Case Name: Linda ELSTON and Danny Elston, Appellants v. CIRCUS CIRCUS MISSISSIPPI, INC. d/b/a Gold Strike Casino Resort and Circus Circus Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Gold Strike Casino, Appellees
Court: Mississippi Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 2005-02-15
Citations: 908 So. 2d 771
Docket Number: No. 2003-CA-02584-COA
Parties: Linda ELSTON and Danny Elston, Appellants v. CIRCUS CIRCUS MISSISSIPPI, INC. d/b/a Gold Strike Casino Resort and Circus Circus Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Gold Strike Casino, Appellees.
Judges: Before KING, C.J., CHANDLER and ISHEE, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 908
Pages: 771–782

Head Matter:
Linda ELSTON and Danny Elston, Appellants v. CIRCUS CIRCUS MISSISSIPPI, INC. d/b/a Gold Strike Casino Resort and Circus Circus Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Gold Strike Casino, Appellees.
No. 2003-CA-02584-COA.
Court of Appeals of Mississippi.
Feb. 15, 2005.
Rehearing Denied May 3, 2005.
Certiorari Denied Aug. 18, 2005.
Sara Bailey Russo, Daniel M. Cza-manske, Clarksdale, attorneys for appellants.
John Ramsey McCarroll, Andrea Dallas McNeil, Southaven, Eugenia G. McGown, attorneys for appellees.
Before KING, C.J., CHANDLER and ISHEE, JJ.

Opinion:
CHANDLER, J.,
for the Court.
¶ 1. Linda Elston was walking in the lobby of the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica when she slipped in a puddle of water, next to some live plants. Mrs. Elston and her husband sued Gold Strike for her injuries, alleging that Gold Strike created an unreasonably dangerous condition by leaving water on the floor, or alternatively, that the water was left on the floor for a sufficient period of time as to give Gold Strike constructive knowledge of the water on the floor. The Tunica County Circuit Court granted Gold Strike's motion for summary judgment because it found that the Elstons did not present sufficient proof connecting the water on the floor to the act of the plants being watered, and because they produced no evidence to establish the length of time the water was on the floor. The Elstons appeal, raising the following issue:
WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN GRANTING GOLD STRIKE'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
¶ 2. We find that summary judgment was prematurely granted. Accordingly, we reverse and remand.
FACTS
¶ 3. Linda Elston was injured when she entered the hotel lobby of Circus Circus Mississippi, Inc., d/b/a Gold Strike Casino Resort, in Tunica. She encountered a puddle of water which caused her to slip and fall. The fall occurred in the immediate vicinity of some plants and within ten feet of the front desk. As a result of the fall, Mrs. Elston fell on her leg and popped her knee.
¶ 4. At the time of her fall, a bellman named Richard Magsby was escorting Mrs. Elston to her hotel room and pointing out the various attractions in the casino. Magsby was walking beside Mrs. Elston.
¶ 5. According to Magsby, the plants at Gold Strike are usually watered every Thursday, the day this accident occurred. These plants are usually watered some time between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Mrs. Elston's fall occurred between 1:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Magsby is present in the lobby throughout the day and often observes the plants being watered, but he did not see the plants being watered on the day of Mrs. Elston's accident.
¶ 6. Mrs. Elston and her husband sued Gold Strike, alleging that the casino was negligent either by causing a dangerous condition, or that Gold Strike had knowl edge that the floor was wet and failed to remedy the dangerous condition which led to Mrs. Elston's injuries. The Tunica County Circuit Court granted Gold Strike's motion for summary judgment, finding that the only thing that had been shown is that Mrs. Elston fell on water that was present in the lobby of the casino. The judge found that the Elstons did not present any evidence beyond speculation connecting the water on the floor to the act of the plants being watered. He also found that the Elstons failed to establish that Gold Strike had knowledge of the dangerous condition, because no one saw water on the floor prior to the accident, and it had not been shown how long the water had been on the floor.
ANALYSIS
WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN GRANTING GOLD STRIKE'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
¶ 7. Summary judgment is appropriate "if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." MRCP 56(c). Appellate courts apply a de novo standard in reviewing the grant or denial of summary judgment motions, making its own determinations separate and apart from the trial court. Lowery v. Guaranty Bank and Trust Co., 592 So.2d 79, 81 (Miss.1991). On a motion for summary judgment, a court does not try issues of fact; it can only determine whether there are issues to be tried. Hartford Cas. Ins. Co. v. Halliburton Co., 826 So.2d 1206, 1209-10(¶6) (Miss.2001) (citing Brown v. Credit Ctr., Inc., 444 So.2d 358, 362 (Miss.1983)).
¶ 8. For a plaintiff to recover in a slip-and-fall case, he must show one of the following: (1) a negligent act by the defendant caused the plaintiffs injury; (2) the defendant had actual knowledge of a dangerous condition; or (3) a dangerous condition existed for a sufficient amount of time to establish constructive knowledge of a dangerous condition. Munford, Inc. v. Fleming, 597 So.2d 1282, 1284 (Miss.1992).
A) Whether Gold Strike Caused a Dangerous Condition
¶ 9. Mississippi law requires the owner or operator of a business to "exercise reasonable care to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition." Jerry Lee's Grocery, Inc. v. Thompson, 528 So.2d 293, 295 (Miss.1988). No proof of the owner's knowledge of the condition is necessary where the condition is created by his negligence or the negligence of someone under his authority. Drennan v. Kroger Co., 672 So.2d 1168, 1171 (Miss.1996). No one disputes that the placement of the plants, the maintenance of the plants, and the maintenance of the floors are all within the control and authority of Gold Strike.
¶ 10. To prove that Gold Strike maintained its premises in a reasonably safe condition, Gold Strike's guest service manager testified as to the procedures in place to maintain the lobby area of the hotel. He explained that the hotel hires two internal maintenance employees who are responsible for policing the floor for spills and debris. These employees walk the entire lobby floor at least twice an hour. They are hired for the specific purpose of insuring that there is no debris, no stains, and no spills. These employees inspect the entire floor space in the lobby to make sure that there are no spills or stains. In addition, each employee, regardless of their job duties, is responsible for cleaning or reporting any stains, spills, or debris left on the floor. The guest services manager ensures that the employees are doing their job by personally inspecting the premises. He requires that the internal maintenance manager perform the same duty.
¶ 11. Even though the procedures Gold Strike uses to maintain its lobby are adequate to keep the premises in a safe condition, these procedures do not necessarily establish that the lobby was in a reasonably safe condition on the day of the accident. On the day of the accident, no one could testify as to the last time Gold Strike's employees inspected the lobby. While all Gold Strike employees were supposed to clean spills, these employees may have breached that duty. The guest services manager was not working at the casino on the day of the fall. He had no personal knowledge of whether or not the internal maintenance employees actually performed the inspections. For this reason, a question of fact exists for the jury whether the presence of water on the floor violated Gold Strike's duty to keep its premises in a reasonably safe condition. The bellman noticed that the individuals who water the plants carry towels with them to clean up spills. This fact puts the employees on notice that the area where the plants are watered is particularly susceptible to spills.
¶ 12. Gold Strike argues that it is speculative at best to claim that the water Mrs. Elston slipped on came from the plants watered by the agents of Gold Strike. Hundreds of guests walk through the lobby each day, and Gold Strike argues that it is pure speculation that the Elstons can trace the slip-and-fall accident to a condition that Gold Strike created. We disagree with Gold Strike that the Elstons merely speculated that the water she slipped on came from the plants. No one disputes that the substance she slipped on was water, the same substance that is used to wet the plants. It is therefore unlikely that the source of the spill came from a casino guest. Mrs. Elston fell in the immediate vicinity of the plants. The casino could not identify any other possible source of water other than from the plants. The plants are normally watered on Thursdays, and Mrs. Elston's accident occurred on a Thursday. We find this evidence to be beyond speculation and sufficient for a jury to conclude that Mrs. Elston's injury was caused by a dangerous condition that Gold Strike created.
B) Whether Gold Strike Had Knowledge of A Dangerous Condition
¶ 13. Gold Strike did not possess actual knowledge of a condition that caused Mrs. Elston to slip and fall. Therefore, the Elstons wish to prove their case through constructive knowledge, showing that Gold Strike should have known that there was water on the floor. To establish a negligence claim under a constructive knowledge theory, proof of the water's presence on the floor for a sufficient period of time is required. Douglas v. Great Atlantic & Pac. Tea Co., 405 So.2d 107, 111 (Miss.1981). In Douglas, the supreme court affirmed the jury's verdict in favor of the defendant because "there was not a scintilla of evidence a third party created the wet hazardous condition; moreover, there was no proof the proprietor created the wet condition." Id. at 110. In Waller v. Dixieland Food Stores, Inc., 492 So.2d 283, 286 (Miss.1986), the supreme court affirmed the trial court's decision to grant a judgment notwithstanding the verdict because no evidence was produced tending to show how long the liquid was on the floor when the plaintiff slipped on it.
¶ 14. Both the Elstons and Gold Strike attempted to determine how long the water had been on the floor, but they were unable to do so. Unlike the facts in Douglas and Waller, however, the Elstons have presented more than a scintilla of evidence showing that the water had been on the floor for at least a few hours. Mrs. El-ston's fall occurred on a Thursday, between 1:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. The plants were usually watered on Thursday some time between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. This evidence can allow a jury to reasonably infer that the water had been on the floor for a sufficient period of time to establish that Gold Strike should have known the water was on the floor.
¶ 15. Gold Strike contends that the claim that the plants are watered only on Thursdays is speculative at best, because Magsby testified in his deposition that he merely "thinks" the plants are watered on Thursdays. We disagree. On the date of the deposition, Magsby had been an employee of Gold Strike for three and a half years and had been employed as a bellman the entire time. During Magsby's shift, when he is not assisting customers checking into the hotel, he spends his time either behind the front desk or standing in the lobby waiting for patrons. During the time period of Mrs. Elston's fall, Magsby customarily worked every day from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The plants are located approximately ten feet from the front desk. On this evidence, a jury could find that Magsby observed the agents of Gold Strike water the plants on many occasions both before and after Mrs. Elston fell and had the credibility to assert that the plants are watered every Thursday morning. Even though Magsby was unable to state that he was absolutely certain that the plants were watered every Thursday, the Elstons have presented enough proof to allow a reasonable jury to decide whether the water came from the plants and was present on the floor for a long enough time to establish that Gold Strike had constructive notice of a dangerous condition.
¶ 16. Negligence of the defendant and notice to him may be found from circumstantial evidence of adequate probative value. Stated differently, "the plaintiff may prove circumstances from which the jury might conclude reasonably that the condition of the floor was one which was traceable to the proprietor's own act or omission." Winn-Dixie Supermarkets v. Hughes, 247 Miss. 575, 585, 156 So.2d 734, 736 (1963). In Hughes, the store manager was in the aisle where the slip- and-fall accident occurred three to five minutes before the plaintiff fell. He said he saw no foreign objects on the floor when he was there. Yet the store manager admitted that when he went to assist Hughes after she fell, the vermicelli upon which Hughes fell was on the floor and flowing almost to the check-out stand. Like the case sub judice, the store had in place a policy requiring all employees to be alert for objects on the floor. Id. at 737. Despite the manager's testimony that he saw nothing on the floor immediately prior to the accident and the store's policy that should have prevented the accident, the vermicelli was present when the plaintiff slipped and fell. Under the evidence, the trial court was allowed to submit to the jury the issue of liability on two theories: (1) the floor condition was traceable to the proprietor's own act or (2) that the store had constructive notice of the dangerous condition, because the store manager should have seen it. Id. Like Hughes, the case sub judice presents a factual question of causation that is subject to different determinations. K-Mart Corp. v. Hardy, 735 So.2d 975, 983(¶20) (Miss.1999). These factual questions should be resolved by a jury.
¶ 17. Like the store manager in Hughes, Gold Strike's employees had ample time to observe the water on the floor, and no Gold Strike employee observed any spill on the day of the accident. The El-stons' assertion that the water had been on the floor for a sufficient length of time is supported by competent evidence. The Elstons have presented evidence showing that Gold Strike should have seen the puddle of water even if the water had been on the floor for a short period of time. The employees who investigated the accident after the fall estimated that the water was about five inches in diameter. Mr. Elston was able to see the puddle of water after Mrs. Elston fell. Mr. Elston testified that the back of Mrs. Elston's clothes was covered in water when she fell. He estimated that there was about half of a cup of water on the floor, and the puddle was deep enough that a person could feel the water if he put his hand in it. When Magsby, an agent of Gold Strike, was walking beside Mrs. Elston, he came within close proximity of the water, creating a jury question as to whether he should have seen the water upon which Mrs. Elston slipped. Morrison v. St. Luke's Health Corp., 929 S.W.2d 898, 903-04 (Mo.Ct.App.1996). This evidence is adequate to allow a jury to consider whether Gold Strike had constructive notice of the puddle in which Mrs. Elston fell.
CONCLUSION
¶ 18. To survive a summary judgment in a slip-and-fall case, a plaintiff must show that the defendant created an unreasonably dangerous condition, or he must show that the defendant had actual or constructive knowledge of a dangerous condition. On the evidence the Elstons have presented, a jury may conclude that Gold Strike was negligent, because it created a dangerous condition, and/or because it had constructive notice of the puddle of water upon which Mrs. Elston fell. Because we find that the Elstons presented enough evidence to show that there are genuine issues of material fact regarding the liability of the defendant, we reverse and remand to the circuit court.
¶ 19. THE JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF TUNICA COUNTY IS REVERSED AND REMANDED FOR PROCEEDINGS CONSISTENT WITH THIS OPINION. ALL COSTS OF THIS APPEAL ARE ASSESSED TO THE APPELLEES.
KING, C.J., BRIDGES AND LEE, P.JJ., IRVING AND ISHEE, JJ., CONCUR. GRIFFIS, J., DISSENTS WITH A SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION JOINED BY MYERS AND BARNES, JJ.
. Gold Strike argues that it is mere speculation that the plants were watered on Thursday. We disagree with this assertion and address this issue in a later part of this opinion.
. This Court recognizes that Morrison is not binding precedent, and we decline to adopt a per se rule holding that an agent who escorts another individual through a dangerous condition is on notice of an unreasonably dangerous condition. Nevertheless, the fact that Magsby had the opportunity to see the puddle of water immediately prior to the accident is a factor the jury can consider in deciding whether Gold Strike should have seen the puddle of water.