Opinion ID: 2590922
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Pase's Inactions

Text: State negligence law does not impose a different causation standard if the breach was caused by an act or omission, but federal due process law requires an additional showing. Generally, federal liability does not attach if state actors do nothing when suspicious circumstances require action unless the state actor recklessly created the danger through some affirmative conduct on the state's part that placed plaintiff in danger. This is called the danger creation theory. Christiansen v. City of Tulsa, 332 F.3d 1270, 1279-80 (10th Cir.2003). The federal district court relied upon Rhoten's failure to establish that Pase created the danger when granting summary judgment under the omission theory of liability. It held there was no § 1983 liability, reasoning that Pase did not change the status quo or place Rhoten in a worse position by following Dickson. But this additional showing is not required under Kansas negligence law, and the issue decided by the federal district is not identical to the causation analysis in Kansas. Since Rhoten's omission theory was rejected by the federal district court based upon the failure to establish Pase created the danger, it did not decide whether Pase's failure to activate his lights and sirens caused Rhoten's injury. Therefore, issue preclusion would not bar Rhoten's negligence claim.