Opinion ID: 1759925
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Negligence/Negligent-Supervision Claim

Text: UFCU maintains that the trial court erred in certifying Grayson's negligence/negligent-supervision claim for class-action treatment. We note that a party alleging negligent supervision and hiring must prove the underlying wrongful conduct of the defendant's agents. Voyager Ins. Cos. v. Whitson, 867 So.2d at 1073 (citing Stevenson v. Precision Standard, Inc., 762 So.2d 820 (Ala.1999)). In Voyager Insurance, the plaintiff customers alleged that the defendant, Voyager, negligently hired and/or supervised its agents, resulting in wrongful conduct in the sale of credit-property and credit-life insurance. 867 So.2d at 1073. Additionally, the customers argued that common issues predominated over individualized issues, because their claim was based on Voyager's common course of conduct in charging customers premiums on contracts with Voyager's agents. Id. This Court noted that the alleged underlying wrongful conduct of Voyager's agents  fraud, suppression, and deceit  required proof of the element of reliance. Voyager Ins., 867 So.2d at 1073. We held that the customers failed to show that common questions of fact regarding this element predominated over individual issues. Id. Therefore, the customers failed to meet their burden under Rule 23(b)(3), and class certification of the negligent-hiring claim was inappropriate. Id. In this case, Grayson alleges that UFCU was negligent by allowing, condoning or instructing its employees to do improper and/or illegal acts, namely, charging non-existent filing fees. While Grayson does not explain the nature of these improper and/or illegal acts, she does incorporate, by reference, the rest of her complaint. We take this to be an allegation by Grayson that UFCU's employees are guilty of the other torts she alleges in her complaint. As noted above, Grayson's fraud, fraudulent-suppression, and breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims are not suitable for class-action certification because individual issues predominate over common issues as to those claims, making the class unmanageable. Because the alleged wrongs underlying Grayson's negligent-supervision claim would require individualized determinations, the negligence/negligent-supervision claim likewise is unsuited for class-action certification. Therefore, the trial court exceeded its discretion in certifying the negligence/negligent-supervision claim for class-action treatment. See Voyager Ins., supra .