{ "id": 6777044, "name": "JANET MAY and CURTIS HILL, Co-Administrators of the Estate of Mark Curtis Hill, Plaintiffs v. MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., and OCRACOKE CIVIC & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION d/b/a OCRACOKE ISLAND CIVIC AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, Defendants; JUDY B. GRAY, Administrator of the Estate of Melissa Annette Simmons, Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant; KEVIN F. MACQUEEN, Administrator of the Estate of Charles Nathaniel Kirkland, Jr., Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant; MARTEZ HOLLAND, Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant", "name_abbreviation": "May v. Melrose South Pyrotechnics, Inc.", "decision_date": "2014-02-04", "docket_number": "No. COA13-620", "first_page": "240", "last_page": "246", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "232 N.C. App. 240" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "N.C. Ct. App.", "id": 14983, "name": "North Carolina Court of Appeals" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 5, "name_long": "North Carolina", "name": "N.C." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "407 S.E.2d 222", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1991, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "228" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "329 N.C. 330", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 2553288 ], "year": 1991, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "340-41" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/329/0330-01" ] }, { "cite": "423 S.E.2d 444", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1992, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "457", "parenthetical": "\"Summary judgment 'is a drastic measure, and it should be used with caution.' \"" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "333 N.C. 1", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 2546568 ], "year": 1992, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "27", "parenthetical": "\"Summary judgment 'is a drastic measure, and it should be used with caution.' \"" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/333/0001-01" ] }, { "cite": "302 S.E.2d 868", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1983, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "871" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "308 N.C. 419", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 4708418 ], "year": 1983, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "425" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/308/0419-01" ] }, { "cite": "698 S.E.2d 91", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 2010, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "93-94" }, { "page": "94" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "205 N.C. App. 712", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 3734687 ], "year": 2010, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "714" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/205/0712-01" ] }, { "cite": "29 S.E.2d 137", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 1944, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "139" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "224 N.C. 11", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8594820 ], "year": 1944, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/224/0011-01" ] }, { "cite": "289 S.E.2d 363", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 1982, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "366" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "305 N.C. 366", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8569908 ], "year": 1982, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "369" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/305/0366-01" ] }, { "cite": "713 S.E.2d 140", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 2011, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "147", "parenthetical": "internal quotation marks omitted" }, { "page": "147" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "213 N.C. App. 220", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 4233513 ], "weight": 2, "year": 2011, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "229", "parenthetical": "internal quotation marks omitted" }, { "page": "228" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/213/0220-01" ] } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 577, "char_count": 14214, "ocr_confidence": 0.724, "pagerank": { "raw": 4.03580807328026e-08, "percentile": 0.18224595333550334 }, "sha256": "25ce8902d8793304230ae7fa37e7016c2e276a5651f8a66227d99745777be408", "simhash": "1:2f3e87454e583255", "word_count": 2241 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T19:34:41.441392+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [ "Judges HUNTER, Robert C. and ELMORE concur." ], "parties": [ "JANET MAY and CURTIS HILL, Co-Administrators of the Estate of Mark Curtis Hill, Plaintiffs v. MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., and OCRACOKE CIVIC & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION d/b/a OCRACOKE ISLAND CIVIC AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, Defendants JUDY B. GRAY, Administrator of the Estate of Melissa Annette Simmons, Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant KEVIN F. MACQUEEN, Administrator of the Estate of Charles Nathaniel Kirkland, Jr., Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant MARTEZ HOLLAND, Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant" ], "opinions": [ { "text": "McGEE, Judge.\nThis case is before us on remand from the North Carolina Supreme Court. Our Court originally dismissed the appeal in this matter as interlocutory on 8 August 2013. Melrose South Pyrotechnics, Inc. (\u201cMelrose\u201d) and East Coast Pyrotechnics, Inc. petitioned our Supreme Court for writ of certiorari, and the Supreme Court, in an order entered 3 October 2013, allowed the petition \u201cfor the limited purpose of remanding to the Court of Appeals for consideration of the merits.\u201d This Court therefore reviews the merits of Defendants\u2019 appeal.\nThis action arises out of a fireworks explosion in which several people were killed or seriously injured. Janet May (\u201cMay\u201d) and Curtis Hill (\u201cHill\u201d), co-administrators of the estate of Mark Curtis Hill, filed a complaint on 2 December 2010 against Melrose and Ocracoke Civic & Business Association d/b/a Ocracoke Island Civic and Business Association (\u201cOcracoke\u201d) (together, \u201cDefendants\u201d), alleging negligent hiring, gross negligence, and strict liability.\nMay and Hill alleged that Melrose was \u201cin the business of providing fireworks displays[;]\u201d that Terry Holland \u201chad been apart-time employee of... Melrose since 2000;\u201d that Ocracoke \u201ccontracted with... Melrose to provide a fireworks display[;]\u201d that Terry Holland \u201creceived some training from... Melrose as \u2018Chief Pyrotechnician\u2019 to work on its behalf conducting fireworks displays in North Carolina;\u201d and that Terry Holland \u201cwas advanced sums of money to retain the independent services of a crew to assist him in performing fireworks displays\u201d by Melrose.\nJudy B. Gray (\u201cGray\u201d), as administrator of the estate of Melissa Annette Simmons, and Kevin F. MacQueen (\u201cMacQueen\u201d), as administrator of the estate of Charles Nathaniel Kirkland, Jr., filed separate complaints on 1 July 2011 against East Coast Pyrotechnics, Inc., formerly known as Melrose, alleging negligence, gross negligence, strict liability, and, in the alternative, a Woodson claim. Martez Holland filed a complaint on 1 July 2011 against Melrose, alleging negligent hiring, gross negligence, and strict liability.\nThe trial court, in an order entered 15 November 2011, consolidated the actions of May and Hill, Gray, MacQueen, and Martez Holland (together, \u201cPlaintiffs\u201d). Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment on 24 August 2012. The trial court denied Defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment in an order entered 1 October 2012 because \u201cthere do exist genuine issues of fact[.]\u201d\nI. Standard of Review\n\u201cWe review a trial court\u2019s order granting or denying summary judgment de novo. Under a de novo review, the court considers the matter anew and freely substitutes its own judgment\u201d for that of the trial court. D.G. II, LLC v. Nix, 213 N.C. App. 220, 229, 713 S.E.2d 140, 147 (2011) (internal quotation marks omitted).\nII. Rule\nA trial court should grant a motion for summary judgment only \u201cif the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that any party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.\u201d N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 1A-1, Rule 56(c) (2013); see also D.G. II, 213 N.C. App. at 228, 713 S.E.2d at 147.\nThe purpose of N.C.G.S. \u00a7 1A-1, Rule 56 \u201cis to eliminate formal trials where only questions of law are involved.\u201d Lowe v. Bradford, 305 N.C. 366, 369, 289 S.E.2d 363, 366 (1982). \u201cAn issue is \u2018genuine\u2019 if it can be proven by substantial evidence and a fact is \u2018material\u2019 if it would constitute or irrevocably establish any material element of a claim or a defense.\u201d Id.\nHI. Relationship Between Plaintiffs and Defendants\nDefendants first argue the trial court erred in denying their motion for summary judgment because \u201c[t]he issue of whether Plaintiffs are employees or independent contractors can be decided as a matter of law.\u201d We disagree.\nAs stated above, summary judgment requires that (1) \u201cthe pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact\u201d and (2) \u201cany party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.\u201d N.C.G.S. \u00a7 1A-1, Rule 56(c). In the present case, there remain several genuine issues of fact that are material to determining the nature of the relationship between Plaintiffs and Defendants.\nDefendants contend there are some undisputed facts that \u201cshow conclusively that Plaintiffs were employees\u201d of Melrose. Defendants cite Hayes v. Elon College, 224 N.C. 11, 29 S.E.2d 137 (1944), for support of their argument. However, in Hayes, there was \u201cno substantial controversy as to the facts.\u201d Id. at 15, 29 S.E.2d at 139. By contrast, in the present case, there is substantial controversy as to the facts, as will be shown in this section. We therefore cannot determine the nature of the relationship between Plaintiffs and Defendants at this stage in the proceedings.\nIn their complaint, May and Hill alleged that Terry Holland \u201chad been a part-time employee of. . . Melrose since 2000[.]\u201d They further alleged that the \u201ccrew members selected by [Terry] Holland were not employees of... Melrose but were contracted by [Terry] Holland for... Melrose on a job by job basis[.]\u201d Melrose denied this allegation in its answer.\nSimilarly, in her complaint, Gray alleged that \u201cSimmons and the other crew members were not employees of Defendant but were contracted by [Melrose] by and through its employee, [Terry] Holland, to work on the July 4, 2009, fireworks display for\u201d Ocracoke. Melrose denied this allegation in its answer.\nLikewise, in his complaint, MacQueen alleged that Charles Nathaniel Kirkland, Jr. \u201cand the other crew members were not employees of Defendant but were independent contractors retained by Defendant by and through its employee, [Terry] Holland, to work on the July 4, 2009, fireworks display for\u201d Ocracoke. Melrose denied this allegation in its answer.\nIn his complaint, Martez Holland alleged that the \u201ccrew members selected by [Terry] Holland were not employees of [Melrose] but were contracted by [Terry] Holland for [Melrose] on a job by job basis[.]\u201d Melrose denied this allegation in its answer.\nTo determine \u201cwhether the relationship of employer-employee, or that of independent contractor, exists, our Supreme Court has stated, \u2018The vital test is to be found in the fact that the employer has or has not retained the right of control or superintendence over the contractor or employee as to details.\u2019 \u201d Morales-Rodriguez v. Carolina Quality Exteriors, Inc., 205 N.C. App. 712, 714, 698 S.E.2d 91, 93-94 (2010). Factors to consider in determining whether the relationship of employer-employee exists include that the person employed:\n(a) is engaged in an independent business, calling, or occupation; (b) is to have the independent use of his special skill, knowledge, or training in the execution of the work; (c) is doing a specified piece of work at a fixed price or for a lump sum or upon a quantitative basis; (d) is not subject to discharge because he adopts one method of doing the work rather than another; (e) is not in the regular employ of the other contracting party; (f) is free to use such assistants as he may think proper; (g) has full control over such assistants; and (h) selects his own time.\nId. at 714, 698 S.E.2d at 94.\nThomas Thompson, president of Melrose, testified in a deposition that the lead technician is paid ten percent of the value of the show and has the \u201cchoice to decide how he wants to split that up\u201d among his crew. However, May stated in an affidavit that at no time \u201cdid Mark [Curtis] Hill ever represent to [her] that he was working for Melrose[.]\u201d May further stated that Melrose \u201cnever issued any compensation for the work performed by Mark [Curtis] Hill.\u201d Furthermore, Ronnie Tessenner (\u201cTessenner\u201d), who worked for Melrose in 2009, testified that Mark Curtis Hill, in his past work experience, had repaired items in homes. Tessenner also testified that Charles Nathaniel Kirkland, Jr. was an electrician and that \u201cit would be helpful to have an assistant that had some electrical experience\u201d in a fireworks display.\nThe pleadings and depositions show that there is substantial controversy as to the facts that define the nature of the relationship between Plaintiffs and Defendants. Because there is a substantial controversy as to the facts, at this stage in the proceedings, we cannot determine the nature of the relationship. Defendants have not shown that the trial court erred in denying Defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment on this basis.\nIV. Negligence. Gross Negligence. Strict Liability. and Negligent Hiring\nDefendants also argue the trial court erred in denying Defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment \u201cas to Plaintiffs\u2019 claims for negligence, gross negligence, strict liability, and negligent hiring because no issues of fact exist to support any of those claims.\u201d We disagree.\nDefendants contend that \u201c[e]ven if Plaintiffs are found to be independent contractors, they fail to set forth evidence to support any recognized exception to the \u2018no liability\u2019 rule for general contractors.\u201d However, Defendants\u2019 argument overlooks the fact, discussed in the previous section, that genuine issues of material fact remain as to the nature of the relationship between Plaintiffs and Defendants.\n\u201cNegligence claims are rarely' susceptible of summary adjudication, and should ordinarily be resolved by trial of the issues.\u201d Lamb v. Wedgewood South Corp., 308 N.C. 419, 425, 302 S.E.2d 868, 871 (1983); see also Goodman v. Wenco Foods, Inc., 333 N.C. 1, 27, 423 S.E.2d 444, 457 (1992) (\u201cSummary judgment \u2018is a drastic measure, and it should be used with caution.\u2019 \u201d). Because genuine issues of material fact remain to be determined in the trial court as to the nature of the relationship between Plaintiffs and Defendants, the trial court did not err in denying Defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment.\nV. Woodson Claims\nDefendants also argue the trial court erred in denying Defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment as to the alternative Woodson claims \u201cbecause no issue of fact exists to support the higher standard required for such a claim.\u201d\nWhen an \u201cemployer intentionally engages in misconduct knowing it is substantially certain to cause serious injury or death to employees and an employee is injured or killed by that misconduct, that employee, or the personal representative of the estate in case of death, may pursue a civil action against the employer.\u201d Woodson v. Rowland, 329 N.C. 330, 340-41, 407 S.E.2d 222, 228 (1991).\nDefendants argue on appeal that Plaintiffs failed to allege certain elements of a Woodson claim. However, as stated above, the issue on a motion for summary judgment is whether the \u201cpleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that any party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.\u201d N.C.G.S. \u00a7 1A-1, Rule 56(c).\nAs in the previous section, because genuine issues of material fact remain to be determined in the trial court regarding the nature of the relationship between Plaintiffs and Defendants, Defendants have not shown that the trial court erred in denying Defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment.\nAffirmed.\nJudges HUNTER, Robert C. and ELMORE concur.", "type": "majority", "author": "McGEE, Judge." } ], "attorneys": [ "Farris & Farris, PA, by Robert A. Farris, Jr. and Rhyan A. Breen, and Thomas & Farris, PA, by Albert S. Thomas, Jr., for Plaintiffs-Appellees Janet May and Curtis Hill, Co-Administrators of the Estate of Mark Curtis Hill; Donald E. Clark, Jr., PLLC, by Donald E. Clark, Jr., and The Wright Law Firm, by Paul M. Wright for Plaintiff-Appellee Judy B. Gray, Administrator of the Estate of Melissa Annette Simmons; Riddle & Brantley, LLP, by Gene A. Riddle and Jonathan M. Smith, for Plaintiff-Appellee Kevin F. MacQueen, Administrator of the Estate of Charles Nathaniel Kirkland, Jr.; and Jerry Braswell for Plaintiff-Appellee Martez Holland.", "CranJUl Sumner Hartzog LLP, by Daniel G. Katzenbach and M. Denisse Gonzalez, for Defendants-Appellants." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "JANET MAY and CURTIS HILL, Co-Administrators of the Estate of Mark Curtis Hill, Plaintiffs v. MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., and OCRACOKE CIVIC & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION d/b/a OCRACOKE ISLAND CIVIC AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, Defendants JUDY B. GRAY, Administrator of the Estate of Melissa Annette Simmons, Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant KEVIN F. MACQUEEN, Administrator of the Estate of Charles Nathaniel Kirkland, Jr., Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant MARTEZ HOLLAND, Plaintiff v. EAST COAST PYROTECHNICS, INC., formerly known as MELROSE SOUTH PYROTECHNICS, INC., Defendant\nNo. COA13-620\nFiled 4 February 2014\n1. Negligence \u2014 plaintiffs\u2014employees or independent contractors \u2014 issues of material fact\nThe trial court did not err in a negligence case arising out of a fireworks accident by denying defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment. There remained several genuine issues of material fact as to whether plaintiffs were employees of defendants or independent contractors.\n2. Negligence \u2014 gross negligence \u2014 plaintiffs\u2014employees or independent contractors \u2014 issues of material fact\nThe trial court did not err by denying defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment as to plaintiffs\u2019 claims for negligence, gross negligence, strict liability, and negligent hiring because there remained several genuine issues of material fact as to whether plaintiffs were employees of defendants or independent contractors.\n3. Negligence \u2014 Woodson claim \u2014 plaintiffs\u2014employees or independent contractors \u2014 issues of material fact\nThe trial court did not err in a negligence case by denying defendants\u2019 motion for summary judgment as to plaintiffs\u2019 Woodson claims because there remained several genuine issues of material fact as to whether plaintiffs were employees of defendants or independent contractors.\nAppeal by Defendants from order entered 1 October 2012 by Judge Arnold O. Jones, II in Superior Court, Wayne County. Heard in the Court of Appeals 7 January 2014.\nFarris & Farris, PA, by Robert A. Farris, Jr. and Rhyan A. Breen, and Thomas & Farris, PA, by Albert S. Thomas, Jr., for Plaintiffs-Appellees Janet May and Curtis Hill, Co-Administrators of the Estate of Mark Curtis Hill; Donald E. Clark, Jr., PLLC, by Donald E. Clark, Jr., and The Wright Law Firm, by Paul M. Wright for Plaintiff-Appellee Judy B. Gray, Administrator of the Estate of Melissa Annette Simmons; Riddle & Brantley, LLP, by Gene A. Riddle and Jonathan M. Smith, for Plaintiff-Appellee Kevin F. MacQueen, Administrator of the Estate of Charles Nathaniel Kirkland, Jr.; and Jerry Braswell for Plaintiff-Appellee Martez Holland.\nCranJUl Sumner Hartzog LLP, by Daniel G. Katzenbach and M. Denisse Gonzalez, for Defendants-Appellants." }, "file_name": "0240-01", "first_page_order": 250, "last_page_order": 256 }