Justia Indiana Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

A 63-year-old man with a history of sciatica and alcohol-use disorder attempted to board a city bus in Indianapolis. Earlier that day, he had been hospitalized for intoxication but was released while still mildly intoxicated. That evening, after waiting at a bus stop, he approached a bus as it was preparing to leave. As the bus pulled away, he lost his balance and fell into the road, where he was run over and later died from his injuries. At the time of the incident, his blood-alcohol content was approximately 0.261. His mother, acting as the personal representative of his estate, filed a wrongful death suit against the public transportation corporation, alleging negligence.The Marion Superior Court presided over a jury trial in which the transportation corporation argued that the decedent was contributorily negligent, which would bar recovery. The jury viewed video footage of the incident and heard testimony regarding the decedent’s physical condition and intoxication. After deliberation, the jury found in favor of the estate and awarded damages, later reduced by statutory limits. The transportation corporation moved for judgment on the evidence and, after the verdict, for a motion to correct error, both of which the trial court denied. On appeal, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed, finding the decedent contributorily negligent as a matter of law.The Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer, vacated the Court of Appeals’ opinion, and reviewed the trial court’s denial of the motion to correct error de novo. The Court held that the evidence, including the video footage and testimony, did not establish as a matter of law that the decedent was contributorily negligent. Multiple reasonable inferences could be drawn from the evidence, so the jury’s verdict was not clearly erroneous or unsupported. The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s denial of the motion to correct error. View "Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation v. Bush" on Justia Law

In this insurance dispute, the Supreme Court held that the MCS-90 endorsement, which provides that if a motor vehicle is involved in an accident the insurer may be required to pay any final judgment against the insured arising out of the accident, does not apply to an accident that occurred during an intrastate trip transporting non-hazardous property.One way motor carries can comply with the financial requirements of the federal Motor Carrier Act of 1980 is by adding an MCS-90 endorsement to their insurance policy. The insurer in this case brought an action seeking a declaration that the MCS-90 endorsement creating a suretyship whereby the insurer agreed to pay a final judgment against the insured in certain negligence cases did not apply. The trial court found that the MCS-90 endorsement applied, and the court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court reversed, holding (1) because the insured driver was neither engaged in interests commerce at the time of the action nor transporting hazardous property, the MCS-90 endorsement did not apply; and (2) the insurer had no duty to defend or indemnify the driver. View "Progressive Southeastern Insurance Co. v. Brown" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court granting summary judgment for a shipper and its agent and against a commercial truck driver who sustained injuries when his cargo fell on him, holding that this Court expressly adopts the Fourth Circuit's "Savage rule."At issue was whether Defendant was negligent in packing, loading, and failing to secure the trailer's cargo. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant at issue on appeal. The Supreme Court adopted the Savage rule, which holds that carriers have the primary duty for loading and securing cargo, and if the shipper assumes a legal duty of safe loading it becomes liable for injuries resulting from any latent defect. The Court then affirmed, holding (1) given both the rule's sound policy and its consistency with Indiana law, this Court formally adopts the Savage rule; and (2) Defendant was not liable for Plaintiff's injuries under the circumstances of this case. View "Wilkes v. Celadon Group, Inc." on Justia Law

Indiana’s blocked-crossing statute bars railroads from blocking railroad-highway grade crossings for more than 10 minutes, except in circumstances outside the railroads’ control. Ind. Code 8-6-7.5-1. Violations are Class C infractions and carry a minimum $200 fine. In one year, Norfolk Southern collected 23 blocked-crossing citations for violations near its Allen County trainyard. Norfolk argued that the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act (ICCTA), 49 U.S.C. 10101, and the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) expressly preempt Indiana’s statute. The trial court found that train-switching maneuvers, track congestion, and mechanical defects can all cause traffic blockages lasting more than 10 minutes, and that, to shorten blockages, Norfolk would have to run trains faster, run shorter trains, or “cut” trains into segments—an onerous process that requires more than 10 minutes of reassembly and brake tests. The court granted Norfolk summary judgment on all 23 citations. The Court of Appeals reversed. The Indiana Supreme Court reinstated the trial court decision. Indiana’s blocked-crossing statute is a remedy that directly regulates rail operations, so the ICCTA categorically preempts it. View "State of Indiana v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co." on Justia Law