Opinion ID: 1892985
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Summary Judgment for Weisberg

Text: The plaintiff first argues that the hearing justice erred in granting Weisberg's motion for summary judgment. This Court will review a hearing justice's grant or denial of a motion for summary judgment de novo, applying the same standards as the hearing justice. See Heflin v. Koszela, 774 A.2d 25, 29 (R.I.2001). In ruling on a motion for summary judgment, the hearing justice reviews the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. See id. Summary judgment is appropriate if there are no genuine issues of material fact remaining and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See id. The moving party bears the initial burden of demonstrating the absence of questions of material fact. See id. That burden may be satisfied by submitting evidentiary materials, such as interrogatory answers, deposition testimony, admissions, or other specific documents, and/or pointing to the absence of such items in the evidence adduced by the parties. Id. (quoting Doe v. Gelineau, 732 A.2d 43, 48 (R.I.1999)). If the moving party satisfies this initial burden, the nonmoving party then must identify any evidentiary materials already before the court or present its own evidence demonstrating that factual questions remain. See id The plaintiffs claim against Weisberg sounded in negligence. To succeed on a claim for negligence, a plaintiff must establish a legally cognizable duty owed by a defendant to a plaintiff, a breach of that duty, proximate causation between the conduct and the resulting injury, and the actual loss or damage. Jenard v. Halpin, 567 A.2d 368, 370 (R.I. 1989). Moreover, expert testimony is required to establish any matter that is not obvious to a lay person and thus lies beyond common knowledge. See Boccasile v. Cajun Music Limited, 694 A.2d 686, 690 (R.I.1997). In order to prove negligent inspection and testing a plaintiff must establish a standard of care with respect to inspection and testing and the defendant's deviation from that standard. Scittarelli v. Providence Gas Co., 415 A.2d 1040, 1043 (R.I.1980). Further, we do not hesitate to conclude that the existence of a causal relationship between a particular toxin and its effect on the human body would have to be established through expert testimony. Here, Weisberg was sent by the department to plaintiff's office to conduct environmental testing to detect the presence of toxins. The gravamen of plaintiff's claim against Weisberg was his alleged negligent testing of her office. In response to Weisberg's summary judgment motion, however, plaintiff failed to come forward with any expert evidence to establish the standard of care expected of him or any evidence that he deviated from that standard. She also failed to present any expert evidence that Weisberg's alleged negligence caused her injuries. Rather, when asked about her ability to establish the causal connection between the toxins alleged to have been absorbed into her patients' medical files and her injuries, plaintiff said that she could establish the causal connection by using expert testimony. However, a party opposing a motion for summary judgment cannot rest upon mere allegations or denials. Paradis v. Zarrella, 683 A.2d 1337, 1339 (R.I.1996). Without providing an expert's affidavit or other appropriate scientific evidence, there was no evidence capable of substantiating plaintiffs claim that Weisberg's alleged negligence proximately caused her injuries. Similarly, plaintiff failed to present any evidence to the hearing justice establishing the standard of care against which Weisberg's conduct could be measured. Accordingly, Weisberg was entitled to summary judgment.