Opinion ID: 1590328
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Judgment for Fadal

Text: On December 16, 2005, Fadal filed a motion for a summary judgment that stated, in toto : Comes now Defendant, Fadal Machining Centers, LLC, and pursuant to [Ala. R. Civ. P.] Rule 56, moves the court for summary judgment and in support thereof, says as follows: 1. This case involves the removal of a safety device, an interlock intended to require the polycarbonate doors be closed before defendant's machine could be operated in the automatic mode. The evidence is undisputed that the interlock had been defeated and that [Mitchell] was using the machine in spite of adequate warnings not to operate the machine without operable interlocks. Thus, under the undisputed facts of this case, this defendant's machine had been substantially altered by willful acts of someone intending to defeat defendant's safety device. 2. The tool used at the time of the accident was not manufactured or sold by this defendant and was defective. The defects in the tool caused it to wobble while [Mitchell] was using it. In addition, the tool holding components were worn out and incapable of holding the tool in place. [Mitchell] was well aware of the condition of the tool holding components and used a hammer on a wrench in an effort to tighten the tool holding components. As a consequence of the combination of these two factors, the tool became disengaged causing [Mitchell's] death. 3. The design of the machine approved by plaintiff's expert is one which the defendant manufactures for sale in Europe. Plaintiff's evidence is that any interlock is capable of defeat, and, as demonstrated by the Affidavit of Kathleen Holst, not only can the European interlock system be defeated, she has observed such defeat. 4. The proper operating speed for defendant's machine under the circumstances at the time of the accident was more or less 150 rpms, yet [Mitchell] was operating the machine at 4,000 rpms, clearly an improper use of defendant's machine under those circumstances. This defendant attaches the identification of expert witnesses as well as Affidavits signed by them in support of this motion. WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, defendant moves the court for summary judgment. Fadal filed no brief/memorandum of law in support of this motion. The role of this Court in reviewing a summary judgment is well establishedwe review a summary judgment de novo, `apply[ing] the same standard of review as the trial court applied.' Stokes v. Ferguson, 952 So.2d 355, 357 (Ala.2006) (quoting Dow v. Alabama Democratic Party, 897 So.2d 1035, 1038 (Ala.2004)). In order to grant the [summary-judgment] motion, the court must find clearly [1] that there is no genuine issue of material fact and [2] that the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. . . . The movant bears the burden initially of showing the two prongs of the standard. Maharry v. City of Gadsden, 587 So.2d 966, 968 (Ala.1991) (second emphasis added). If the movant meets [its] burden of production by making a prima facie showing that he is entitled to a summary judgment, `then the burden shifts to the nonmovant to rebut the prima facie showing of the movant.' American Gen. Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Underwood, 886 So.2d 807, 811-12 (Ala.2004) (quoting Lucas v. Alfa Mut. Ins. Co., 622 So.2d 907, 909 (Ala. 1993)). However, the party moving for summary judgment has the burden to show that he is entitled to judgment under established principles; and if he does not discharge that burden, then he is not entitled to judgment. No defense to an insufficient showing is required.  Ray v. Midfield Park, Inc., 293 Ala. 609, 612, 308 So.2d 686, 688 (1975) (emphasis added). See also Watts v. Watts, 943 So.2d 115 (Ala.2006); Legg v. Kelly, 412 So.2d 1202 (Ala.1982). Thus, this Court must initially consider the sufficiency of Fadal's showing in order to determine whether the burden of rebuttal ever shifted to Horn. Rule 56(c)(1), Ala. R. Civ. P., requires that a motion for summary judgment `be supported by a narrative summary of what the movant contends to be the undisputed material facts. ' Although it may be included in the motion or may be separately attached as an exhibit, the rule clearly requires that a narrative summary be included with any motion for summary judgment. The narrative summary must include specific references to pleadings, portions of discovery materials, or affidavits for the court to rely on in determining whether a genuine issue of material fact exists. A summary judgment is not proper if the movant has not complied with the requirements of Rule 56. Moore v. ClaimSouth, Inc., 628 So.2d 500 (Ala. 1993); see also Thompson v. Rehabworks of Florida, Inc., 727 So.2d 807 (Ala. Civ.App.1997), Hale v. Union Foundry Co., 673 So.2d 762 (Ala.Civ. App.1995). While the Rule provides that a movant may base its motion upon the pleadings and other documents on file with the court, it does not allow a party to file a simplistic motion devoid of a narrative summary and specific references to those portions of the record demonstrating that no genuine issue of material fact exists.  Northwest Florida Truss, Inc. v. Baldwin County Comm'n, 782 So.2d 274, 276-77 (Ala.2000) (summary judgment reversed for failure to file a narrative summary of undisputed facts) (emphasis added); see also Singleton v. Alabama Dep't of Corr., 819 So.2d 596, 600 (Ala.2001)(an entry of a summary judgment for the defendants would not be proper until they have complied with the requirement of [Rule 56, Ala. R. Civ. P.,] that they submit a narrative summary of what they contend to be the undisputed material facts). Having filed no memorandum of law, Fadal filed no narrative summary of undisputed facts as required by Rule 56(c). The summary-judgment motion contains only conclusory allegations regarding (1) the adequacy of the warnings affixed to the machine, (2) the substantiality of the alteration to the machine, (3) Mitchell's awareness of the condition of the cutting tool, (4) her alleged method of tightening the tool, and (5) the proper operating speed of the machine. Although the motion was accompanied by affidavits, it did not include specific references to pleadings, portions of discovery materials, or affidavits for the court to rely on. Northwest Florida Truss, 782 So.2d at 277. It was nothing more than a simplistic motion devoid of a narrative summary and specific references to those portions of the record [purporting to demonstrate] that no genuine issue of material fact exists. Id. A motion that does not comply with Rule 56(c) does not require a response in defense from the nonmovant. Ray, 293 Ala. at 612, 308 So.2d at 688. Because the burden never shifted to Horn to rebut Fadal's motion, the summary judgment for Fadal was improper, regardless of the sufficiency of Horn's response, and that judgment is reversed with the exception of the abandoned failure-to-warn claim. We shall restrict our discussion in the remainder of the opinion to the issues presented by the judgment in favor of Cardinal.