Opinion ID: 2155224
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cross Appeal: Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

Text: [¶ 17] To prevail in an action for intentional infliction of emotional distress, a plaintiff must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that (1) the defendant engaged in intentional or reckless conduct that inflicted serious emotional distress or would be substantially certain to result in serious emotional distress; (2) the defendant's conduct was so extreme and outrageous as to exceed all possible bounds of decency and must be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable; and (3) the plaintiff suffered serious emotional distress as a result of the defendant's conduct. Curtis v. Porter, 2001 ME 158, ¶ 10, 784 A.2d 18, 22-23; Champagne v. Mid-Maine Med. Ctr., 1998 ME 87, ¶ 15, 711 A.2d 842, 847. Serious emotional distress means emotional distress, created by the circumstances of the event, that is so severe that no reasonable person could be expected to endure it. Curtis, 2001 ME 158, ¶ 10, 784 A.2d at 22-23; Champagne, 1998 ME 87, ¶ 15, 711 A.2d at 847. [¶ 18] Entry of a summary judgment on an issue is appropriate only if, with respect to that issue, there are no disputes of material facts such that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Champagne, 1998 ME 87, ¶ 5, 711 A.2d at 844. The existence of a dispute of material facts and entry of summary judgment are questions of law which we review de novo, considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the party against whom judgment has been entered, to decide whether the parties' statements of material facts and the referenced record evidence reveal a genuine issue of material fact, and whether the moving party was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Rivers v. Amato, 2003 ME 87, ¶ 6, 827 A.2d 827, 829; Doyle v. Dep't of Human Servs., 2003 ME 61, ¶ 8, 824 A.2d 48, 52-53. [¶ 19] The Botkas invite us to review, on the summary judgment question, not only their statement of material facts, but additional matter in the record not presented in their statement of material facts, including the trial record. That broader record reveals, particularly with regard to Geraldine Botka, a significantly greater level of emotional distress than indicated by the statement of material facts that was before the summary judgment court pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 56(h). Such a review of the record, outside the statement of material facts, is not appropriate in testing the propriety of a ruling on a motion for summary judgment. M.R. Civ. P. 56(h)(4). See also Levine v. R.B.K. Caly Corp., 2001 ME 77, ¶ 9, 770 A.2d 653, 656. With our review limited to the facts presented in the statements of material facts, the summary judgment court's determination that the facts presented did not rise to the level of extreme and outrageous behavior and were insufficient to support the claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress was not error.