Opinion ID: 2518281
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: we affirm in part and reverse in part the district court's grant of summary judgment against cabaness on his claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress

Text: ¶ 22 Cabaness argues that the district court erred in granting Defendants' motion for summary judgment on his intentional infliction of emotional distress claims against Thomas and Michaelis. The district court held that Thomas' and Michaelis' conduct was not outrageous and intolerable, and therefore, Cabaness' claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress failed as a matter of law. Before reaching the merits of the district court's decision, we first address the parties' preliminary arguments regarding what evidence Cabaness may rely on to demonstrate intentional infliction of emotional distress. Specifically, Defendants argue that Cabaness may not rely on (1) any conduct that occurred outside the applicable statute of limitations period, (2) any conduct that occurred outside of Cabaness' presence, and (3) any evidence contained in the affidavit of Steve Knighton, another foreman for Bountiful Power. [3] After addressing these preliminary evidentiary issues, we turn to the merits of the district court's denial of Cabaness' intentional infliction of emotional distress claims.
¶ 23 Defendants do not argue that Cabaness failed to assert his intentional infliction of emotional distress claim before the statute of limitations had run. Rather, they argue that Cabaness may only seek redress for Defendants' actions committed between the four-year period of March 31, 2000 to March 31, 2004, the latter being the date on which Cabaness filed his Complaint. Under Defendants' theory, each distinct act that allegedly inflicted emotional distress constituted a separate tort that started the running of a separate four-year statute of limitations. Therefore, under Defendants' theory, any evidence of conduct that occurred prior to March 31, 2000, is inadmissible to demonstrate intentional infliction of emotional distress. Cabaness, on the other hand, argues that the intentional infliction of emotional distress constituted a continuous and ongoing tort, and therefore, he may offer evidence of the entire pattern of mistreatment and abuse in attempting to prove his claim. We agree with Cabaness. ¶ 24 Claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress are subject to a four-year statute of limitations. See Utah Code Ann. § 78-12-25(3) (2002). [4] Under Utah law, the statute of limitations begins to run when the cause of action accrues. Retherford v. AT & T Commc'ns, 844 P.2d 949, 975 (Utah 1992). A claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress usually accrues when a plaintiff suffers extreme emotional distress. However, as we noted in Retherford, there are occasions when emotional distress does not so much occur as unfold for example, where a defendant subjects a plaintiff, not to a single outrageous act, but to a pattern or practice of acts tolerable by themselves though clearly intolerable in the aggregate. Id. Faced with this dilemma, we held in Retherford that the statute of limitations for intentional infliction of emotional distress does not begin to run until the distress is actually inflicted, i.e., when the plaintiff suffers severe emotional disturbance. Id. However, we noted that [a]lthough easy to describe, this standard is difficult to apply, particularly because the element of emotional distress is specific to the plaintiff in each case. Id. ¶ 25 In Hatch v. Davis, 2004 UT App 378, 102 P.3d 774, the court of appeals struggled to apply the standard set forth in Retherford to a similar set of facts. Unable to determine when the emotional distress was actually inflicted, the court of appeals held that when conduct that would give rise to a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress is continuous and ongoing, and it is unclear when the plaintiff suffered severe emotional distress, the statute of limitations begins to run from the time the last injury is suffered or the tortious conduct ceases. Hatch, 2004 UT App 378, ¶ 44, 102 P.3d 774. Like the court of appeals, we find the standard set forth in Retherford to be burdensome and generally unhelpful when confronted with allegations of a pattern of continuous and ongoing conduct resulting in intentional infliction of emotional distress. [5] ¶ 26 However, while the standard set forth by the court of appeals in Hatch is an improvement from the Retherford rule, it is unduly constrained by the qualifier that it applies only in cases where there is uncertainty as to the moment a plaintiff suffered severe emotional distress. Therefore, like many other jurisdictions, we now hold that when a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress is alleged based on a pattern of continuous and ongoing tortious conduct, the statute of limitations begins to run at the time the last injury occurred or the tortious conduct ceases. See, e.g., Curtis v. Firth, 123 Idaho 598, 850 P.2d 749, 755 (1993) (noting that the concept of continuing tort ... should be extended to apply in other limited contexts, including particularly intentional infliction of emotional distress); Feltmeier v. Feltmeier, 207 Ill.2d 263, 278 Ill.Dec. 228, 798 N.E.2d 75, 89 (2003) (stating that a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress is a continuing tort, and therefore, a plaintiff's cause of action accrues, and the statute of limitations begins to run, at the time the last injurious act occurs or the conduct is abated); McCorkle v. McCorkle, 811 So.2d 258, 264 (Miss.Ct.App.2001) (explaining that a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress was a continuing tort, and therefore, the statute of limitations began to run from the date of the last injury). ¶ 27 We further hold that a plaintiff alleging an intentional infliction of emotional distress claim based on a defendant's ongoing and continuous conduct may recover for the entire course of defendant's conduct. [6] Other jurisdictions are in accord with such an approach. See, e.g., Feltmeier, 278 Ill.Dec. 228, 798 N.E.2d at 85-89 (holding that a spouse's conduct throughout an eleven-year marriage could be considered an intentional infliction of emotional distress claim because the claim was a continuing tort); McCorkle, 811 So.2d at 264 (noting that recovery [on acts outside the limitations period] is permitted on the theory that all violations are part of one continuing act); GTE Sw., Inc. v. Bruce, 998 S.W.2d 605, 615 (Tex.1999) (When ... repeated or ongoing harassment is alleged, the offensive conduct is evaluated as a whole. (citations omitted)). ¶ 28 In this case, the district court failed to make any determination regarding when the statute of limitations began to run on Cabaness' intentional infliction of emotional distress claim. Under our clarification of the rule today, the limitations period on Cabaness' claim began to run on January 2, 2004, the date on which Cabaness resigned from Bountiful Power, and his exposure to Defendants' conduct ceased. Cabaness brought this action in March 2004 and is therefore not barred by the statute of limitations. Further, because Cabaness alleges a pattern of continuous and ongoing maltreatment, he is not limited to showing Defendants' tortious conduct within a four-year period. Rather, he may support his claim with evidence of Defendants' entire course of conduct.
¶ 29 Defendants argue, and the district court agreed, that Cabaness could not rely on Defendants' conduct that occurred outside his presence. Specifically, Defendants argue that Cabaness may not rely on the jackhammer incident to demonstrate intentional infliction of emotional distress. ¶ 30 [C]onduct which occurs outside the presence of a plaintiff may not contribute to a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress except under particularly compelling circumstances. Hatch v. Davis, 2006 UT 44, ¶ 26, 147 P.3d 383. In considering whether conduct triggers the exception [to the presence rule], a finder of fact may consider (1) the relationship of the target of the conduct to the plaintiff, (2) the relationship between the person committing the conduct and the plaintiff, and (3) the egregiousness of the conduct. Finally, (4) a plaintiff must establish that the conduct was undertaken, in whole or in part, with the intention of inflicting injury to the absent plaintiff. Id. ¶ 27. Applying these factors, the district court found that the jackhammer incident was inadmissible for purposes of demonstrating extreme and outrageous conduct because Cabaness failed to demonstrate that Thomas' conduct was intended in whole or part to injure Cabaness. We agree. At the time the jackhammer incident took place, Cabaness was on medical leave for depression. Cabaness did not find out about the jackhammer incident until a few weeks after the incident occurred, at which time he alleged that he broke down in tears. While the jackhammer incident may have caused Cabaness to suffer emotional distress, there is no direct evidence that Thomas intended his conduct to inflict injury on Cabaness. We therefore hold that the district court did not err in excluding evidence of the jackhammer incident to prove Cabaness' claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress. [7]
¶ 31 Cabaness argues that the district court erred when it determined that the majority of the allegations made by Mr. Knighton [in his affidavit] are conclusory and therefore inadmissible. A district court's refusal to consider evidence or to exclude evidence is reviewed under an abuse of discretion standard. Daines v. Vincent, 2008 UT 51, ¶ 21, 190 P.3d 1269 (With regard to our review of the exclusion of evidence, we grant a trial court broad discretion to admit or exclude evidence and will disturb its ruling only for abuse of discretion.). ¶ 32 The district court found that the majority of the allegations made by Mr. Knighton are conclusory and insufficient to support a finding that Mr. Thomas engaged in the requisite extreme and outrageous conduct necessary to constitute a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Although we agree that by itself Mr. Knighton's affidavit does not suffice to prove intentional infliction of emotional distress, we disagree that all of the evidence therein is inadmissible. ¶ 33 Supporting and opposing affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein. Utah R. Civ. P. 56(e). Affidavits reflecting an affiant's unsubstantiated conclusions and opinions are inadmissible. See Murdock v. Springville Mun. Corp., 1999 UT 39, ¶ 26, 982 P.2d 65. ¶ 34 While some of Mr. Knighton's statements are conclusory, most are based on personal knowledge and set forth admissible facts. Specifically, in relevant part, Mr. Knighton's affidavit asserts that on the day after Cabaness returned to work from a six to seven week leave of absence for work-related depression, Mr. Knighton was present in a meeting where Thomas criticized Cabaness about personal matters. Additionally, Mr. Knighton claims Mr. Thomas said, in the presence of the other employees, that he was considering firing Cabaness. These assertions are purely factual and nonconclusory, and therefore admissible. The district court abused its discretion by failing to consider these assertions as evidence of Thomas' conduct.