Opinion ID: 845765
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: underlying facts and procedural background

Text: On April 20, 2001, at about 10:00 p.m., Curtis Breton drove his automobile while under the influence of more than 20 beers and crossed the center line of US-127 at more than 100 miles per hour. His automobile slammed into a vehicle occupied by Adam Kuenner and Lance Reed, killing them and Breton and destroying both vehicles. At the time of the accident, Breton's blood alcohol level was 0.215 grams per 100 milliliters of blood. [1] Plaintiffs, the personal representatives of the estates of Kuenner and Reed, filed suit against the Beach Bar for negligently selling intoxicating liquor to Breton in violation of MCL 436.1801(3). Deposition testimony indicated that Breton spent the day of the accident drinking with his friend John Marsh, a fellow firefighter. They started their binge in the morning at the Firehouse Pub, where they each consumed at least two to three beers. They continued it when another firefighter joined them after lunch. They purchased a 12-pack of beer and drank it while they repaired a collapsed boat dock at a family home. Each consumed at least two to three beers during the repair project. About 4:45 p.m., Breton and Marsh went to the defendant Beach Bar where they split two pitchers of beer. On leaving the bar, they proceeded to Marsh's home and drank two beers each. They returned to the Beach Bar about a half an hour later and drank two more beers and split a pizza. At approximately 9:00 p.m. they left the bar. Marsh testified that he did not feel the effects of the alcohol until then. He also testified that, until they left the bar, Breton did not appear visibly intoxicated. They left the Beach Bar and went to the Eagle's Nest bar where they shared yet another pitcher of beer. At 9:50 p.m., Breton drove Marsh home. Concerned, Marsh asked Breton if he was alright to drive. Breton responded that he was. However, he died about 20 minutes later when he drove into oncoming traffic on the highway, killing himself, Kuenner, and Reed. Before the fatal accident, Breton had returned to the Beach Bar where he attempted to get a date with Lindsay Mizerik, the waitress who had served him earlier in the evening. He did not drink during this return visit. Mizerik testified at deposition that she was trained in discerning intoxication and that Breton displayed no signs of intoxication while he was at the Beach Bar before the accident. Several others who saw Breton that evening testified that he did not appear intoxicated. After the close of discovery, defendant Beach Bar filed a motion for summary disposition based on MCL 436.1801(8). Defendant argued that it was not the last establishment to serve alcoholic beverages to Breton, thus entitling it to a rebuttable presumption against liability under MCL 436.1801(8). Defendant argued that plaintiffs could not overcome the statutory presumption because they had no evidence that Breton was visibly intoxicated when he was served at defendant's bar. In response, plaintiffs presented circumstantial evidence, including the reports of two toxicologists. Reed's expert estimated that Breton consumed 24 to 25 beers in the nine-hour period before the accident. He opined that this concentration of alcohol certainly affected Breton's central nervous system and certainly resulted in visible signs of intoxication at the time the Beach Bar served Breton. The trial court granted summary disposition against both plaintiffs. In its opinion, it held that plaintiffs failed to present a genuine issue of material fact regarding the last location to serve alcohol to Breton. Hence, the Beach Bar was entitled to the statutory presumption of nonliability. The court then held that, to overcome the presumption, plaintiffs had to present positive, unequivocal, strong and credible evidence that Breton was visibly intoxicated when he was served at defendant's bar. The court stated that the testimony of the expert witnesses was circumstantial, which by its nature is not unequivocal, strong, and credible. Plaintiffs appealed, and the Court of Appeals reversed in a published opinion per curiam, remanding the cases for trial on the merits. 264 Mich.App. 363, 691 N.W.2d 779 (2004). The panel held that plaintiffs needed to present only competent and credible evidence that it is more probable than not that Breton was visibly intoxicated when served at defendant's bar. It found that plaintiffs' expert testimony met this standard.