Opinion ID: 2287366
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Alleged Negligent Undertaking to Provide Security

Text: Appellant contends that the Hospital and the Security Firm voluntarily assumed a duty to protect or warn Mr. Kerns by instituting a program of security on the Hospital grounds. Appellant argues that the expert opinion it attached to its memorandum in opposition to summary judgment as an exhibit, [3] raised a question as to a material fact concerning the Hospital's and the Security Firm's alleged negligence concerning their voluntary undertaking to provide security which precluded summary judgment. We cannot agree. The general thrust of the expert opinion upon which the Kerns relied is accurately reflected in the summary of that report, which stated: Summary When establishing a security system, the key is security in depth, which is the utilization of many protective measures, including security personnel and physical security systems, working together to provide comprehensive security protection. Such a system is vital in the protection of a hospital located in an urban area. This comprehensive system begins with providing and documenting training for security personnel at all levels, so that effective policies may be established and that such policies can be followed correctly. Effective staffing levels must be utilized to insure that high risk areas, such as parking lots, have adequate coverage. It is also vital that sufficient staffing be provided to insure that all required post duties, such as the monitoring of closed circuit television cameras and radios and the logging of communications can be properly accomplished. The use of physical security measures, such as sodium vapor lights, secure fencing and access control points, closed circuit television systems, and the posting of signs indicating that protective measures are in place, are key elements in a comprehensive security program and should be utilized. It is my opinion that a hospital not utilizing all of these protective measures is not providing adequate security for the employees, patients, and visitors of the institution. (R.R. at 117a-118a; see generally R.R. at 112a-118a). Essentially, this expert was of the opinion that a different program of security than that actually in place ought to have been utilized by the Hospital and the Security Firm, and that the one actually utilized was inadequate. Because the Kerns failed to establish notice to the Hospital or the Security Firm of a particular threat of violence to its tenants or their invitees from the criminal acts of third parties, we are not called upon to determine whether, or to what extent, the Hospital or the Security Firm had a duty to act to prevent such harm or warn Mr. Kerns of such harm. Cf. Moran v. Valley Forge Drive-In Theater, 431 Pa. 432, 246 A.2d 875 (1968); Murphy v. Penn Fruit, 274 Pa.Super. 427, 418 A.2d 480 (1980). [4] The Kerns sought to establish that the Hospital and the Security Firm failed to exercise reasonable care with regard to their voluntary undertaking to provide a program of security on the Hospital grounds. The Kerns, however, misapprehend the nature of the burden imposed incident to such an undertaking. In Feld v. Merriam, 506 Pa. 383, 485 A.2d 742 (1985), our Supreme Court explained: A landlord may, as indicated, incur a duty voluntarily or by specific agreement if to attract or keep tenants he provides a program of security. A program of security is not the usual and normal precautions that a reasonable home owner would employ to protect his property. It is, as in the case before us, an extra precaution, such as personnel specifically charged to patrol and protect the premises. Personnel charged with such protection may be expected to perform their duties with the usual reasonable care required under standard tort law for ordinary negligence. When a landlord by agreement or voluntarily offers a program to protect the premises, he must perform the task in a reasonable manner and where a harm follows a reasonable expectation of that harm, he is liable. The duty is one of reasonable care under the circumstances. It is not the duty of an insurer and a landlord is not liable unless his failure is the proximate cause of the harm. 485 A.2d at 747. (Emphasis added). The Hospital was a landlord, and through its agent (the Security Firm) it unquestionably offered a program of security to the tenants of its nurses' residence and their invitees, including Mr. Kerns. Feld v. Merriam, supra . As such, the Hospital and the Security Firm had a duty to exercise reasonable care with respect to that program of security. Id. The Kerns argue that the program of security actually implemented was unreasonably inadequate. This mistakes the type of reasonable care required with respect to the program of security. In Feld v. Merriam, supra , our Supreme Court further stated: A tenant may rely upon a program of protection only within the reasonable expectations of the program. He cannot expect that a landlord will defeat all the designs of felony. He can expect, however, that the program will be reasonably pursued and not fail due to its negligent exercise. If a landlord offers protection during certain periods of the day or night a tenant can only expect reasonable protection during the periods offered. If, however, during the periods offered, the protection fails by a lack of reasonable care, and that lack is the proximate cause of the injury, the landlord can be held liable. A tenant may not expect more than is offered. If, for instance, one guard is offered, he cannot expect the same quality and type of protection that two guards would have provided, nor may he expect the benefits that a different program might have provided. He can only expect the benefits reasonably expected of the program as offered and that that program will be conducted with reasonable care. 485 A.2d at 747. (Emphasis added). The expert's report, which was directed solely to the perceived inadequacy of the program of security offered, is thus inapposite. It addresses a question wholly irrelevant under the standard set forth in Feld. The mere fact that neither the roving guard, nor the guard assigned to watch the alternating closed circuit monitors noticed the 30 second assault in progress, or noticed the assailants in time to prevent the assault, in no way established any negligence on their part with regard to the limited program of security actually offered. Nor was negligence established by the fact that the guard did not come immediately to raise the gate for Mr. Kerns when Mr. Kerns honked his horn. Neither fact demonstrates negligence within the limited parameters of the security program actually in place. Indeed, the expert opinion supplied by the Kerns strongly indicated that the perceived inadequacy of the program, rather than any negligence by the guards was the cause of the guards' failure to prevent the assault. The parties appear to agree that the program of security actually implemented simply was not designed to prevent such sudden assaults. In sum, there is no evidence in this record to establish a question of material fact as to any alleged negligence by the Security Firm with regard to the program of security actually offered. Moreover, there is also no evidence in this record demonstrating that any such negligence proximately caused the injury Mr. Kerns suffered. Cf. Glick v. Olde Town Lancaster, 369 Pa.Super. 419, 535 A.2d 621 (1987) (examining proximate cause and the liability of a property owner for criminal acts of third parties); cf. Castillo v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 663 S.W.2d 60 (Tx.App. 1983) (neither negligence nor proximate cause was shown with regard to security guards' failure to prevent a criminal assault in mall parking lot); Cornpropst v. Sloan, 528 S.W.2d 188 (Tn. 1975) (same). Consequently, we find no error or abuse of discretion in the trial court's decision to grant summary judgment to the Hospital and the Security Firm. There were no unresolved factual issues framed, which if resolved in the Kerns favor would establish liability on the part of the Hospital or the Security Firm for Mr. Kerns' injuries; hence, summary judgment for the Hospital and the Security Firm was proper on Mr. Kerns' claim. Liability to Mrs. Kerns for loss of consortium was dependent on the validity of her husband's claim, and was likewise properly subject to summary judgment. The third claim, for punitive damages, was not only derivative, it was wholly frivolous, and was likewise properly subject to summary judgment.