e rA dj us t e r s t o t he s c e ne a nd t o t h e v a r i o u s e m e r g e n c yr o o m s wh e r e t h e p a s s e n g e r s h a db e e n t r a n s p o r t e d. T h e a dj u sters m et the i nj u red pa sse n ge rs a t t h e h osp i tals an dattem p ted to
r e ac h set t l e m e nt s w i t h t he m f o rt he i ri nj ur i e s . The pa s s e nge r s t ak e n t o o ne ho s pi t alc o nt ac t e d t he i re m pl o ye rw ho a dv i s e d t hatt he y s ho ul d no ts i gn any rel ease. Si xteen pa ssengers (t h e “R el easors” ) a tthe ot h er tw o h ospi t al s s i gn ed relea se s in fa vo r of G rey h ou n dan drece ive dam ou n ts ran gin g from $5 0 0 to $1, 500 each, i n add i t i on t o pay m en tof t h ei r m edi calexpen ses. 1N o. 08- 60651

3 T h e R elea sors cl a i m tha t t h e a dj u sters u sed a n u m b er o f frau d u l en t,
u n fai r bargai n i n g t act i cs t o m i sl ead them into si gn i n g t h e rel eases. Th ey assert t hatt he a dj us t e r s di r e c t e d t he m t o g o i ndivi dua l l y i nt o a s e pa r at e r o o m a tt he h ospi t al
. Th ey w ere tol d t h at G reyhou n d w ou l d on l y pa y t h ei r m edi calexpen ses i f th eysi gn ed a re l ea se. T h e a dj u sters re fuse dto all ow the accid en t vi cti m s to t ak e t h e rel ease f

rom t h e i n t ervi ew room t o di scuss i t am on g th e m selves. Fur t he rno t r ans po r t at i o n was pr o vi de d f r o m t h e ho s pi t alunt i le ac h o f t he pa ssengers m etw i t h t h e adj u st ers. I n di vi du alaf f i da vi t s f

rom th e R el easors, in d ic a te th a t th e a dju s te r s d e s c r ib e d th e p a y m e n ts r e c e iv e d a s a n “ i n c e n tiv e ,”
a n d t h e “ r e l e a s e ” a s a f o r m t h a t wo u l dr e l e a s e t h e m f r o m t h e h o s p i t a l
. S o me u n derst ood that t h e f orm w a s to al l ow t h e adj u st ers t o payf or t h e m eal s t h ey had att he hos pi t alor a s aut hor i zat i on f ort he adj ust er s t o payt hei rm edi c al b il l s . S o m e o f th e p la in tiffs w e r e to ldth e yco u ldg e t a d d itio n a l m o n e yif th e ir inju r ie s d id n o t h e a l a s q u ic k lya s e x p e c te d
. T h e R e le a s o r s a ls o cla im th a t t h e yw e r e a t s e v e r a l d is a d v a n ta g e s in th is process. Th ey h ad j u stbeen i n vol ved i n a traum ati c bu s acci den t , w ere far f rom h om e a n dw i th ou t resou rces eit h er to p a y th e h osp i tal o r fo r tra n sp orta ti on to conti n u e theirtri p. S om e w ere st i l lin p ai n an d h ad been given pain m edi cat i on a n d /o rm u s c le re la x a n ts
. G r e y h o u n dd e n ie s a ll a lle g a tio n s . Th e Rel eas or s r epudi at ed t hei r se t t l em ent s by l et t erdat ed Apri l3, 2007,
an d toget h er w it h al lof t h e non - rel easi n g pa ssengers f i l ed su i tagainst G reyhou n d and t h e driver. F ou r spou ses ad ded l oss of consortiu m cl ai m s. G reyhou n d f

i l ed a m ot ion fo r sum m ary j u dg m en tan d m ot i on t o enfor ce se t t l e m e nt , whi c h t he di st r i c tc our tgr ant ed ba se d on t he unam bi guous l anguage i n t h e rel eases and t h e “ m ore- t h an - n om i n al” consi derati on t h ey received
. A f t erN o. 08- 60651

4 t he di s t r i c tc o ur tc e r t i f i e d t he j udg m e ntf

o ra ppe alund e rRul e 5 4(b) , t he Rel e as o r s a nd t he i rs po us e s a ppe al e d. II
. A l th ou gh M i ssissi p p il a w ge n era l l y a d h ere s to th e princ i p l e t h a t a pa rty is ch a r g e dw ith k n o w le d g e o f th e te r m s o f aco n tr a c t t h a t h e s ig n e d , s e e , e.g . , MS C redi tC t r. , I

n c. v. Hort on , 92 6 S o.2d 16 7 , 17 7 (M i ss. 2 0 0 6 ), t h e s tate’ s cou rts h ave recognized except i on s f or r el eases pro cu red un der ci rcum st an ces evi denc i ng ba d fai t h, di s pa r i t y i n b ar ga i ni ng po w e r , c o e r c i o n, dur e s s , o ro t h er in e q u itie s . F o re x a m p le , in Wi l l i s v . Mar lar , 4 58 So

. 2d7 22 (M i s s . 1 984 ) , t he pl ai nt i f fs w e r e i nvo lve d i n a n au t o m o bi l e c o l l i s i o n wi t h t he de fe nda nt
. The defenda n t ’ s i n surer i ssued pl ain tiffs a check pay able t o t h em an d thei r m ot or credi tcom pa n y. La t er t h e i n surer’ s agen tm etw i t h t h e pl ai n tiffs at a hu rri ed
m ee t i ng d ur i ng t he i r l un c h b r e a k a t wor k a t whi c h t i m e t he y s i g ned an

“ ag r e e m e nta nd r e l e as e . ” M r s . W i l l i s s t at e d t hatt he a ge nta s ke d he rt o s i gn a do c um e nte xp r e s s i ng he rs at i s fac t i o n wi t h t h e u se d c ars he a nd h e rhus ba nd b o u g h t t o re p la c e th e irw r e c k e dv e h ic le
. W h e n s h e a s k e d a b o u t b la n k s p a c e s in th e d o cu m e n t , t h e agen tsai d h e w ou l d f i l lt h em i n . Sh e si gn ed the rel ease w i t h ou treadi n g i t
. M r. W i l l i s arrived n ext. H e bel i eved t h at t h e rel ease f orm w as a s t at e m e ntt hatt he i ns ur e rw o ul d p ay “ up t o da t e ” a l lm e di c alb i l l s a nd si gned i t , al so w i t houtr eadi ng i t
. H e e xpl ai ned t hat i t w as a hurr i ed m ee t i ng, t hatt he bl anks w er e no tf i l l ed i n and t hat t he t i t l e “A gr ee m ent and R el eas e” w as c o nc e al e d b y t he c l i p o f a c l i pb o ard. The o nl y pa ym e ntt he pl ai nt i f fs r e c e ive d,
o th e r th a n th e a m o u n t forth e ir d a m a g e dca r, w a s $ 4 2 4 .00
. T h e p la in tiffs ar gued t hatt her e w as an abs enc e o f go od fai t h and f

ul lunders t andi ng of l egal
r i ght s, t hatt he nat ure and ef fec tof t he i nstru m en t w as m i sr epr es ent ed, t hat t her e w as a fai l ure of cons i der at i on an d thatM r s. W i l l i s w as i ndu c ed nott o r ead t h e in s t r u m e n t . T h e M is s is s ip p i S u p r e m e C o u r tr e v e r s e d t h e d is t r ic tc o u r t ’s
or derdi r ec t i ng ver di c tf ort he def

endanton t he r el eas e, f i ndi ng t hatt her e w asN o. 08- 60651

5 an i ssue of fact f

or t h e j u ry on t h e rel eases. S e e al so A lexan d er v. M yers , 219 S o .2d 1 60, 160

- 63 (M i ss. 196 9) ( deci si on t o subm i ti ssue t o j u ry w as af f i rm ed
w her e r el eas e obt ai ned f r om pers on w i t h sixt h gr ade educat i on and hi s 19- year o ldw ife w a s p ro cu re d b yfra u da n dm is r e p re se n ta tion
. A dju ste r to ldp la in tiff t hatt he r e l e as e w as a n a ut ho r i z at i o n t o t he r e af t e rc o ns um m at e a s e t t l e m e nt and advance f

und s t o a ppel l ee . Pl ai nt i f f coul d n otread ver y w el l , coul d notr ead th e relea se a n d i t w a s n ot rea dto h i m . ); T a te v . R obi n son , 78 S o. 2d 461 (M i ss. 195 5) ( Is sue of

rel ease’ s enf

orce a b i l i t y shou l d h ave been subm i t t ed to t h e j u ry w h e n i nj ur e d pa r t y r e c e ive d a no m i nal s um i n r e l at i o n t o he r i nj ur i e s, di d n ot kno w he rr i ght s a nd r e l i e d e nt i r e l y o n t he r e pr e s e nt at i o ns o f t he a dj us t e rw ho i n du ced h er t o si gn t h e rel ease w i t h ou tdi scl osi n g i t s t erm s. ) Th ese c ases w ere r e af f i r m e d byt he M i s s i s s i ppiSupr e m e Cour ti n R oyer Hom es of Mi ssi ssi

pp i, I n c. v. Ch an d eleur Hom es, I n c. , 8 57 So

. 2d7 48 , 7 57 (M i s s . 2 003 ) , in w hi c h t he S u prem e C ou rtst ated “W h at al lt h e cases m ak e cl ear i s t h at w h ere t h ere are al l e ga t i o ns m ad e a s t o t he val i di t y o f a re l e as e due t o f

r aud , m i s r e pr e s e nt at i o n, ad h esi on or ot h er i n equ i t i es t h en t h e case properl y goes t o t h e j u ry or fac t f i nder , ” af

t erc i t i ng T

ate, A lexan d er and Willis
. T h e i ssue i n t h i s c ase t h en i s w h et h er t h e pl ai n t i f fs’af f i da vi t s are s uf f i c i e ntt o c reat e a g enui ne i s s ue o f fac ta s t o “t o f

r aud , m i s r e pr e s e nt at i o n, adhes i on o rot heri nequi t i es ” i n t he e xec ut i on o f t he r el eas es . W e c onc l ude t hat t hey do
. T he pl ai nt i f

fs w er e sl i ght l y e ducat ed f or ei gner s, al t hough t hey do s peak
a n d r e a d E n gl i sh. Th ey w ere w i t h ou tres ou rces t o payt h e m edi calbi l l s t h ey i n curred as a resul tof t h e bu s acc i den tan d d epen de n t o n G reyhou n d f or t ran sport ati o n to conti n u e t h ei r j ou rney to t h ei r j obs M i ssouri
. Th e rel eases w ere obt ai n ed s h o rtl y af t er t h e acci den t , w h en t h e pl ai n t i f fs descr ibed t h em selves as nervou s and shak y. S om e w ere i n p ai n an d u n der t h e i n f l u en ce o f m e d ica tion th e yh a d b e e n g ive n . T h e a ffi d a v its a lso re v e a l th a t th e p la in tiffs w e r e mi s l e d a b o u tt h e n a t u r e o f t h e d o c u me n tt h e yw e r e a s k e dt o s i g n . S o meN o. 08- 60651

6 w e r e to ld th a t t h e yh a d to s ig n a fo r m to re c e iv e a n “in c e n tiv e .” O th e r s w e r e to ld th a t t h e re le a s e h a d to b e s ig n e ds o th e irm e d ic a l b ills co u ldb e p a id
. B ased on t h e a f

f i da vi t s d i scussed abov e a n d M i ssi ssi pp icase l aw , i ssues o f fa c ta r e p r e s e n to n t h e e n fo r c e a b il it yo f t h e r e le a s e s a n dth e d is t r ic tc o u r t ’s gr anto f s um m ar y j udg m e nti n fav o ro f t he de fe nda nt s m us tb e r e ve r s e d. II I. Th e d i str i c tc our tdi sm i ss ed t he l os s of c ons or t i um c l ai m s br oughtby spou ses of

t h e R el easors on t h e basi s t h at “l oss of consort i u m cl ai m s are de r iva t ive c l ai m s und e rs t at e l aw, [ ac c o r di ngly] t hi s Cour t ’ s e nf o r c e m e nto f

t he
r el eas es bars the s i gnat or i es ’spous es cl ai m s as w el l , ” c i t i ng J& J Ti m be r Co. v. B r o o me , 9 3 2 S o . 2 d 1 , 6 (Mi s s . 2 0 0 6 )

. B a s e do n o u rd i s p o s i t i o n o f t h e ma i n c l a i ms i n t hi s c as e , w e ne e d no t c o ns i de r w he t he r t he l o s s o f c o ns o r t i um c l ai m s w ere p r o p e r lyd is m is s e d
. IV
. F or t h e foregoi n g reasons, w e revers e t h e j u dg m en tof t h e di st ri ctcourt di s m i s s i ng pl ai nt i f

fs ’ pe r s o nali nj ur y andl o s s o f c o ns o r t i um c l ai m s a nd r e m and t hi s c a s e t o th e di s t r i c tc o ur tf o rf ur t he rpr o c e e di ngs c o ns i s t e ntw i t h t hi s o pi ni o n. RE VE RS ED a n d R EMANDE D.