Opinion ID: 1133541
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether leflore county's failure to place warning signs and traffic control devices are legislative or regulatory functions for which the county is immune from suit under the mississippi tort claims act.

Text: ¶ 11. The county further claims immunity under § 11-46-9 of the MTCA because government entities are immune from suit when they construct or improve roads in accordance with plans or designs which have been approved by a legislative body or other governmental entity with authority to grant such an approval. The county asserts that since the road in question conformed with state guidelines and was approved by the state engineer, the plaintiffs claims are barred. The plaintiffs contend that the county's reliance on state guidelines for the construction of roads is not applicable to the decision to place warning signs and that the guidelines merely provide the minimum standard of care required of the county. The plaintiffs emphasize that it is not the design and construction of the road that is at issue, but the county's failure to warn. The plaintiffs also point out that the county proffered no evidence that these guidelines were in fact complied with. ¶ 12. The county argues that under § 11-46-9(1)(p) of the MTCA governmental entities are immune from suit when they construct or improve roads in conformance with plans or designs that have been approved by a legislative body or other government entity with authority to give such approval: (1)(p) Arising out of a plan or design for construction or improvements to public property, including but not limited to, public buildings, highways, roads, streets, bridges, levees, dikes, dams, impoundments, drainage channels, diversion channels, harbors, ports, wharfs or docks, where such plan or design has been approved in advance of the construction or improvement by the legislative body or governing authority of a governmental entity or by some other body or administrative agency, exercising discretion by authority to give such approval, and where such plan or design is in conformity with engineering or design standards in effect at the time of preparation of the plan or design; Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-9(1)(p) (Supp. 1999). ¶ 13. The Leflore County engineer stated in his affidavit that Highway 515, the road at issue, is a State Aid road designed in 1948 pursuant to State of Mississippi guidelines in effect at that time. The county engineer also stated that should an issue arise as to whether a sign should be placed on a State Aid Road, the county requests approval from the State Aid Division to put up such a structure or sign. The county claims that because it is bound by statute not to deviate from uniform standards and specifications without the approval of the state aid engineer by Miss. Code Ann. § 65-9-11(1991), and because the design of State Aid Road 515 complied with the State Aid guidelines and was approved by the State Aid Engineer, the plaintiffs claims are barred by the MTCA. ¶ 14. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-9(1)(p) pertains to the plan, design or construction of roads. The plaintiffs do not assert claims relating to the design, plan or construction of the road at issue. Instead they are complaining about an alleged dangerous condition about which there was a failure to warn, and whether the county had exercised ordinary care. The issue of whether the county failed to indicate that the curve was dangerous takes it outside of subsection (p). It is further worthy of note that according to Jones v. Panola County, 725 So.2d 774 (Miss.1998), the appropriate treatise to turn to for determining the duty owed by a governmental entity in cases such as this one is the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Id. at 778. Though not conclusive as to the question of negligence the finder of fact should be allowed to consider the MUTCD provisions in determining whether the county met the minimum standard of care. The issue of whether a failure to adopt permissive conditions outlined in the MUTCD is a legitimate factual question to be considered in the context of determining whether or not the county was negligent in its failure to warn. ¶ 15. The county argues that should this Court determine that Jones does apply to the present case, the county did in fact exercise ordinary care by placing a curve sign ahead of the approaching curve. The county further argues that under Mississippi law the motorist also has a duty of care and under Miss Code Ann. § 63-3-505 (1996) has a duty to decrease speed when approaching and going around a curve. The plaintiffs do not contest the existence of such a duty. As previously stated there is a genuine issue of material fact between the parties as to whether the county did in fact exercise ordinary care. The circuit court heard these and other arguments and wanted to hear more evidence before making its finding. The county should make arguments involving contested factual issues to the circuit court rather than to this appellate court.