Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/pennsylvania/supreme-court/1983/504-pa-157-1.html
Timestamp: 2019-05-26 07:42:48
Document Index: 482415743

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 6308', '§ 306', '§ 286', '§ 6308', '§ 7102', '§ 341', '§ 4', '§ 6308', '§ 1', '§ 36', '§ 10', '§ 222', '§ 3731']

Congini by Congini v. PORTERSVILLE ETC. :: 1983 :: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Decisions :: Pennsylvania Case Law :: Pennsylvania Law :: US Law :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Pennsylvania Case Law › Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Decisions › 1983 › Congini by Congini v. PORTERSVILLE ETC.
Congini by Congini v. PORTERSVILLE ETC.
504 Pa. 157 (1983)
Mark CONGINI, a minor by Carl J. CONGINI, his guardian, and Carl J. Congini and Sylvia Congini, Appellants, v. PORTERSVILLE VALVE COMPANY, a Corporation, Appellee.
*158 *159 Clyde T. MacVay, Pittsburgh, Gilbert D. Levine, New Castle, for appellants.
On appeal the Superior Court affirmed, relying in part on our decision in Manning v. Andy, 454 Pa. 237, 310 A.2d 75 (1973).[1] Appellants petitioned this Court for allowance of appeal and we granted allocatur.
*160 At the time of the accident in question Mark Congini was eighteen (18) years of age and an employee of Portersville. On December 22, 1978 Portersville held a Christmas party for its employees at which alcoholic beverages were served. Mark attended the party and, as a result of consuming an undisclosed amount of alcohol, became intoxicated.
*161 As we note in Klein, our sister state jurisdictions are virtually unanimous in refusing to extend common law liability to an adult social host serving intoxicants to his adult guests. Id., 504 Pa. at 148, 470 A.2d at 510 (collected cases). However, there is no such unanimity in cases where an adult host has knowingly served intoxicants to a minor. See Burke v. Superior Court, 129 Cal. App. 3d 570, 181 Cal. Rptr. 149 (1982); Brockett v. Kitchen Boyd Motor Company, 24 Cal. App. 3d 87, 100 Cal. Rptr. 752 (1972); Brattain v. Herron, 159 Ind.App. 663, 309 N.E.2d 150 (1974); Thaut v. Finley, 50 Mich.App. 611, 213 N.W.2d 820 (1973); Linn v. Rand, 140 N.J.Super. 212, 356 A.2d 15 (App.Div.1976).
However, our legislature has made a legislative judgment that persons under twenty-one years of age are incompetent to handle alcohol. Under Section 6308 of the Crimes Code[2] 18 Pa.C.S. § 6308, a person "less than 21 years of age" commits a summary offense if he "attempts to purchase, purchases, consumes, possesses or transports any alcohol, liquor or malt or brewed beverages." Furthermore, under Section 306 of the Crimes Code, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 306, an adult who furnishes liquor to a minor would be liable as an accomplice to the same extent as the offending minor.
This legislative judgment compels a different result than Klein, for here we are not dealing with ordinary able bodied men. Rather, we are confronted with persons who are, at least in the eyes of the law, incompetent to handle the affects of alcohol. Accord, Burke v. Superior Court, supra, 129 Cal. App. 3d at 575, 18 Cal. Rptr. at 151; Thaut v. Finley, supra (1974); Lover v. Sampson, 44 Mich.App. 173, *162 205 N.W.2d 69 (1972). See Davis v. Shiappocossee, 155 So. 2d 365 (Fla.1963); Chausse v. Southland Corp., La. App., 400 So. 2d 1199 (1981) cert. denied, La., 404 So. 2d 497 (1981); Munford, Inc. v. Peterson, Miss., 368 So. 2d 213 (1979); Wiener Gamma Phi Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, 258 Or. 632, 485 P.2d 18 (1971). See also, Cantor v. Anderson, 126 Cal. App. 3d 124, 178 Cal. Rptr. 540 (1981).
§ 286. When Standard of Conduct Defined by Legislation or Regulation Will Be Adopted The court may adopt as the standard of conduct of a reasonable man the requirements of a legislative enactment or an administrative regulation whose purpose is found to be exclusively or in part (a) to protect a class of persons which includes the one whose interest is invaded, and (b) to protect the particular interest which is invaded, and (c) to protect that interest against the kind of harm which has resulted, and (d) to protect that interest against the particular hazard from which the harm results.
We have previously relied upon this Section and accepted it as an accurate statement of the law. See Majors v. Brodhead Hotel, 416 Pa. 265, 268, 205 A.2d 875 (1965); Jardine v. Upper Darby Lodge, No. 1973, 413 Pa. 626, 198 A.2d 550 (1964). See also, Frederick L. v. Thomas, 578 F.2d 513 (3rd Cir.1978).
Section 6308 of the Crimes Code represents an obvious legislative decision to protect both minors and the public at large from the perceived deleterious effects of serving alcohol to persons under twenty-one years of age. Thus, we find that defendants were negligent per se in serving alcohol to the point of intoxication to a person less *163 than twenty-one years of age,[3] and that they can be held liable for injuries proximately resulting from the minor's intoxication.[4]
We note, however, that under the scheme set up by this Court in Kuhns v. Brugger, 390 Pa. 331, 135 A.2d 395 (1957) an eighteen year old person is "presumptively capable of negligence."[5] We further note that an eighteen year *164 old is liable as an adult for the offenses which he commits, and that by knowingly consuming alcohol an eighteen year old is also guilty of a summary offense. See 18 Pa.C.S. § 6308.
Thus, although we recognize that an eighteen year old minor may state a cause of action against an adult social host who has knowingly served him intoxicants, the social host in turn may assert as a defense the minor's "contributory" negligence. Thereafter, under our Comparative Negligence Act[6] 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102 it will remain for the fact finder to resolve whether the defendant's negligence was such as to allow recovery. Accord Munford v. Peterson, supra.; Chausse v. Southland Corp., supra.
Finally, appellants have argued that the defendants breached a duty as a landowner to Mark Congini. The *165 Superior Court refused to discuss this issue, as they found that it was not fairly raised by the pleadings.
§ 341. Activities Dangerous to Licensees A possessor of land is subject to liability to his licensees for physical harm caused to them by his failure to carry on his activities with reasonable care for their safety if, but only if, (a) he should expect that they will not discover or realize the danger, and (b) they do not know or have reason to know of the possessor's activities and of the risk involved.
Furthermore, appellant's injuries at most would seem to have resulted from "existent conditions upon the premises" (i.e., the availability of alcohol), as opposed to "any affirmative or `active' negligence on [the defendant's] part." See Potter Title and Trust Co. v. Young, 367 Pa. 239, 244, 80 A.2d 76, 79 (1951). In such a case a possessor of land is not liable to a licensee in the absence of willful and wanton injury. Kapp v. R.S. Noonan, Inc., 385 Pa. 460, 123 A.2d 429 (1956); Potter Title and Trust Co. v. Young, supra. Such liability was not pleaded by the appellants. We therefore, agree with the Superior Court that a cause of action under this theory was not stated.
In light of appellee's potential liability as a social host, we reverse the order of the Superior Court and remand this case to the court of common pleas for proceeding not *166 inconsistent with our opinion. As to appellants' other contentions, we affirm the order of the Superior Court.
I join in the mandate of the majority allowing the complaint in trespass, which seeks recovery for injuries allegedly caused by the serving of liquor by a social host to a visibly intoxicated minor guest, to proceed to trial. Section 493(1) of the Liquor Code mandates that it is "unlawful . . . for any licensee or the board, or any employe, servant or agent of such licensee, or the board, or any other person, to sell, furnish or give any liquor . . . or to permit any liquor. . . to be sold, furnished or given, to any person visibly intoxicated. . . ." 47 P.S. § 4-493(1) (emphasis added). The use of the language "any person visibly intoxicated" clearly manifests the Legislature's intention to prohibit the furnishing of alcoholic beverages to all visibly intoxicated persons, without regard to whether those persons are adults or minors. See Klein v. Raysinger, 504 Pa. 141, 470 A.2d 507 (1983) (Roberts, C.J., dissenting). See also Manning v. Andy, 454 Pa. 237, 310 A.2d 75 (1973) (Manderino, J., dissenting, joined by Roberts, J.). Because the majority disregards this plain statutory language, I concur in the result only.
*167 In the instant case, however, the majority opinion concludes that liability of a social host may arise from the act of furnishing alcohol to a minor and that such liability may extend to harm suffered by the minor. By adopting this legal premise, the majority today is effectively overruling Klein[1]. The analysis employed by the majority is clearly inconsistent with that enunciated in Klein, and for that reason I must dissent.
The majority attempts to reconcile the inconsistency based upon a perceived public policy to protect minors and the public from the potentially harmful effects of alcohol.[2] This public policy is gleaned from § 6308 of the Crimes Code which imposes criminal liability on a person under 21 who attempts to purchase, purchases, consumes, possesses or transports alcohol. Although the legislature may have determined that persons under 21 are incompetent to handle alcohol, as the majority suggests, it is evident that the legislature has defined the offense so as to render the minor culpable for his own conduct which violates the statute. A minor could not defend his conduct by demonstrating that an adult had furnished him with the alcohol. Thus, the statute which the majority interprets as evincing a policy to protect minors does not shield them from their acts which contravene the statute.
*168 The majority attempts to distinguish underage drinkers from those over 21 years by stating that minors are deemed incompetent to handle the effects of alcohol. This distinction is irrelevant, however, to the issue of whether a social host who furnishes alcohol to a minor may be held liable for injuries sustained by the minor or a third party as the result of the minor's actions.
[1] The opinion of the Superior Court appears at 312 Pa.Super. 461, 458 A.2d 1384 (1983).
[2] Act of December 6, 1972, P.L. 1482, No. 334 § 1.
[3] In Manning v. Andy, 454 Pa. 237, 310 A.2d 75 (1973) we held that a violation of the Liquor Code could not form the basis for a cause of action against a non-licensee. However, the Crimes Code is applicable to all the citizens of this Commonwealth. Thus, in finding that a cause of action exists under the facts of this case, we are not departing from our holding in Manning.
[4] A finding of negligence per se does no more than satisfy plaintiff's burden of establishing that a defendant's conduct was negligent. See, Section 288 B of the Restatement of Torts Second; Prosser, Torts Ch. 5 § 36 pp. 200-201 (4th ed. 1971). However, the burden remains upon plaintiff to establish that his complained of injuries were proximately caused by the statutory violations. Kaplan v. Kaplan, 404 Pa. 147, 171 A.2d 166 (1961).
[5] In Kuhns, supra, the Court enunciated the following standards:
. . . we place minors in three categories based on their ages: minors under the age of seven years are conclusively presumed incapable of negligence; minors over the age of fourteen years are presumptively capable of negligence, the burden being placed on such minors to prove their incapacity; minors between the ages of seven and fourteen years are presumed incapable of negligence, but such presumption is rebuttable and grows weaker with each year until the fourteenth year is reached.
[6] Act of April 28, 1978, P.L. 202, No. 53, § 10(89). As amended October 5, 1980, P.L. No. 142, § 222(a).
[1] The majority has not determined that the duty arises under the factual circumstances presented in this case because of the employer-employee relationship which existed between the plaintiff and defendant.
[2] The public policy which the majority interprets as imposing a duty to a minor and innocent third parties upon a social host who furnishes alcohol to a person under 21 cannot be realistically distinguished from the public policy recognized by the legislative enactment of the "new drunk driving law", 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3731(a)(4). The legislature has recognized that the public must be protected from operators of a motor vehicle who drive under the influence of alcohol. We did not interpret this legislation, however, as creating a duty upon a social host who has provided alcohol to one who he knows, or should know, is about to drive, for injuries sustained by the guest or a third party in an automobile accident. To the contrary, we held in Klein that no such duty exists. The reasoning applied in Klein should be applied to this case as well, rather than upon "public policy" which may be manipulated to support what the majority believes is a better result.