Opinion ID: 6319387
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: standard of review

Text: “This Court reviews a grant of summary judgment de novo.” Sullo v. Greenberg, 68 A.3d 404, 406 (R.I. 2013) (brackets omitted) (quoting Sacco v. Cranston School Department, 53 A.3d 147, 149-50 (R.I. 2012)). “Examining the case from the vantage point of the trial justice who passed on the motion for summary judgment, ‘we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, and if we conclude that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, we will affirm the judgment.’” Id. at 406-07 (brackets omitted) (quoting Sacco, 53 A.3d at 150). “Summary judgment is appropriate only when the ‘pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.’” Sola v. Leighton, 45 A.3d 502, 506 (R.I. 2012) (brackets omitted) (quoting Plunkett v. State, 869 A.2d 1185, 1187 (R.I. 2005)). “Where the facts suggest only one inference,” the hearing justice may treat the issue as a matter of law. See Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, for Registered Holders of Ameriquest Mortgage Securities, Inc. v. McDonough, 160
“Although summary judgment is recognized as an extreme remedy,    to avoid summary judgment the burden is on the nonmoving party to produce -4- competent evidence that ‘proves the existence of a disputed issue of material fact.’” Sullo, 68 A.3d at 407 (brackets omitted) (quoting Mutual Development Corporation v. Ward Fisher & Company, LLP, 47 A.3d 319, 323 (R.I. 2012)). However, “summary judgment should enter against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case   .” Correia v. Bettencourt, 162 A.3d 630, 635 (R.I. 2017) (quoting Newstone Development, LLC v. East Pacific, LLC, 140 A.3d 100, 103 (R.I. 2016)).