Opinion ID: 1694824
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Claims Against Holsombeck

Text: Holsombeck contends that there is no basis to find it liable for the fire that caused the death of Takresha McGinnis, especially in light of the State fire marshal's determination that the fire started in the front middle bedroom and that the probable cause of the fire was children playing with matches. In its summary-judgment motion, Holsombeck contended that the court had before it no substantial evidence regarding causation. See Brushwitz, 757 So.2d at 432. Holsombeck contends that the basis of the McGinnises' theory (that the fire was caused by improper installation of the electrical wiring system) requires this Court to consider inference built upon inference(1) because there were at least three alleged electrical defects in the house (none of which was noted on the building inspector's report and none of which caused or contributed to the fire), the entire electrical system must be defective; (2) there was no other heat source in the attic, so electrical wiring must have caused the fire; (3) because there were at least three staples driven too tightly into electrical wire located throughout the house (none of them was found in the attic, and no evidence indicated that any wire conductor within the insulation had been damaged by staple intrusion), there must have been a staple driven too tightly into an electrical wire located in the attic and that staple must have caused an arc that in turn caused the fire; and (4) the burn patterns in the front middle bedroom were exaggerated, so the mattress located in that bedroom must have been a foam-rubber mattress that was ignited when the fire fell from the attic above. As previously noted, the McGinnises contend, based upon the findings of their experts, that the fire originated in the attic of the house, above the front middle bedroom, and that it was caused by a failure in the electrical wiring system in the attic. The McGinnises argue that it is undisputed that they had experienced persistent electrical problems after they moved into their home and that their experts' findings demonstrate the following: that Holsombeck negligently installed the electrical system in the McGinnis house; that Holsombeck was clearly not competent to install the electrical system in the McGinnis home; and that the state of the electrical system in the McGinnis home rendered the home unsafe for habitation. As previously noted, we review the evidence presented on a motion for summary judgment to determine whether it created a genuine issue of material fact and, if it did not, whether the movant was entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Rule 56(c)(3), Ala. R. Civ. P. Holsombeck, as the party moving for a summary judgment, had the burden of making a prima facie showing that no material fact was in dispute. Lott, 741 So.2d at 396. If it made that showing, then the burden shifted to the nonmovants, the McGinnises, to present substantial evidence creating a genuine issue of material fact. Lott, 741 So.2d at 396; Rule 56(c), Ala. R. Civ P. In conducting this review, we consider all of the relevant undisputed evidence and we view relevant disputed evidence in a light most favorable to the nonmovants, the McGinnises; and we resolve all reasonable doubts against the movant, Holsombeck. Wally's, Inc., 727 So.2d at 37. [S]ummary judgment[s][are] rarely appropriate in negligence actions, which almost always present factual issues of causation and of the standard of care that should have been exercised. Yarborough v. Springhill Mem'l Hosp., 545 So.2d 32, 34 (Ala.1989). Viewing the relevant disputed evidence in a light most favorable to the McGinnises, we find a genuine issue of material fact as to the cause of the fire. The trier of fact could find that the fire started in the attic of the McGinnis home and that it was caused by defective installation of wiring; or, the trier of fact could find that it started in the middle bedroom and that it was caused by young children's playing with matches. This question should not be resolved on a summary-judgment motion. Holsombeck, relying on Cincinnati Insurance Co. v. Synergy Gas, Inc., 585 So.2d 822 (Ala.1991), also contends that the McGinnises should be prohibited from pursuing their action because, it argues, they failed to preserve all of the evidence relating to the fire. Holsombeck contends the McGinnises' failure to preserve all of the evidence has hampered its ability to defend this action. However, we do not see in the record before us indications of such spoliation of the evidence as would prevent Holsombeck from defending this action; but we do not intend to imply that Holsombeck may not raise the spoliation issue at the trial of this case. The trial court improperly entered the summary judgment in favor of Holsombeck; that summary judgment is reversed.