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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20001123.tiff DISTRICT COURT, WELD ; COUNTY STATE OF COLORADO CASE NO. Div/CtRm • SUMMONS GERALD D. MARTINE and HARRIET v. THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF B. MARTINE, WELD COUNTY, Plaintiffs Defendant The People of the State of Colorado To the Defendant(s) named above: The Board of Commissioners of Weld County You are summoned and required to file with the clerk of this court an answer or other res ponse to the attached complaint within twenty (20) days after this summons is served on you in the State of Colorado, or within thirty (30) days after this summons is served on you outside the State of Colorado. If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint in writing within the applicable time period,judgment by default may be entered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint, without any further notice to you. • The following documents are 'also served with this summons: Complaint and Jury Demand Date: March 10. 2000 / Signature f Attorney for Plaintiff or Clerk/Deputy Clerk o Cr:,wrr If signed h attorney.type: Name.address,tel.4,re2. betou Kent N. Campbell, 413 170 Wick Campbell Bramer tJkasick & Traunvein, LLC P.O. Box 2166 Fort Collins, CO 80522 Telephone: (970) 482-4011 This summons is issued pursuant to Rule 4, CRCP, as amended. A copy of the complaint must be served with this summons. 2000-1123 RETURN OF SERVICE • State of County of I declare under oath that I served this summons and a copy of the complaint in this case on in County . on at at the following location: Time ❑ by handing it to a person identified to me as the defendant. ❑ by leaving it with the defendant who refused service. ❑ by leaving it with designated to receive service for the defendant. ❑ I am over the age of IS years and am not interested in nor a party to this case. • ❑ I attempted to serve the defendant on occasions but have not been able to locate the defendant Return to the plaintiff is made on Date Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of , 1.9 in County. State of Notary Public* Date • ❑ Private process server ❑ Sheriff, County Service$ Mileage S ; • I II • *Notary should include address and expiration date of commission. DISTRICT COURT, WELD COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO Case No. COMPLAINT AND JURY DEMAND GERALD D. MARTINE and HARRIET B. MARTINE. Plaintiffs. v. THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF WELD COUNTY, Defendant. Plaintiffs, by and through their attorneys, Wick Campbell Bramer Ukasick & Trautwein. LLC, and for their complaint, allege and assert as follows: VENUE 1. Pursuant to C.R.C.P. 98(c)(5) venue for this action is proper in Weld County because the tortious conduct of the defendant, set forth below, occurred in Weld County. Colorado. PARTIES AND JURISDICTIONS 2. Plaintiffs Gerald D. Martine and Harriet B. Martine are individual persons residing at all relevant times in Weld County, Colorado. 3. Defendant Board of Commissioners of Weld County is the duly elected governing body of Weld County. Colorado. a political subdivision of the State of Colorado. 4. Defendant Board of Commissioners of Weld County at all times owned and operated a facility known as the Motor Vehicle License Plate Bureau. 1402 North 17th Avenue, Greeley. Weld County. Colorado. 5. Plaintiffs have complied with all prerequisites and requirements of the Governmental Immunity Act. C.R.S. §24-10-101 et seq, including the notice provisions of §24- 10-109. thereby conferring subject matter jurisdiction upon this court. GENERAL ALLEGATIONS 6. On December 3, 1999, plaintiffs entered the above-referenced Weld County facility as business invitees to conduct business there. 7. The aforesaid License Bureau is a public facility owned and operated by defendant. 8. The plaintiffs were at the aforesaid public facility during normal operating hours. seeking to purchase license plates for their automobile. 9. Upon entering the facility. plaintiff Gerald Martine. an elderly gentleman then 81 years of age, encountered a rug in the entry hallway which was curled upward on the edge. Mr Martine. due to his elderly status and condition, walking with a cane and pulling an oxygen bottle, did not see the curled up edge of the rug, tripped and fell over it, resulting in a fractured right femur just below the hip necessitating surgical repair including installation of pins and plates. hospitalization and a prolonged recuperation. 10. It is reasonably foreseeable to defendant that elderly persons such as plaintiffs Martine would be utilizing the aforesaid public facility and said defendant therefore had a duty to • guard and protect against dangerous conditions such as that which existed with respect to this public facility as alleged above. FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF (Negligence) 11. Plaintiffs hereby incorporate the preceding allegations as though fully set forth herein. 12. The Board of Commissioners of Weld County had a duty to use reasonable care to construct and maintain its public facilities in a reasonably safe condition for ordinary use. 13. The defendant failed to exercise its duty to maintain the aforesaid public building and facility in a reasonably safe condition. 14. The defendant knew or should have known with reasonable care that the aforesaid rug was in an unsafe and dangerous condition. IS. The defendant failed to take even minor, remedial measures in attempting to keep the aforesaid public building and facility reasonably safe by removing and replacing the aforesaid rug or tacking it down to the floor. 16. Plaintiff Gerald D. Martine was a member of the public that was requested, expected and intended to use this facility. 17. The aforesaid condition constituted a dangerous condition of a public building. 18. As a direct and proximate result of the negligence of the defendant and the dangerous condition of its public building, plaintiff Gerald D. Martine has incurred damages and losses including but not limited to medical expenses, future medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, emotional distress, permanent impairment, and will continue to endure such injuries and losses in the future. SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF (Res Ipso Loquitur) 19. Plaintiffs hereby incorporate the preceding allegations as though fully set forth herein. 20. The type of injury sustained by plaintiff Gerald D. Martine is such type as does not ordinarily occur in the absence of negligence. 21. The negligence of defendant is implied under the circumstances under the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur. THIRD CLAIM FOR RELIEF (Premises Liability) 22. Plaintiffs hereby incorporate the preceding allegations as though fully set forth herein. 23. Defendant was a person legally responsible for the condition of the aforesaid real property and for the activities conducted or circumstances existing on said real property. 24. Plaintiffs were invitees who entered or remained on the aforesaid real property in order to transact business in which the parties were mutually interested or who entered or remained on such land in response to the landowner's express or implied representation that the public is requested. expected or intended to enter or remain. 25. Plaintiff Gerald D. Martine. as an invitee. is entitled to recover for damages caused by the defendant's unreasonable failure to exercise reasonable care to protect against dangers of which it actually knew or should have known. 26. As a direct and proximate result of defendant's unreasonable failure to exercise reasonable care to protect against dangers of which it actually knew or should have known, plaintiff Gerald D. Martine has incurred damages and tosses including but not limited to medical expenses, future medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, 3 emotional distress, permanent impairment, and will continue to endure such injuries and losses in the future. FOURTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF (Loss of Consortium) 27. Plaintiffs hereby incorporate the preceding allegations as though fully set forth herein. 28. At all relevant times- plaintiffs have been married. 29. As a direct and proximate result of defendant's negligence and operation and maintenance of a dangerous public building, plaintiff Harriet B. Martine has suffered a loss of consortium as a result of bodily injuries sustained by her husband, Gerald D. Martine. thereby entitling said Harriet B. Martine to reasonable compensation for said loss of consortium. PRAYER FOR RELIEF Plaintiffs hereby respectfully request the court enter judgment in their favor and against the defendant for compensatory damages, pre- and post-judgment interest as provided by law, costs, expert witness fees, reasonable attorney's fees pursuant to statute, and for such further relief as the court shall deem just and proper. JURY DEMAND Plaintiffs hereby demand a trial to ajury of six on all issues herein. The statutory jury fee is remitted herewith. Dated ;14) March 2000. Respectfully submitted, WICK CAMPBELL BRAMER UKASICK & TRAliTWEIN, LLC BY: Kent N. Campbell, 413170 Attorneys for Plaintiffs P.O. Box 2166 Fort Collins, CO 80522 Telephone: (970) 482-4011 4 Plaintiffs' Address: 622 23rd Street. Apt. #114 Greeley, CO 80632 5 Hello