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Holleran v. 4520 Corp.

Superior Court of Delaware, New Castle County
Mar 3, 2003
C.A. No. 02C-08-204-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-280-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-056-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-239-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-01-041-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-194-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-075-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-108-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-074-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-204-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-299-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-209-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-195-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-265-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-182-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-206-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-291-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-004-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-12-014-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-016-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-279-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-296-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-138-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-300-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-003-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-264-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-095-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-281-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-123-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-002-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-075-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-05-166-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-005-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-110-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-091-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-067-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-066-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-124-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-294-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-210-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-249-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-247-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-11-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-292-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-207-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-240-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-107-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-094-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-241-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-225-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-206-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-183-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-219-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-10-020-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-128-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-12-093-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-066-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-205-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-043-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-205-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-11-010-ASB, C.A. No. 01C-12-172-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-142-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-042-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-243-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-134-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-267-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-005-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-193-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-093-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-297-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-065-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-298-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-05-214-ASB, C.A. No. 00C-08-028-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-293-ASB (Del. Super. Ct. Mar. 3, 2003)
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Opinion

C.A. No. 02C-08-204-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-280-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-056-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-239-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-01-041-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-194-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-075-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-108-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-074-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-204-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-299-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-209-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-195-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-265-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-182-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-206-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-291-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-004-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-12-014-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-016-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-279-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-296-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-138-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-300-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-003-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-264-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-095-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-281-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-123-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-002-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-075-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-05-166-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-005-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-110-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-091-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-067-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-066-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-124-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-294-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-210-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-249-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-247-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-11-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-292-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-207-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-240-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-107-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-094-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-241-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-225-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-206-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-183-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-219-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-10-020-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-128-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-12-093-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-066-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-205-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-043-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-205-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-11-010-ASB, C.A. No. 01C-12-172-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-142-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-042-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-243-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-134-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-267-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-005-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-193-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-093-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-297-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-065-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-298-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-05-214-ASB, C.A. No. 00C-08-028-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-293-ASB

Submitted: January 31, 2003

Decided: March 3, 2003

Defendant 4520 Corporation's Motion to Dismiss. Motion Granted. Complaint Dismissed with Leave to Amend Within 30 Days.

Appearances: Richard T. Wilson, Esquire, Wilmington, Delaware. Attorney for Plaintiffs.

Christian J. Singewald, Esquire, Wilmington, Delaware. Attorney for Defendant 4520 Corp., Inc..

OPINION

JOHN E. BABIARZ, JR., JUDGE.

This is the Court's decision on Defendant 4520 Corporation's motion to dismiss the Complaints filed by 82 Plaintiffs in an asbestos-related personal injury action against numerous Defendants. Plaintiffs oppose the motion to dismiss and have submitted a First Amended Complaint, which the Court accepts. As explained below, the motion to dismiss the Complaints is Granted with leave to amend within 30 days of the date of the issuance of this Opinion. Notices of adoption filed by certain other Defendants are therefore moot.

Defendants Atlas Turner, Inc., Bell Asbestos Mines, Ltd., and Sequoia Ventures, Inc. seek to adopt Defendant 4520's position on the motion to dismiss.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

A motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be based will not be granted if the plaintiff may recover under any set of circumstances susceptible of proof under the complaint. All well-pled allegations are to be taken as true, and all reasonable inferences shall be in favor of the non-moving party. If the Court concludes that the plaintiff cannot prevail on any set of facts inferable from the pleadings, the complaint may be dismissed.

Spence v. Funk, 396 A.2d 967 (Del. 1978); Ramunno v. Cawley, 705 A.2d 1029 (Del. 1998).

Ramunno v. Cawley, 705 A.2d at 1034.

In re USA Cafes, L.P. Litigation, 600 A.2d 43, 47 (Del.Ch. 1991).

DISCUSSION

In the First Amended Complaint, Plaintiffs allege negligence as to all Defendants (Count 1); premises liability (Count 2); contractor liability (Count 3); wilful, wanton and reckless conduct (Count 4); civil conspiracy (Count 5); strict liability (Count 6); and loss of consortium (Count 7). Plaintiffs have agreed to dismiss the counts for civil conspiracy and strict liability.

See Plaintiffs' Motion in Opposition, Ex. C at 10-13. In a clerical error, the First Amended Complaint mislabels the counts for both conspiracy and wilful, wanton and reckless conduct as Count 4, resulting in a total of six counts rather than seven. For purposes of this Opinion, the Court refers to Counts 1 through 7.
Other than Plaintiffs' names and personal information, the 82 Complaints are virtually identical and are so treated in this Opinion. The Court's conclusions apply to each Plaintiff individually.

See Transcript of Hearing (July 18, 2002) at 8.

Defendant 4520 moves to dismiss the Complaint in its entirety because Plaintiffs have not pled the cause with particularity and therefore fail to state a claim upon which relief can be based. Plaintiffs concede that the Complaint "paints [the allegations of negligence] with a broad brush," but assert that it is not vague or lacking in particularity.

Plaintiff's Opposition at 5.

The circumstances constituting negligence must be pled with particularity, pursuant to Super.Ct.Civ.R. 9(b), in order to inform a defendant of the acts or omissions by which a duty has been breached. As this Court has previously stated, "[i]t is not sufficient to state the result or conclusion of fact arising from circumstances not set forth in the declaration, nor to make a general statement of the facts which admits of almost any proof to sustain it."

Rule 9(b) provides as follows:

Fraud, negligence, mistake, condition of mind. In all averments of fraud, negligence, or mistake, the circumstances constituting fraud, negligence or mistake shall be stated with particularity. Malice, intent, knowledge and other condition of mind of a person may be averred generally.

Riggs Nat'l Bank v. Boyd, 2000 WL 303308 (Del.Super.) (citing Macino v. Webb, 274 A.2d 711, 713 (Del.Super.Ct. 1971)).

Lee v. Johnson, 1996 WL 944868 at *2 (Del.Super.) (citations omitted).

In regard to time and place, which are at issue in this case, Rule 9(f) provides that "averments of time and place are material and shall be considered like all other averments of material matter." In addressing claims of fraud under Rule 9, this Court has stated that the complaint must allege the "time, place, and contents of the false representation. . . ." Negligence, like fraud, is a special matter that must be pled with particularity, and the Court concludes that the requisite particularity includes some indication of the time and place of the alleged injuries.

Nutt v. A.C. S., Inc., 466 A.2d 18, 23 (Del.Super.Ct.), aff'd sub nom. Mergenthaler v. Asbestos Corp. of America, 480 A.2d 647 (Del. 1984).

Plaintiff Charles Hannagan's Complaint, which is representative of all 82 complaints, alleges that Hannagan is an ironworker who suffers from asbestos-related injuries because all Defendants failed in their duty to protect Hannagan from the dangers of inhaling asbestos. However, there is no allegation anywhere in the Complaint of a work site or premises where Plaintiff was injured, or a time frame during which an injury occurred. The Court will accept conclusions asserted in the Complaint only if there are specific allegations of fact to support them. In this case, Plaintiffs have not provided any specifics as to the time, place or manner of the alleged injuries. Even under the standards of notice pleading, this broad brush pleading is not sufficient. Defendant 4520's motion to dismiss Counts 1, 2 and 3 is granted without prejudice.

See Motion to Dismiss, Ex. A.

In re Santa Fe Pacific Shareholders Litig., 669 A.2d 59, 65-66 (Del. 1995).

Defendant 4520 makes a similar argument to dismiss Count 4, which alleges wilful, wanton or reckless conduct. While state of mind requirements may be averred generally pursuant to Rule 9(b), the Court again finds that some notice of time, place or manner of injury is required. The lack of particularity which is fatal to the allegations of ordinary negligence is also fatal to the allegations of the aggravated form of negligence, along with the associated claim for punitive damages. Defendant 4520's motion to dismiss Count 4 is therefore granted without prejudice.

See Wolstenholme v. Hygienic Exterminating Co., Inc., 1988 WL 77655 at *1-2 (Del.Super.) (holding that where plaintiffs fail to plead fraud with particularity, the dependent request for punitive damages must be dismissed); Rowlands v. Phico Ins. Co., 2000 WL 1092134 at *6 (D.Del.).

Loss of consortium (Count 7) is a derivative claim which need not be addressed at this time in light of the Court's decision to allow Plaintiffs to amend their Complaints.

Finally, the notices of adoption filed by other Defendants are moot but may be renewed if Plaintiffs file a Second Amended Complaint.

CONCLUSION

For the reasons explained above, Defendant 4520's motion to dismiss the Complaint is Granted. Plaintiffs may submit a Second Amended Complaint for each Plaintiff within 30 days of the issuance of this Opinion.

It Is So ORDERED.

Summaries of

Holleran v. 4520 Corp.

Superior Court of Delaware, New Castle County
Mar 3, 2003
C.A. No. 02C-08-204-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-280-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-056-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-239-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-01-041-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-194-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-075-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-108-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-074-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-204-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-299-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-209-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-195-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-265-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-182-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-206-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-291-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-004-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-12-014-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-016-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-279-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-296-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-138-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-300-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-003-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-264-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-095-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-281-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-123-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-002-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-075-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-05-166-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-005-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-110-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-091-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-067-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-066-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-124-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-294-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-210-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-249-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-247-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-11-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-292-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-207-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-240-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-107-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-094-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-241-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-225-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-206-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-183-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-219-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-10-020-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-128-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-12-093-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-066-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-205-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-043-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-205-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-11-010-ASB, C.A. No. 01C-12-172-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-142-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-042-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-243-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-134-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-267-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-005-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-193-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-093-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-297-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-065-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-298-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-05-214-ASB, C.A. No. 00C-08-028-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-293-ASB (Del. Super. Ct. Mar. 3, 2003)
Case details for

Holleran v. 4520 Corp.

Case Details

Full title:Thomas E. Archie and Joyce Archie, his wife, Daniel E. Bachman, Paul…

Court:Superior Court of Delaware, New Castle County

Date published: Mar 3, 2003

Citations

C.A. No. 02C-08-204-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-280-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-056-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-239-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-01-041-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-194-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-075-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-108-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-074-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-204-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-299-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-209-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-195-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-265-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-182-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-206-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-291-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-004-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-12-014-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-016-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-279-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-296-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-138-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-300-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-003-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-264-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-095-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-281-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-123-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-002-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-075-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-05-166-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-005-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-110-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-091-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-067-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-066-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-124-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-294-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-210-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-249-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-247-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-11-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-292-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-207-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-240-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-107-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-094-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-241-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-06-225-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-206-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-183-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-219-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-10-020-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-04-128-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-12-093-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-066-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-205-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-043-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-205-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-11-010-ASB, C.A. No. 01C-12-172-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-142-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-07-006-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-042-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-243-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-134-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-267-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-09-005-ASB, C.A. No. 03C-01-001-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-03-193-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-093-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-297-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-02-065-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-298-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-05-214-ASB, C.A. No. 00C-08-028-ASB, C.A. No. 02C-08-293-ASB (Del. Super. Ct. Mar. 3, 2003)