Opinion ID: 1320306
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: Our review of the circuit court's grant of summary judgment to Equity Inns is de novo. See Syl. Pt. 1, Painter v. Peavy, 192 W.Va. 189, 451 S.E.2d 755 (1994) ([a] circuit court's entry of summary judgment is reviewed de novo. ). However, regarding the circuit court's denial of Appellant's motion to amend the complaint to assert claims for res ipsa loquitur and strict liability against Equity Inns, our standard of review is abuse of discretion. We have held that [a] trial court is vested with a sound discretion in granting or refusing leave to amend pleadings in civil actions. Leave to amend should freely be given when justice so requires, but the action of a trial court in refusing to grant leave to amend a pleading will not be regarded as reversible error in the absence of a showing of an abuse of the trial court's discretion in ruling upon a motion for leave to amend. Syl. T. 6, Perdue v. S.J. Groves and Sons Co., 152 W.Va. 222, 161 S.E.2d 250 (1968). With these standards of review in mind, we proceed to consider the arguments of the parties.