2005 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 4-14-2005 

# Es t at e Apt ekm an v

. P hi l a delphi a P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 04-1645

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2005 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Es t at e Apt e km an v

. P hi l a delp hi a" (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1361. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/1361NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N O . 04- 1645

________________ E S T AT E OF F L OR E NC E S I L VE RMAN AP T E KM AN BY S T E P HE N M I CH AE L S I L VE RMAN AND M ARK J OEL S I LVE RM AN, CO- ADM I NI S TRAT ORS

OF T HE E S TAT E OF F LORE NCE S I L VE RMAN AP T E KM AN, DE CE AS E D; S T E P HE N M I CH AE L S I L VE RMAN, I NDI VI DUAL L Y; M AR K J OE L S I L VE RMAN, I NDI VI DUAL L Y; L OUI S AP T E KM AN, I NDI VI DUAL L Y,

A p p e llan ts v. CI T Y OF P HI L ADE L P HI A; ASH TON HA LL NU RSI NG HO M E; BE AT RI CE S T E NT A, I NDI VI DUAL L Y AND I N HE R P RO F E S S I ONAL CA P AC I T Y AS ADMI NI S T RA T OR OF TH E ASH TON HA LL NU RSI NG HO M E;

AP RI L L OWM AN, I NDI VI DUAL L Y AND I N HE R P RO F E S S I ONAL

CAP ACI TY AS DI S P ATCHER , F O R T H E C IT Y O F P H IL A D E L P H IA

_________________ O n A p p ea l Fro m the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt F o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C i v. N o. 01- cv- 04963) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e C l ar ence C . N ew comer

____________________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a) : J anuary10, 2005T hi s cas e w as s ubm i t t ed t o t he pane l of j udges R oth, C her t off, and R es t ani . J udge * C h e rto f f re sig n e d a f

ter su b m iss io n , b u t b e f

o re th e f ili n g o f th e o p in io n . T h e d e c isio n is fil ed b ya q u o rum o f th e p an el. 2 8 U . S . C . § 4 6 (d). H onor abl e J ane A . R es t ani , C hi ef J udge of the U ni t ed St at es C our tof I nt ernat i onal ** T r ade, s i t t i ng bydes i gnat i on. 2

B e f o re : R O T H a n d C H E R T O F F , C ir c u it J u d g e s , * R E ST A N I , J udge, U ni t ed St at es C our tof I nt ernat i onal T r ade

** ( Fi l ed A pr i l 14, 2005)

_______________________

OP I NI ON

_______________________ R oth, C i r cui tJ udge T he Est at e of Fl or ence A pt ekman appeal s an or derof the U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ct C o u rt f o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia g ra n tin g su m m a ryju d g m e n t to d e f e n d a n ts A s ht on H al l N ur s i ng H om e and Beatr i ce St ent a. A ppel l ant s fi l ed a c orpor at e negl i gence cl ai m agai ns tA s ht on H al l , as w el l as cl ai m s fornegl i gence , w r ongful death and a “s ur vi val act i on” aga i ns tA s ht on H al l and i t s s upervi s or , B eatr i ce St ent a. Forthe r eas ons d i s c u s s e d b e l o w, we wi l l a f f i r m. Fl or ence A pt ekman w as a r es i dentof A s ht on H al l , a l ong- t erm car e nur s i ng fac i l i ty . O n N ovember8, 2000, L oui s A pt ekman, the dec edent ’ s hus band, vi s i t ed herat the home. W hi l e theyw er e ea t i ng i n t he di ni ng r oom , M s . A pt ekman col l aps ed and app eared t o b e go i ng i nto car diac arres t . S t aff m em bers atthe h om e cam e t o M s. A pt ekman’ s ai d, s aw t hats he appe ar ed t o be i n gr ave di s t r es s , and ca l l ed foran3

ambul ance fr om R egi onal M edi cal T r ans por t . Shor t l yther eaf t er , A s ht on H al l s t aff m e m b e rs c a lled 9 1 1 , an d a C ityo f P h ilad e lp h ia a m b u lan c e w a s d isp a tch e d . A p p e llan ts cl ai m t hatt her e w as a del ayi n t he di s pat ch of the ci t yambul ance . M s . A pt ekman di ed on th e s c e n e b e f

o r e s h e c o u l d b e t r a n s p o r t e d t o a h o s p i t a l . Al t h o u g h Ap p e l l a n t s a s s u me o therw ise, itap p ea rs th at S tenta w as n o t i n the b u il d ing o n the d ayo f M s. A p tekm an ’s demi s e. A ppel l ant s di d notpr oduce a nyevi dence thats he w as on the pr emi s es , and S ten ta s u b m itt e d a n a f

f id a v it an d c o p yo f

h e r tim e c a rd to th e c o n tra ry . A p p e llan ts d id n o t sub m itex p ert repo rt s o r an yk ind o f e v iden ce reg ard ing the c au se o f M s. A p tekm an ’s death, nordi d t heys ubm i tanyexpertr epor t s r egar di ng A s ht on H al l ’ s dutyand al l eged br eac h. M s. A p tek m a n ’s tw o so n s b ro u g h t th is a c tio n o n b e h a lf o f h e r E sta te. A p p e llan ts s ued the C i t yof Phi l adel phi a and i t s di s pat cher , A pr i l L ow m an, under42 U . S. C . §§ 1983 and 1988 forvi ol at i on of M s . A pt ekman’ s Four t eenth A m endmentr i ght s bas ed on a f a i l u r e t o d i s p a t c h a n a mb u l a n c e i n a t i me l yma n n e r . Ap p e l l a n t s a l s o p u r s u e d s t a t e c l a i ms of w r ongful death and a “ s ur vi val act i on” aga i ns tthes e def endant s . T he C i t yof P h ilad e lp h ia a n d L o w m a n m o v e d f o r su m m a ryju d g m e n t o n th e b a sis th a t A p p e llan ts cou l d n ot s ho w t hat the C i t yor L ow m an h ad v i olat ed an ycon st i tuti on al ri gh tof M s. A pt ekman’ s . T heyfur t heras s ert ed thatA ppel l ant s ’ s t at e l aw cl ai m s w er e barr ed byt he Pol i t i cal Subdi vi s i on T or tC l ai m s A ct . See 43 Pa. C ons . St at . § 8541. A ppel l ant s cl ai m ed corpor at e negl i gence , negl i gence , w r ongful death and aI tappea r s t hatA ppel l ant s have a bandoned thei rcl ai m s agai ns tthe C i t yof *** P h il ad elph ia an d L o w m an , as th eyh av e n eith er sp ec ifi ca ll yap p ea led th e D istri ct C o u rt ’s or dergr ant i ng s um m aryj udgm entt o t hos e def endant s , norhave theyr ai s ed anyi s s ues w i th r es pectt o t hator deri n t hei rappel l at e br i efs . T hi s C our texcus ed the C i t yof Phi l adel phi a fr om fi l i ng an appe l l at e br i ef. 4 “s ur vi val act i on” aga i ns tA s ht on H al l and negl i gence agai ns tSt ent a. A s ht on H al l and St ent a moved fors um m aryj udgm enton t he theorythatA ppel l ant s fai l ed t o br i ng for th an iss u e o f m a ter ial f

a c t b e c a u se th e yf

a iled to su b m it ex p e rt re p o rts o n c a u sa tio n w ith r es pectt o M s . A pt ekman’ s demi s e. A s ht on H al l al s o s oughts um m aryj udgm enton t he bas i s thatA ppel l ant s had fa i l ed t o pr oduce a nyexpertr epor t s r egar di ng the natur e of A sht on H al l ’s du t yof ca re and w hetherthere had been a breach o f t hat dut y . S t enta al so m oved fors um m aryj udgm enton t he bas i s thatA ppel l ant s had fa i l ed t o s how the exi s t ence of an i s s ue of mat er i al fac tr egar di ng herpr es ence orabs ence atA s ht on H al l on th e d a yM s. A p tek m a n d ied . T h e D istric t C o u rt g ra n ted su m m a ryju d g m e n t in f a v o r o f a ll d e f e n d a n ts . M s . A p te k m a n ’s E s ta te a p p e a le d . W e have j ur i s di ct i on pur s uantt o 28 U . S. C . § 1291. O urr evi ew i s pl enary . See Gu a r d i a n L i f

e I n s . Co . o f

Am . v . Go d u t i - M o o r e , 2 2 9 F . 3 d 2 1 2 , 2 1 3 ( 3 d Ci r . 2 0 0 0 ) . On ap p ea l, A p p ell an ts argu es th at su m m aryjud g m en t w as in ap p rop ri ate b ec au se th ere exi s t ed di s put ed i s s ues of m at er i al fac t . Par t i cul ar l y , theyar gue thatther e w as an obvi ous caus al connec t i on betw een the def endant s ’ act i ons and M s . A pt ekman’ s death and that ther e w as w er e ea s i l ydi s cernabl e dut i es of ca r e thatA s ht on H al l br eac hed. *** S u m m a ryju d g m e n t is a p p ro p ria te w h e n th e re is n o g e n u in e iss u e o f m a ter ial f

a c t,5

an d the m o v ing p artyis en ti tl ed to jud g m en t as a m att er o f law . S ee F ed . R . C iv. P. 56 (c); C elotex C o rp. v. C atrett , 4 7 7 U . S . 3 1 7 , 3 2 2 -23 (19 8 6 ). A s t he D i s t r i ctC our tpr oper l ynot ed, underal l the as s ert ed theor i es of l i abi l i t y , t he A ppel l ant s m us ts how t hatA s ht on H al l ’ s orSt ent a’ s al l eged a ct i ons w er e both a fa ctual caus e and a pr oxi m at e ca us e of M s . A pt ekman’ s death. A l t hough A ppel l ant s cl ai m that th e c o n n e c tio n is p lain , ex p e rt tes tim o n ya s to th e c a u se o f d e a th is u su a llyn e c e ss a ryto pr ove ca us at i on. See M i t zel fel tv. K amri n, 526 Pa. 54, 62 ( 1995) . T hi s i s beca us e the w or ki ngs of the human bodyw i t h r es pectt o pai n and i nj uryar e out s i de the ken of the a v e ra g e la yp e rs o n . S e e H a m il v . B a s h lin e , 4 8 1 P a . 2 5 6 , 2 6 7 (1 9 7 8 ). I ti s pos s i bl e thatno m edi cal as s i s t ance , how evers w i ft l yr ender ed, w oul d have pr event ed M s . A pt ekman’ s death. W her e the ca us al nexus i s notpat ent l yobvi ous , and ther e i s no expertopi ni on, a fa ct fi ndercoul d nots i m pl yi nfera ca us al connec t i on. See F lo rig v . S e a rs, R o e b u c k & C o ., 3 8 8 P a . 4 1 9 , 4 2 4 (1 9 5 7 ). B e c a u se A p p e llan t’s f a iled to pr oduce a nyexpertt es t i m onyt hatanyof the def endant s ’ act i ons caus ed, i ncr eas ed the l i kel i hood of, orhas t ened M s . A pt ekman’ s demi s e, the D i s t r i ctC our tpr oper l yconcl uded thatther e w as no i s s ue of mat er i al fac tw i t h r es pectt o caus at i on foranyof the above c a u se s o f a c tio n . A d d iti o n a lly , A p p e llan ts f a iled to p ro d u c e a n yth in g b u t sp e c u latio n to c o n tro v e rt S ten ta’ s e v id e n c e th a t sh e w a s n o t p re se n t at A sh to n H a ll o n th e d a te in ques t i on. T hey , t her efor e, fai l ed t o s how thatther e w as an i s s ue of mat er i al fac tas t o any al l eged causal nex us for S t enta. S um m aryj ud gm ent w as, therefore, app ropri at e. B ecause6

w e agree t hat s um m aryj ud gm ent w as approp ri at e on this basi s, w e need no tadd res s A pp el l ees’ add i t i on al argum ents . F o r th e re a so n s s tate d a b o v e , w e w ill a f f irm th e ju d g m e n t o f

th e D istric t C o u rt.