Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that thi s opinion should 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. 09- 60579

J A N IC E D O R S E Y , P l a i n ti ff – A p p ell a n t v. SI M O N PRO PE RT Y G RO U P, L. P. , f o r m e r l y kno w n a s M i l l s Cor po r at i o n; N OR TH PARKM ALL OPERA TI N G CO M PAN Y, LLC; NO RTH PARKM ALL L IM IT E D P A R T N E R S H IP ; N O R T H P A R KM A L L R E S ID U A L 1 , L .L .C .; NOR T HP AR K MAL L R ES I DUA L 1 L I M I T ED P AR T NER S HI P , a l s o k n o wn a s De l a wa r e No r t h p a r k M a l lRe s i d u a l1 L i m i t e dP a r t n e r s h i p ; J OH N DOES A , B A N D C ; K O N E , IN C .; C O M P A N IE S YA N D Z , D efen da n t s – A pp el l ees

A p p ea lf

rom the U n i tedS 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 U SD C N o. 3: 08- C V

- 398

B ef ore B E N AV ID E S , ST E W A R T , an d S O U T H W IC K , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * Ja ni c e D o r s e y fe l lw hi l e r i di ng o n a n e s c al at o ri n as ho ppi ng m al l
. The di st ri ctc o ur tg r ant e d s um m ar y j udg m e nti n fav o ro f t he m al lo w ne r s a nd t he
c o m p a n yre s p o n s ib le fo re s c a la to rm a in te n a n c e . W e A F F IR M
. United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D May 20, 2010 Lyle W . Cayce Clerk Case: 09-60579 Document: 00511117356 Page: 1 Date Filed: 05/20/2010N o. 09- 60579

2 FA CT S AND PR OCEDURAL HI S TORY O n A u gu st2, 200 6, Jan i ce D orsey fel lw h i l e ri di n g on an esc al atorl ocat ed i n N ort h pa rk M al li n a subu rb of Jackson , M i ssi ssi pp i
. At i m e t i cket show ed t h at on Ju l y 13 a nd 1 4, 2 00 6 t he ha ndr ai lha d s t o ppe d m o vi ng andt he
m echa n i sm began t o sm oke. K on e, I n c. , repai re d thedr ive sprocket an d repl aced th e ch a i n on the esca l a tor on J u l y 2 4 , 2 0 0 6
. F rom the n u n ti lD orse y’ s ac ci d en t, th e r e w e r e n o re p o r te dp r o b le m s w ith th e e s c a la to r . In ad e p o sition , D o rs e ysta te dth a t sh e re m e m b e re d h o ld in gon to th e left hand r ai l , but t hat s he w o ul d de fe r t o w hat e ve rt he v i de o o f t he i nc i de ntr e ve al e d. S h e s ta te d th a t a fte r h e r e s c a la to r s te p ro s e fo rte n o rfifte e n s te p s , th e h a n d r a il st ar t e dj e r ki nga ndc a us e dh e rt o fa l l
. Ko ne p e r f o r m e dp r e v e nt a t i ve m ai nt e nanc e o n t he e s c al at o ra f t e rt he a c c i de nt , b utno pr o bl e m s w e r e f o und. K o ne ’ s e l e va t o re xp e r tr e ac he d t h ese c o nc l us i o ns : t he r e w as no t hi ng c o n c lu s iv e to in d ic a te w h e th e rD o rseyev er h eld on to th e h a n d r a il; se v e r a l p e o p le
w ho r o de t he e s c al at o rpr i o rt o a nd a tt he s am e t i m e a s D o r sey a n d us e d t he
r ig h t h a n d r a il e n c o u n te r e dn o s lip p in g , st a llin g , o rje r k in g . T h e vi deo of

t h e i n ci den tdoes n o t c learl y show D orsey, as another ri der bl o c k e d t h e v i e w. Do r s e y ’ s e x p e r t t h o u g h t i t l i k e l y s h e wa s h o l d i n g o n t o t he
r i ghtha ndr ail , no tt h e lef t
. I n aw r i t t e n r e po r t , t he e xp e r tc o nc l ude d t he
a cciden t w a s “m ost p rob a b l y th e res u l t of a stall b y t h e ri gh t h a n d h a n d ra i l
. ” In h i s deposi t i on , h ow ever, h e t est i f i ed that t h ere w ere m ore t h an el even t h eori es as t o w h y a h an drai lc o ul d s l i de
. H e a l s o a gr e e d t hatb as e d o n t he v i de o , t he
o th e rp a tr o n s w e r e m o v in gs y n c h r o n o u s lya t th e t im e th a t D o r s e yfe ll. H e d id
n ot p rov i d e a sw orn aff i d a vit. D or se y f

i l ed s ui ti n M i ss i ss i ppis t a te c our ton June 2 , 2008. I tw as rem oved t o t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt fo r th e S ou t h ern D i st ri ctof M is s is s ip p i b a s e do n d iv e r s ity . D o r s e ya lle g e dt h a t S im o n P r o p e r tyG r o u p , L .P .; N ort h pa rk M al lO perati n gC om pa n y, L L C ; N ort h pa rk M al lL i m i t ed Case: 09-60579 Document: 00511117356 Page: 2 Date Filed: 05/20/2010N o. 09- 60579

3 Part ner shi p; N or t hpark M al l R es i dual 1, L. L. C

. ; and N or t hpark M al lR es i dual 1 L i m i tedP a rtn ersh i p (coll ectively “N orth p a rk M a l l”) n eg l i ge n tl y fail ed to
exe r c i se r eas onabl e ca re i n pro t ec t i ng i nvi t ee s. M or eo ver , s he as se r t ed t hat K one, w ho w as r es ponsibl e f oral lr epai r s and m ai nt enance of t he e sc al at or , w as n e g lig e n t in fa ilin gto p r o p e r lym a in ta in th e e s c a la to r . The di s t r i c tc o ur tg r ant e d s um m ar y j udg m e nti n fav o rof K on e a nd N o r t hpa r k M al lupo n f i ndi ng a l ac k o f

c r e dibl e r e c o r d e vi de nc e de m o ns t r at i ng
n e g li g e n ce orex p la in in gth e c a u se of D o rs e y ’ s fa ll
. T h e d o ctr in e of resi psa loqu i t u r di d no ta pply be caus e D o r s e y’ s fal lc o ul d ha ve ha ppe ne d a bs e nta ny n e g lig e n c e b yth e D e fe n d a n ts
. DI S CUS S I ON W e rev i ew a d i stri ct cou rt’ s gr a n t of su m m a ryj u d gm en t de no vo a n da p p ly th e s a m e le g a l p r in c ip le s a s th e d is tr ic t c o u r t. St o v e rv. Hat t i e s bur g Pub. Sc h. D ist. , 5 49 F. 3d9 85 , 9 91 ( 5t h Ci r . 2 00 8)

. Sum m ary j u dg m enti s pr o pe ri f t he pl e ad i ngs a nd ev i de nc e sho w t he r e i s no ge nui ne i s s ue of m at e r i alfac ta nd t he
m o v i ngp a r t yi s e nt i t l e dt o aj ud g m enta s am a t t e ro f l a w. Fe d
. R. Civ . P. 56(c ) ( 2)

. Th e ev i den ce i s vi ew ed an d the i n ferences are draw n “ i n t h e l i gh tm ost fav ora b l e to th e n on m ov a n t. ” Mi nt e rv . Gr e a tAm
. I ns . Co

. of

N. Y. , 423 F. 3d 460, 46 5 ( 5th Ci r . 20 05 )

. The m o vi ng pa r t y be ar s t he b ur de n o f s ho w i ng t he r e i s no g e n u in e is s u e o f m a te r ia l fa c t. Celo texCo rp . v . Ca tre tt , 4 7 7 U .S . 3 1 7 , 3 2 5 (19 8 6 ). O n ce t h e m ovi n g pa rt y carri es i t s bu rden , t h e n on m ovan t m u st present evi den ce th a t t h e r e is ag e n u in e is s u e fo rtr ia l. I d. at323- 24. A
. Negl igence D o r s e y c l ai m s t he di s t r i c t c o ur t e r r e d i n c o nc l udi ng t hats he m us tpr e s e nt

“ speci f i c s u bstantive evi den ce” t o prove t h e D efen da n ts’ n egl i gen ce. R ather, D orsey c l ai m s t h e ci rcum st an t i alevi den ce w as suff i ci en t t o present a facti ssue. Forne gl i ge nc e , t he pl ai nt i f f m us tp rove b y a pr e po nde r anc e o f t he evi denc e t hatt he def endantow ed her a du t y, the def endantbrea c hed thatdut y, Case: 09-60579 Document: 00511117356 Page: 3 Date Filed: 05/20/2010N o. 09- 60579

4 a c aus alc o n n ect i o n b e t w e e n t he de fe nda nt ’ s c o nduc ta nd h e ri nj ur i e s , a nd d a m a g e s . S i mpson v. W ats on , 14 S o. 3d 86 , 88 (M i ss. A pp . 2 0 0 9 ). To recover, th e p l a i n ti ff

m u st pro ve “cau sa ti on i n fa ct an dpr ox i m a te cau se.” Gul le dgev. Shaw , 8 80 So

. 2 d 2 88 , 2 93 (M i s s . 20 04 )

. The que s t i o n i n t hi s c as e i s w he t he ra ny c aus e f o rt he i nj ur i e s w as e ve rs ho w n. T h e defen da n ti n one of t h e au t h ori t i es on w h i ch the di st ri ctcourtrel i ed
w as a repai r c om pa n y t h at i n spect ed an el evator t h at h ad becom e st u ck betw een flo o r s . R u d dv. Mon tgom ery E levat or Co. , 618 So. 2d 68 , 69 (M i ss. 1 993 ) ( en b a n c ). N o th in gw a s fo u n din n e e d o f r e p a ir
. I

d. at70. Lat ert he s am e day , pl ai n t i f f R u dd entered t h e el evator. T h e el evator descend ed a few i n ches bel ow hi s f l o o r , s t al l e d, a nd t he n f e l l
. Rudd’ s al l e ge d i nj ur i e s ar e no tde s c r ibe d i n t he
o pi ni o n. Af

t e rt h e i n c i de nt , t he de fe nda nta ga i n i ns pe c t e d t he e l e va t o rb utf o und
n o th in gw r o n g w ith it. I d. At t r i al , R udd’ s expe r tc l ai m ed t hatt he r epai r m an h a dfa ile dto d e te c t a m is a lig n m e n t. I d. a t71- 72
. A f

t e raj ur y ve r di c tf

o rRudd,
a ju d g m e n t n o tw ith s ta n d in gth e v e r d ic t w a s g r a n te d
. I d. at72. O n app eal , t h e sup re m e c ou rthel d that “ [ a] l lt h i n gs m echa n i calare su bj ect to bre a k d ow n u p on o c c a s io n e v e n w i th the be st m a i n ten a n ce.” I d. To
m ake a j ury i ss ue on l i abi l i t y, t he pl ai nt i f f has t o sho w “ c om pet entev i denc e t hat [t he def endant ] w as s om ehow negl i gent i n i t s m ai nt enance and r epai r” and t hat “this n eg l i ge n ce ca u sed it to m a l fun cti on tha t da y.” I d. The c our tc onc l uded t hat
m i sal i gn m en t w as si m pl y conj ect u re. “ It w as i n cum ben t u pon R u dd , how ever, to o ffe rs o m e t h in gb e y o n dp u r e s p e c u la tio n th a t t h e r e w a s n e g lig e n c e o f th is
n a tu re a n dtha t i t i n fa ct cau sed the m a l fun cti on . ” I d. a t 7 3
. D o r s e y ar gue s t hatt he b e t t e ra nalys i s w o ul d f o c us o n t he val i di t y o f t he
u se of ci rcum st an t i alevi den ce t o prove her cl ai m . I n one preceden t , a broken p ip e lin e w a s le a k in gn a tu r a l g a s . Mi ss. V alley G as Co. v. Est ateof W alker , 725 S o . 2 d1 3 9 , 1 4 3 (M is s . 1 9 9 8 ), i mpl i e d ov e r r ul i ng on ot her gr ounds r e c ognize d by A d am s v. U
. S

. Hom ecraft ers , I n c. , 74 4 So

. 2d 73 6 (M i s s . 19 99 )

. The r e pa i r s m ad e Case: 09-60579 Document: 00511117356 Page: 4 Date Filed: 05/20/2010N o. 09- 60579

5 o n t he l e akfail e d t o f o l l o w t he defen da n tgas c o m pa ny’ s o w n pr o c e dur e s , a nd t he r e w as e vi de nc e fr om re s i de nt s t hatt he s m e l lo f g as w as i n t he a r e a t he
e n tir e w e e k e n da fte rt h e re p a ir
. I d. at146. The c our thel d t hat“ negl i genc e m ay b e p rov ed byci rcu m stan ti a lev i d en ce w h ere the ci rcu m stan ces a re su ch as to
rem ove t h e case f

rom th e r e al m of

conj ect u re and pl ace i tw i t h i n t h e f i el d of l eg i ti m a te i n feren ce.” I d. at145 ( quot i ng Ku ssm an v. V& G W e ldi ng S u

pp l y, I n c. , 585 So. 2d 700, 703 (M i ss . 1991) )

. I f ci r c um st ant i alevi denc e i s use d, “i tm ustbe
s u ffic ie n t t o m a k e p la in tiff ’ s a s s e r te dth e o r yre a s o n a b lyp r o b a b le , n o t m e r e ly po s s ibl e , a nd m o r e pr o ba bl e t han anyo t he rt he o r y ba s e d o n s uc h e vi de nc e , a nd i t i s ge n era l l y f

or t h e t ri er of fact to sa y w h eth er ci rcu m stan ti a l ev i d en ce m ee ts th i s test. ” I

d. (q u o tin g5 7 AA m . J u r . 2 dN e g lig e n c e § 4 6 1 (1 9 8 9 )). W e di sa gree w i t h D or se y’ s c l ai m t hats he has pr es ent ed c i r c um st ant i al evi den ce of

rel evan tcausati on . Th ere i s no evi den ce of a m echa n icalfai l u re. A not herpas se ngeron t he e sc al at orw i t h herar m on th e sa m e han dra i lt hat al l eged l y sta ll e d di d n otexperi en ce anyj erki n g. E ven D orsey’ s expertdi d n ot pi n poi n ta speci f

i c c au se. T h e R udddec i si on i s t he i nst r uct ive one. D or se y’ s ow n expe r tagr ee d t hat
on e of t h e possibl e causes f or t h e fal lw as t h at D orsey s i m ply losther balance. M oreover, D orsey’ s expertevi den ce w as def i ci en ti n f

orm , as t h ere w as no sw orn af f i da vi t
. “ [A] n uns w o r n af f i da vi t i s i nc o m pe t e nt t o r ai s e a fac ti s s ue pr e c l udi ng su m m a ryj u d gm en t. ” Ni s s ho

- Iw aiAm
. Cor p. v . Kl i ne , 8 4 5 F
. 2 d 1 3 0 0 , 1 3 0 6 ( 5 th Ci r . 1 988 )

. I n a ddit i o n, t he e xp e r t ’ s de po s i t i o n was c o nt r ar y t o s o m e o f t he in fo r m a tio n in h is w r itt e n fin d in g s . B
. R es Ipsa L oqu i t u r D orse y a rg u es th a t beca u se h a n d ra i l s d o n ot stallw h en pr o p e r ly
m a in ta in e d , th e d o ctr in e of r e s i ps a lo qui t ura p p lie s . T h e d o ctr in e of r e s i

ps a lo qui t uri s a f

or m of c i r c um st ant i alev i denc e “t hat
a llo w s n e gli ge n ce to b e inferre di n certa i n fa ct si tu a ti on s. ” Wi nt e rs v . Wr ight , Case: 09-60579 Document: 00511117356 Page: 5 Date Filed: 05/20/2010N o. 09- 60579

6 869 S o. 2 d 357 , 3 63 (M i ss. 200 3)

. To ap pl y t h e doct ri n e, t h e pl ai n t i f f m u stprove: ( 1) t he d efendan thad c ont r oland m anagem entof t he i nst r um ent al i t y t hat
ca u se dth e inju ry , (2 ) th e inju ryis on e th a t “inth e or d in a ryco u rs e of th in g s []
w o ul d no toc c uri f

t ho s e i n co nt r o lof

t he i ns t r um e nt al i t y us e d p r o pe rc ar e , ” a nd (3 ) th e inju r yw a s n o t t h e re s u lt o f th e p la in tiff ’s o w n v o l u n ta r ya c t. Pow e l lv. Met h od i stHeal t h Care- Jackson Hosps. , 8 7 6 S o . 2 d3 4 7 , 3 4 9 (M iss
. 2 0 0 4 ). R e s i ps a lo qui t ura ppl i e s “ o nl y w he n t he ac c i de nt i s s uc h t hat , a c c o r di ng t o ordi n ary h u m an exp eri en ce, i t coul d not h ave hap pen ed w i t h ou t su ch
n eg l i ge n ce.” Wi n t ers , 869 So. 2d at364 ( quot i ng Y azo o & M
. V

. R
. Co. v. Skaggs , 1 7 9 S o . 2 7 4 , 2 7 7 (M is s 1 9 3 8 )). T h o u g h D o rsey tes t i f i ed that t h e esc al atorsud den l y j erked , she al so t est i f i ed that she w ou l d defer t o t h e vi deo s u rvei l l an ce over h er m em ory. From t h e vi deo, t h e synch ronou s r i de of th e ot h er patr on s on t h e esc al atordi d n ot
s h o w s ig n s o f je r k in g . F u r th e r , D o r s e y ’s e x p e r t t e s tifie dth a t h e co u ldn o t t e ll fr o m th e s u r v e illa n c e th a t t h e r e w a s a n ys lip p a g e . Thi s i s nota n a cci de ntt hatc o ul d o nl y hav e ha ppe ne d d ue t o t he D e fen d a n ts’ n e g li g e n ce . T h e d o ctr in e of r e s i ps a lo qui t urd o e s n o t a p p ly
. A F F IR M E D
. Case: 09-60579 Document: 00511117356 Page: 6 Date Filed: 05/20/2010