Opinion ID: 1711656
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: immunity generally

Text: [1] The central question presented by this case is whether a municipality and its police officers may be liable for injuries arising out of a high-speed pursuit, where the pursued vehicle collides with a third person. The City and Andrade maintain that the general municipal tort immunity set forth in Wis. Stat. § 893.80(4) [3] relieves them from liability for any damages resulting from the collision between Zergoski and Cavanaugh. This court most recently summarized the doctrine of governmental immunity in Kimps v. Hill, 200 Wis. 2d 1, 546 N.W.2d 151 (1996). As we stated in that case, [t]he test for determining whether a duty is discretionary (and therefore within the scope of immunity) or ministerial (and not so protected) is that the latter is found only when [the duty] is absolute, certain and imperative, involving merely the performance of a specific task when the law imposes, prescribes and defines the time, mode and occasion for its performance with such certainty that nothing remains for judgment or discretion. Id. at 10-11 (citations omitted). Despite the immunity for discretionary acts of municipalities and its employees set forth in § 893.80(4), Cavanaugh argues that neither the City nor Andrade are immune from liability arising out of a high-speed pursuit based on Wis. Stat. § 346.03. Section 346.03 specifically governs the privileges and duties of drivers of emergency vehicles, Wis. Stat. § 346.03(1)-(5). [4] This court has not yet had occasion to consider the applicability of the defense of immunity in the context of a high-speed pursuit. We consider this question as applied to the City and Andrade separately under the facts and circumstances of this case.