Title: STATE EX REL BOZEMAN v DISTRICT C
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 12946
State: Montana
Issuer: Montana Supreme Court
Date: February 19, 1975

No. 12946 I N T H E SUPREME C O U R T O F THE STATE O F M O N T A N A 1975 STATE O F M O N T A N A , ex rel, T H E CITY O F BOZEMAN and W A L T E R L. BATES, Relators, T H E DISTRICT C O U R T O F T H E EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT O F THE STATE O F M O N T A N A , I N AND FOR T H E COUNTY O F GALLATIN AND T H E HON. 'W. W. LESSLEY, JUDGE THEREOF, Respondents. ORIGINAL PROCEEDING: Counsel of Record: For Relators : Brown and G i l b e r t , Bozeman, Montana Gene I. Brown argued, Bozeman, Montana For Respondents : Anderson and Dasinger, Bozeman, Montana Douglas Dasinger, argued, Bozeman, Montana Submitted: January 22, 1975 F-; . ,- , ' Y T S Filed: M r . Justice Frank I. Haswell delivered the Opinion of the Court. This i s an o r i g i n a l proceeding by t h e C i t y of Bozernan and i t s employee f o r a writ of s u p e r v i s o r y c o n t r o l . They seek t o r e v e r s e an o r d e r denying them summary judgment i n two personal i n j u r y a c t i o n s a g a i n s t them i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t of t h e e i g h t e e n t h j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t . R e l a t o r s a r e t h e c i t y of Bozeman and Walter L . B a t e s , i t s employee. Respondents a r e t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t and t h e Hon. W . W. L e s s l e y , d i s t r i c t judge, p r e s i d i n g . The f o l l o w i n g s i t u a t i o n i s d i s c l o s e d by t h e p l e a d i n g s , d e p o s i t i o n s , answers t o i n t e r r o g a t o r i e s and admissions on f i l e w i t h t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t : On August 1 7 , 1973, a t about 5:15 p.m. Ida Keneady and V i r g i n i a No11 were s e a t e d i n Keneady's Ford sedan parked a t t h e c u r b on Babcock s t r e e t i n Bozeman, Montana. The Ford was s t r u c k from behind by a s t r e e t pavement r o l l e r owned by t h e s t a t e of Montana, borrowed by t h e c i t y of Bozeman, and o p e r a t e d by Walter L . B a t e s , a c i t y employee. T h e r e a f t e r , a t t h e scene of t h e a c c i d e n t , Bates f i l l e d o u t a form g i v i n g h i s name and a d d r e s s and Ida Keneady f i l l e d o u t a form g i v i n g her name, a d d r e s s , t e l e - phone number, and t h e d e t a i l s of t h e a c c i d e n t . I t i s u n c l e a r whether V i r g i n i a No11 f i l l e d o u t a s i m i l a r form o r whether s h e was included i n t h e form f i l l e d o u t by Ida Keneady. The forms were exchanged by Bates and Ida Keneady. A policeman a l s o f i l l e d o u t an a c c i d e n t r e p o r t , A f t e r r e t u r n i n g home, Bates r e p o r t e d t h e a c c i d e n t by phone t o t h e foreman of t h e c i t y s t r e e t department. The f o l l o w - ing morning t h e a c c i d e n t was r e p o r t e d o r a l l y t o t h e s u p e r i n t e n - d e n t of t h e c i t y s t r e e t department and t h e a s s i s t a n t c i t y manager. The l a t t e r i n turn r e p o r t e d i t t o t h e c i t y ' s i n s u r a n c e company. The f o l l o w i n g evening, t h e i n s u r a n c e a d j u s t e r c o n t a c t e d both Ida Keneady dnd V i r g i n i a iqo11. He d i s c u s s e d e a c h o f t h e c l a i m s w i t h them; was a d v i s e d o f t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e a c c i d e n t ; t h e n a t u r e and e x t e n t o f t h e i r i n j u r i e s s o f a r as e a c h was aware o f a t t h a t t i m e ; t h e names of a l l p e r s o n s i n v o l v e d ; and was a d v i s e d t h a t i t w o u l d be s e v e r a l m o n t h s b e f o r e t h e e x a c t n a t u r e a n d e x t e n t o f t h e i r c l a i m s c o u l d be p r o p e r l y e v a l u a t e d . The a d j u s t e r a d v i s e d them t h a t when t h e i r d o c t o r s s u b m i t t e d s u f f i c i e n t m e d i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n , t h e i r c l a i m s w o u l d be e v a l u a t e d a t t h a t t i m e . A d d i t i o n a l l y , a t t h a t t i m e t h e a d j u s t e r a t t e m p t e d t o s e t t l e I d a K e n e a d y ' s c l a i m . I d a Keneady and V i r g i n i a No11 f i l e d s e p a r a t e p e r s o n a l i n j u r y a c t i o n s on A p r i l 8, 1974, a g a i n s t t h e c i t y o f Bozeman, B a t e s and t h e s t a t e o f M o n t a n a . S u b s e q u e n t l y summary j u d g m e n t was g r a n t e d i n f a v o r o f t h e s t a t e o f M o n t a n a . The s t a t e i s n o t i n v o l v e d i n t h e p r e s e n t p r o c e e d i n g . . The p e r s o n a l i n j u r y a c t i o n s w e r e b a s e d on t h e a l l e g e d n e g l i g e n c e o f B a t e s . Each c o m p l a i n t c o n t a i n s f o u r c l a i m s f o r r e l i e f r e v o l v i n g a r o u n d t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e Montana T o r t C l a i m s A c t : ( 1 ) C o m p l i a n c e w i t h A c t ; ( 2 ) e s t o p p e l t o r a i s e t h e p r o - v i s i o n s o f t h e A c t i n b a r b y r e a s o n o f t h e a c t i o n s o f t h e i n - s u r a n c e a d j u s t e r ; ( 3 ) i n a p p l i c a b i l i t y o f t h e A c t t o t h e c i t y , and ( 4 ) u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y o f t h e A c t . W e d e c l i n e t o r e a c h t h e i s s u e s o f a p p l i c a b i l i t y o r c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y o f t h e A c t a s summary j u d g m e n t i s p r e c l u d e d i r r e s p e c t i v e o f t h e s e i s s u e s . The d i s t r i c t c o u r t d e n i e d m o t i o n s f o r summary j u d g m e n t by t h e c i t y and B a t e s . They s u b s e q u e n t l y a p p l i e d t o t h i s C o u r t f o r s u p e r v i s o r y c o n t r o l t o r e v e r s e t h i s r u l i n g . W e a c c e p t e d j u r i s d i c t i o n and i s s u e d a n a l t e r n a t i v e o r d e r t o show c a u s e . The m a t t e r was a r g u e d b y c o u n s e l f o r a l l p a r t i e s and t a k e n u n d e r d d v i s e m e n t . Ruie ,5b(c), M.R.Civ . P . provides t h e moving p a r t i e s , relators h e r e , a r e e n t i t l e d t o summary judgment i f : " * * * t h e pleadings, d e p o s i t i o n s , answers t o i n t e r r o g a t o r i e s , and admissions on f i l e show t h a t t h e r e i s no genuine i s s u e a s t o any material f a c t and t h a t t h e moving p a r t y i s e n t i t l e d t o a judgment a s a m a t t e r of law. * * *" The burden of e s t a b l i s h i n g t h e absence of any i s s u e of material f a c t i s o n t h e p a r t y seeking summary judgment. Roope v . The Anaconda Co., 159 M o n t . 28, 494 P . 2 d 922; Byrne v . P l a n t e , 1 5 4 Mont. 6 , 459 P . 2 d 266, and cases c i t e d t h e r e i n . The p e r t i n e n t requirements of t h e Montana Tort Claims Act a r e : "Section 82-4312. * * * All claims a g a i n s t a p o l i t i c a l subdivision a r i s i n g under t h e provisions of t h i s a c t s h a l l be presented t o and f i l e d with t h e c l e r k o r s e c r e t a r y of t h e p o l i t i c a l s u b d i v i s i o n within one hundred twenty (120) days from t h e d a t e of t h e occurrence from which t h e claim a r o s e o r when the i n j u r y should reasonably have been d i s - covered, whichever i s l a t e r . " "Section 82-4313. * * * All claims presented t o and f i l e d with a governmental e n t i t y s h a l l accur- a t e l y d e s c r i b e t h e conduct and circumstances which brought about t h e i n j u r y or damage, d e s c r i b e t h e i n j u r y o r damage, s t a t e t h e time and place t h e i n j u r y o r damage occurred, s t a t e t h e names of a l l persons involved, i f k n o w n , and s h a l l contain t h e amount of damages claimed, together with a s t a t e - ment of t h e a c t u a l residence of t h e claimant a t t h e time of presenting and f i l i n g t h e claim and f o r a period of s i x ( 6 ) months immediately p r i o r t o t h e time of t h e occurrence from which t h e claim a r o s e . If t h e claimant i s i n c a p a c i t a t e d and unable t o present and f i l e h i s claim within t h e time pre- scribed o r i f t h e claimant i s a minor or i f t h e claimant i s a nonresident of t h e s t a t e a n d i s ab- s e n t during t h e time within which h i s claim i s required t o be f i l e d , the claim may be presented and f i l e d on behalf of the claimant by any r e l a t i v e , a t t o r n e y o r agent r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e claimant. A claim f i l e d under the provisions of t h i s s e c t i o n s h a l l not be held i n v a l i d o r i n s u f f i c i e n t by reason of any inaccuracy in s t a t i n g the t i m e , p l a c e , n a t u r e o r cause of t h e claim, o r otherwise, unless i t i s shown t h a t t h e governmental e n t i t y was in f a c t misled t o i t s i n j u r y thereby." "Section 82-4314. * * * N o claim o r a c t i o n s h a l l be a 1 lowed a g a i n s t a governmental e n t i t y unless t h e claim has been presented and f i l e d within t h e time 1 imi ts prescribed by this act. It Keneady and No11 admit they did not literally comply with the provisions of the Montana Tort Claims Act. At issue is whether the relevant facts and circumstances constitute sub- stantial compl iance. The city concedes actual knowledge of the happening of the accident. Issues of material fact exist concerning the fact and extent of actual knowledge by the city that plaintiffs were injured and claimed against the city. The ultimate legal issue of substantial compliance turns on these factual issues. These issues precluded summary judgment for relators. The application for supervisory control is dismissed and the stay of proceedings in the district court is vacated. --------- 4-3--- -%-&\ Justice