Opinion ID: 1966392
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: has plaintiff pled a valid independent cause of action?

Text: As we stated earlier, the dramshop act does not control or abrogate actions arising out of conduct of a tavern owner other than the selling, giving, or furnishing of intoxicants, provided that the alleged unlawful or negligent conduct is in breach of a duty recognized as a basis for a cause of action at the common law. Plaintiff claims that she has pled a recognized common-law cause of action on the basis of Plum Hollow's breach of its duties: to provide proper supervision of its employees at the dinner event; to provide alternate transportation for the employee, Tomakowski, who had been working for thirteen hours prior to the dinner event and who had consumed alcoholic beverages while attending the dinner event, especially where there was no available public transportation; and not to serve and allow Tomakowski to be served excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages rendering him intoxicated and unable to safely drive from the work situation. This claim requires examination of the nature of the duty allegedly owed by one party to another, Moning v Alfono, 400 Mich 425; 254 NW2d 759 (1977). In doing so, we focus, not on the particular standard of care, that is, [t]he reasonableness of the risk of harm, id., 433, created by the particular conduct, but rather on whether the situation is one in which there is a recognized duty at common law, that is, whether the actor was under any obligation to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances.... Lowe v Estate Motors, 428 Mich 439, 463; 410 NW2d 706 (1987). Emphasizing the distinction between unlawful conduct under the dramshop act and negligent conduct, the plaintiff claims she has alleged a common-law claim of negligence on the basis of the employer's duty to control the actions of the employee as set forth in § 317 of the Restatement of Torts, 2d. [6] Manuel and the Restatement suggest that a common-law claim might be recognized where an employee became intoxicated and harmed a third person while still on the employer's premises, or the employer had permitted an intoxicated employee to use the employer's vehicle to leave the premises. However, the master as such is under no peculiar duty to control the conduct of his servant while he is outside the master's premises, unless the servant is at the time using a chattel entrusted to him as servant. § 317, comment b. See Meany v Newell, 367 NW2d 472 (Minn, 1985). Plaintiff's claims of improper supervision and failure to provide alternate transportation must be read to assert not the breach of an independent duty to third parties, but rather to allege a negligent failure to prevent intoxication of an employee or negligence in permitting an employee who is tired and has been drinking, but is not visibly intoxicated, from driving his own vehicle. These claims are not based on breach of duty cognizable at common-law which is independent of the conduct involving the furnishing of intoxicants to Tomakowski. If Michigan recognized a common-law claim against Plum Hollow as a dramshop owner, it would be for the negligence in serving Tomakowski intoxicants when he was tired and where it was reasonably foreseeable that he would drive his own vehicle. This is the same conduct which would form the basis of plaintiff's common-law claim against Plum Hollow as an employer, if the claim were recognized in this jurisdiction. Cf. Dickinson v Edwards, 105 Wash 2d 457; 716 P2d 814 (1986). The dramshop act is plaintiff's exclusive remedy for the furnishing of alcoholic beverages, and this preclusion extends not just to those allegations that would be unlawful under the dramshop act, but to allegations that the employer was negligent in furnishing alcohol to a tired but otherwise able-bodied employee. Negligence in the furnishing of alcohol to an able-bodied person was not a tort at the common law. Neither alleging that the person was tired nor that he was required to attend the banquet alters this conclusion. The conclusion that plaintiff has not established a common-law claim requires consideration of the cause of action recognized in Romeo v Van Otterloo, 117 Mich App 333; 323 NW2d 693 (1982). In Romeo, the defendant was an accounting firm which required some of its employees to host a party for one of its clients. While fulfilling that duty, one of the employees drank alcoholic beverages. That employee caused an accident while attempting to drive home, killing the plaintiff's husband. The plaintiff initiated suit alleging, inter alia, that the defendant was itself negligent by failing to supervise its employees and guests at the function and in failing to provide an alternate means of transportation.... Id., 336. Since the defendant was not a liquor licensee, the Court determined that the dramshop act did not provide an avenue of recovery. The remaining issue was whether the plaintiff had pled a viable common-law action. To decide that question the Court was required to determine whether, under the facts as alleged, the defendant owed a duty to the plaintiff. The Court determined that the plaintiff had pled a valid claim for negligent supervision. The Court based its decision on the potential for unreasonable, foreseeable risk of harm arising out of the allegations of that case. Id., 343. The Court stated: [I]n order to further its business, defendant required Van Otterloo to play the role of party host in circumstances where the possibility of alcohol consumption could be presumed. In doing so, defendant created the risk that Van Otterloo would become intoxicated and endanger others, including those in his path as he traveled home. [ Id. ] The concurring judge agreed with the decision, but stated that the majority implies that the mere fact that Van Otterloo was hired as a party host where alcohol would be served might be enough to support a finding of negligent supervision. I believe that more must be shown to prove the case. Specifically, plaintiff must prove that defendant knew or should have known that Van Otterloo could not be trusted with the responsibility which he was given by defendant. [ Id., 343-344.] We decline to adopt the rationale of Romeo, and we hold that the special relationship between employer and employee does not of itself require the employer to protect third parties from off-premises injuries, either by supervising the consumption of alcohol or providing alternate transportation. Likewise, we find in this case that the allegations do not establish a duty because it has not been alleged that the defendant knew or should have known of the existence of any special circumstances regarding Tomakowski that could establish a duty of care to third persons. We express no opinion on the viability of such a claim, see Costa v Able Distributors, Inc, 3 Hawaii App 486; 653 P2d 101 (1982). The mere fact that the employee was tired does not allege a foreseeable risk that he would consume alcoholic beverages to the point where he would become a risk to others. A lengthy work day, combined with required attendance at the banquet, does not create a reasonably foreseeable risk of harm from which would arise an independent duty to supervise or provide alternative transportation.