Gatoff v. Ohio Dept. of Transp.

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[Cite as Gatoff v. Ohio Dept. of Transp., 2011-Ohio-4789.] Court of Claims of Ohio The Ohio Judicial Center 65 South Front Street, Third Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614.387.9800 or 1.800.824.8263 www.cco.state.oh.us HOWARD M. GATOFF Plaintiff v. OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Defendant Case No. 2011-02395-AD Deputy Clerk Daniel R. Borchert MEMORANDUM DECISION {¶1} Plaintiff, Howard Gatoff, filed this action against defendant, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), contending that his 2009 Volkswagon Passat was damaged as a proximate result of negligence on the part of ODOT in maintaining a hazardous condition on Interstate 670 in Franklin County. In his complaint, plaintiff described the particular damage event noting that: I was driving east on I-670 approximately 60 mph and hit a very large pothole (unable to avoid due to traffic). My tire immediately went flat and I had to call roadside assistance to come put my spare tire on. Plaintiff recalled that his described damage incident occurred on February 4, 2011 at approximately 6:30 a.m. Plaintiff seeks recovery of damages in the amount of $207.55, the stated cost for a new tire and for reimbursement of the filing fee. The filing fee was paid. {¶2} Defendant denied liability based on the contention that no ODOT personnel had any knowledge of the particular damage-causing pothole prior to plaintiff s February 4, 2011 incident. Upon investigation, defendant located plaintiff s incident at milepost 8.76 on I-670 in Franklin County. Defendant acknowledged receiving two calls on February 4, 2011, regarding the pothole at milepost 8.76. However, defendant did not receive either call prior to plaintiff s incident. Defendant asserted that plaintiff did not offer any evidence to establish the length of time that any pothole existed in the vicinity of milepost 8.76 on I-670 prior to February 4, 2011. Defendant suggested that it is more likely than not that the pothole existed in that location for only a relatively short amount of time before plaintiff s incident. {¶3} Additionally, defendant contended that plaintiff did not offer any evidence to prove that the roadway was negligently maintained. Defendant advised that the ODOT Franklin County Manager conducts roadway inspections on all state roadways within the county on a routine basis, at least one to two times a month. Apparently, no potholes were discovered in the vicinity of plaintiff s incident the last time that section of roadway was inspected prior to February 4, 2011. The claim file is devoid of any inspection record. Defendant argued that plaintiff has failed to offer any evidence to prove that his property damage was attributable to any conduct on the part of ODOT personnel. Defendant stated that, [a] review of the six-month maintenance history [record submitted] for the area in question reveals that four (4) pothole patching operations were conducted in the general vicinity of plaintiff s incident. Defendant noted, that if ODOT personnel had detected any defects they would have been promptly scheduled for repair. {¶4} For plaintiff to prevail on a claim of negligence, he must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that defendant owed him a duty, that it breached that duty, and that the breach proximately caused his injuries. Armstrong v. Best Buy Company, Inc., 99 Ohio St. 3d 79, 2003-Ohio-2573,¶8 citing Menifee v. Ohio Welding Products, Inc. (1984), 15 Ohio St. 3d 75, 77, 15 OBR 179, 472 N.E. 2d 707. However, [i]t is the duty of a party on whom the burden of proof rests to produce evidence which furnishes a reasonable basis for sustaining his claim. If the evidence so produced furnishes only a basis for a choice among different possibilities as to any issue in the case, he fails to sustain such burden. Paragraph three of the syllabus in Steven v. Indus. Comm. (1945), 145 Ohio St. 198, 30 O.O. 415, 61 N.E. 2d 198, approved and followed. {¶5} Defendant has the duty to maintain its highways in a reasonably safe condition for the motoring public. Knickel v. Ohio Department of Transportation (1976), 49 Ohio App. 2d 335, 3 O.O. 3d 413, 361 N.E. 2d 486. However, defendant is not an insurer of the safety of its highways. See Kniskern v. Township of Somerford (1996), 112 Ohio App. 3d 189, 678 N.E. 2d 273; Rhodus v. Ohio Dept. of Transp. (1990), 67 Ohio App. 3d 723, 588 N.E. 2d 864. {¶6} In order to prove a breach of the duty to maintain the highways, plaintiff must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that defendant had actual or constructive notice of the precise conditions or defects alleged to have caused the accident. McClellan v. ODOT (1986), 34 Ohio App. 3d 247, 517 N.E. 2d 1388. Defendant is only liable for roadway conditions of which it has notice, but fails to reasonably correct. Bussard v. Dept. of Transp. (1986), 31 Ohio Misc. 2d 1, 31 OBR 64, 507 N.E. 2d 1179. There is no evidence that defendant had actual notice of the pothole on I-670 prior to February 4, 2011. {¶7} Therefore, to find liability, plaintiff must prove that ODOT had constructive notice of the defect. The trier of fact is precluded from making an inference of defendant s constructive notice, unless evidence is presented in respect to the time that the defective condition developed. Spires v. Ohio Highway Department (1988), 61 Ohio Misc. 2d 262, 577 N.E. 2d 458. {¶8} In order for there to be constructive notice, plaintiff must show that sufficient time has elapsed after the dangerous condition appears, so that under the circumstances defendant should have acquired knowledge of its existence. Guiher v. Dept. of Transportation (1978), 78-0126-AD . Size of the defect is insufficient to show notice or duration of existence. O Neil v. Department of Transportation (1988), 61 Ohio Misc. 2d 287, 587 N.E. 2d 891. A finding of constructive notice is a determination the court must make on the facts of each case not simply by applying a pre-set time standard for the discovery of certain road hazards. Bussard at 4. Obviously, the requisite length of time sufficient to constitute constructive notice varies with each specific situation. Danko v. Ohio Dept. of Transp. (Feb. 4, 1993), Franklin App. 92AP1183. No evidence has shown that ODOT had constructive notice of the pothole. {¶9} Generally, in order to recover in a suit involving damage proximately caused by roadway conditions including potholes, plaintiff must prove that either: 1) defendant had actual or constructive notice of the potholes and failed to respond in a reasonable time or responded in a negligent manner, or 2) that defendant, in a general sense, maintains its highways negligently. Denis v. Department of Transportation (1976), 75-0287-AD. Plaintiff has not produced any evidence to infer that defendant, in a general sense, maintains its highways negligently or that defendant s acts caused the defective conditions. Herlihy v. Ohio Department of Transportation (1999), 99-07011AD. Therefore, defendant is not liable for any damage plaintiff may have suffered from the pothole. {¶10} In the instant claim, plaintiff has failed to introduce sufficient evidence to prove that defendant maintained known hazardous roadway conditions. Plaintiff failed to prove that his property damage was connected to any conduct under the control of defendant, or that defendant was negligent in maintaining the roadway area, or that there was any actionable negligence on the part of defendant. Taylor v. Transportation Dept. (1998), 97-10898-AD; Weininger v. Department of Transportation (1999), 9910909-AD; Witherell v. Ohio Dept. of Transportation (2000), 2000-04758-AD. Consequently, plaintiff s claim is denied. Court of Claims of Ohio The Ohio Judicial Center 65 South Front Street, Third Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614.387.9800 or 1.800.824.8263 www.cco.state.oh.us HOWARD M. GATOFF Plaintiff v. OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Defendant Case No. 2011-02395-AD Deputy Clerk Daniel R. Borchert ENTRY OF ADMINISTRATIVE DETERMINATION Having considered all the evidence in the claim file and, for the reasons set forth in the memorandum decision filed concurrently herewith, judgment is rendered in favor of defendant. Court costs are assessed against plaintiff. ________________________________ DANIEL R. BORCHERT Deputy Clerk Entry cc: Howard M. Gatoff 411 Reinhard Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43206 SJM/laa 6/3 Filed 6/17/11 Sent to S.C. reporter 9/21/11 Jerry Wray, Director Department of Transportation 1980 West Broad Street Columbus, Ohio 43223

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