Bayless v. TTS Trio Corp. ( 2016 )

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SJC-11958
HOWARD H. BAYLESS, administrator,1 vs. TTS TRIO CORPORATION2 &
others.3
Worcester. January 11, 2016. - April 28, 2016.
Present: Gants, C.J., Spina, Cordy, Botsford, Duffly, Lenk, &
Hines, JJ.
Alcoholic Liquors, Sale to intoxicated person. Negligence,
Serving alcoholic liquors to guest. Practice, Civil,
Affidavit.
Civil action commenced in the Superior Court Department on
April 14, 2014.
Motions to strike an affidavit and for partial summary
judgment were heard by Richard T. Tucker, J.
Leave to prosecute an interlocutory appeal was allowed in
the Appeals Court by Peter J. Agnes, Jr., J. The Supreme
Judicial Court on its own initiative transferred the case from
the Appeals Court.
Scott T. Ober (Margarita I. Warren with him) for the
defendants.
1
Of the estate of Herman T. Bayless, Sr.
2
Doing business as Kaizen Restaurant.
3
Thuc Tang, Son Vo, and Chau Ho.
2
Ernest E. Wessell for the plaintiff.
Annette Gonthier Kiely, Thomas R. Murphy, Erin K. Thurston,
& Lisa DeBrosse Johnson, for Massachusetts Academy of Trial
Attorneys, amicus curiae, submitted a brief.
SPINA, J. In this case, we are asked to determine whether
an affidavit submitted pursuant to G. L. c. 231, § 60J (commonly
referred to as the dram shop act), must be a sworn statement
based upon personal knowledge.4 Section 60J prescribes the
procedural requirements applicable to "[e]very action for
negligence in the distribution, sale or serving of alcoholic
beverages to a minor or to an intoxicated person."5 Pursuant to
4
We acknowledge the amicus brief submitted by the
Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys in support of the
plaintiff.
5
General Laws c. 231, § 60J, provides in pertinent part:
"Every action for negligence in the distribution, sale
or serving of alcoholic beverages to a minor or to an
intoxicated person shall be commenced in the superior court
department and shall proceed according to the Massachusetts
Rules of Civil Procedure unless otherwise provided for by
this section.
"The plaintiff shall file, together with his
complaint, or at such later time not to exceed ninety days
thereafter, an affidavit setting forth sufficient facts to
raise a legitimate question of liability appropriate for
judicial inquiry.
"Any party may make a motion for summary judgment
pursuant to Rule 56 of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil
Procedure[, 365 Mass. 824 (1974)]. Any such motion shall
be heard and decided promptly after issue is joined as to
any party, unless the court enlarges the time for
discovery. Said enlarged time for discovery shall not
exceed ninety days, except on further order of the court."
3
§ 60J, within ninety days of filing his or her complaint, a
plaintiff must file an affidavit "setting forth sufficient facts
to raise a legitimate question of liability appropriate for
judicial inquiry." Herman T. Bayless, the plaintiff's decedent,
was killed in a one-car accident after leaving a restaurant
owned by the defendants where he had consumed alcoholic
beverages. The plaintiff alleged that prior to his decedent's
fatal motor vehicle accident, the defendants exhibited
negligent, wilful, wanton, and reckless conduct by selling and
serving alcoholic beverages to the decedent while he was
obviously intoxicated, and that such conduct was the proximate
cause of the decedent's death. The plaintiff submitted an
affidavit pursuant to § 60J (§ 60J affidavit) that was signed by
the plaintiff's counsel. The affidavit stated that it was based
on information and belief gathered from witness statements, a
police report, and a medical toxicology report. The defendants
argue that an affidavit submitted pursuant to § 60J must be
based upon personal knowledge. For the reasons that follow, we
conclude that an affidavit based on information and belief may
be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of § 60J, and that in
this case it was.
4
1. Background. We summarize the facts alleged in the
§ 60J affidavit submitted by the plaintiff.6 On April 14, 2011,
Howard H. Bayless was killed in a one-car accident when he drove
in an intoxicated state shortly after leaving Kaizen Sushi Bar
and Grill (restaurant), which was owned and operated by the
defendants. The accident occurred at approximately 9:04 P.M. on
a clear and straight road. The decedent's estimated speed at
the time of the accident was seventy-nine miles per hour in a
thirty miles per hour zone.
The decedent was a frequent patron of the restaurant, and
was observed on numerous occasions to drink strong alcoholic
beverages to excess, causing him to become loud and boisterous
and to exhibit impaired speech and coordination. On several
occasions, friends and family of the decedent observed him
leaving the restaurant in an obviously intoxicated condition,
intending to drive home. The decedent was served regularly by
an unnamed bartender, Jane Doe, who would often engage in
lengthy conversations with the decedent.7 Jane Doe often would
continue to serve the decedent alcoholic beverages when he was
noticeably intoxicated. On one occasion, the decedent was at
6
The defendants sought to strike the entire affidavit as
insufficient and therefore did not present any facts or evidence
in support of their motion for partial summary judgment.
7
Friends and family did not know the bartender's full name
but she was familiar to them.
5
the restaurant with his two minor daughters when he became
obviously intoxicated. One daughter began to cry, and when Jane
Doe asked her why, she said that it was because her father was
intoxicated. Despite the daughter's stated concern, Jane Doe
continued to serve the decedent alcoholic beverages.
On the day of the accident, the decedent was at the
restaurant from approximately 2 P.M. until 8:50 P.M. Other
witnesses observed and spoke with him during that time. One
witness who knew the decedent well saw him at the restaurant at
approximately 4 P.M. until the witness left at 6 P.M. During
this time, the witness observed the decedent drink several
alcoholic beverages and saw Jane Doe serve him these beverages.
At the time, the decedent was being loud and gregarious. One of
the decedent's daughters telephoned him four times while he was
at the restaurant to tell him to stop drinking and return home
for a family barbecue. At 6:30 P.M., during one of her
telephone calls, she noticed that his speech was slurred and he
was very "loud and boisterous." Because she had seen her father
intoxicated on prior occasions, she concluded that he was highly
intoxicated. When she requested that he stop drinking and
return home, he handed the cellular telephone to Jane Doe, who
attempted to ease the daughter's concerns. The daughter
reiterated that she would like her father to stop drinking and
return home. At approximately 6 P.M. on that day, a former
6
employee of the decedent had arrived at the restaurant to have
dinner. After dinner, he sat with the decedent and ordered a
drink. The decedent's demeanor was loud and he was stumbling
over words. Jane Doe, with whom the witness was familiar, told
the witness that she was concerned about the decedent because he
had not eaten anything and was intoxicated. The witness saw
Jane Doe offer the decedent food, but he refused to eat.
Subsequently, the witness saw Jane Doe continue to serve the
decedent alcoholic beverages, which he consumed. The witness
left the restaurant at approximately 8:45 P.M. The police
determined that the decedent purchased twelve drinks while he
was at the restaurant. At approximately 9 P.M., the decedent
telephoned his daughter and told her that he was on his way
home. He said he was on Cedar Street. During this telephone
call, the daughter noticed that the decedent's speech was
slurred and she had difficulty understanding him. At
approximately 9:04 P.M., the decedent lost control of his
vehicle and crashed on Cedar Street, approximately two miles
from home. He died at the scene as a result of multiple
traumatic injuries.
The plaintiff filed a complaint under the Commonwealth's
wrongful death statute, G. L. c. 229, § 2. He later filed an
affidavit, pursuant to § 60J, after a Superior Court judge
7
granted his motion to extend time to file the affidavit.8 The
defendants moved to strike the plaintiff's affidavit and for
partial summary judgment of the plaintiff's complaint, based on
the insufficiency of the submitted affidavit. A second judge in
the Superior Court denied the defendants' motion, concluding
that a § 60J affidavit need not be based on personal knowledge
and that an affidavit based on information and belief may be
sufficient to satisfy § 60J. The defendants filed a petition
for interlocutory relief, which a single justice of the Appeals
Court allowed. We transferred the case to this court on our own
motion.
2. Discussion. We review the outcome of a motion for
summary judgment de novo "to determine whether all material
facts have been established such that the moving party is
entitled to judgment as a matter of law." American Int'l Ins.
Co. v. Robert Seuffer GmbH & Co. KG, 468 Mass. 109, 113, cert.
denied, 135 S. Ct. 871 (2014). At issue in this case is the
procedural requirement under § 60J that the plaintiff must file,
either with the complaint or within ninety days thereafter, an
affidavit "setting forth sufficient facts to raise a legitimate
question of liability appropriate for judicial inquiry."
Submission of a timely affidavit is required, but in
8
The defendants filed a motion to vacate the judge's order
extending the time to file an affidavit. The motion was denied.
8
"appropriate circumstances" a judge has the discretion to extend
the ninety-day period.9 Croteau v. Swansea Lounge, Inc., 402
Mass. 419, 421-422 (1988). The statute does not define the word
"affidavit," nor does it provide guidance as to what standard
the affidavit must meet to be considered sufficient. The
question is one of first impression. The defendants argue that
an appropriate § 60J affidavit must be a sworn statement based
on personal knowledge because that is the plain and unambiguous
meaning of the term "affidavit," and therefore, the plaintiff's
affidavit is insufficient.
"When a statute does not define its words we give them
their usual and accepted meanings, as long as these meanings are
consistent with the statutory purpose. . . . We derive the
words' usual and accepted meanings from sources presumably known
to the statute's enactors, such as their use in other legal
contexts and dictionary definitions" (citation omitted).
Commonwealth v. Zone Book, Inc., 372 Mass. 366, 369 (1977).
Generally, affidavits must be made on the affiant's personal
knowledge. However, this does not mean that an affidavit based
9
The defendants raise the timeliness of the plaintiff's
affidavit in their statement of issues presented on appeal.
However, they do not advance any argument as to this issue. It
is deemed waived. See Mass. R. A. P. 16 (a) (4), as amended,
367 Mass. 921 (1975); Commonwealth v. Horton, 434 Mass. 823, 836
n.15 (2001). In any event, the issue is without merit. A trial
judge has discretion to extend the ninety-day period. Croteau
v. Swansea Lounge, Inc., 402 Mass. 419, 421-422 (1988).
9
upon the information and belief of the affiant is never accepted
by courts. There are various instances where an affidavit based
upon information and belief is accepted. See, e.g.,
Commonwealth v. Long, 454 Mass. 542, 551 n.10 (2009)
(application for wiretapping may be based on personal knowledge
or information and belief); Knott v. Racicot, 442 Mass. 314,
324-325 (2004) (affidavit submitted with motion for relief from
judgment based on information and belief); Commonwealth v.
Lampron, 441 Mass. 265, 270-271 (2004) (notwithstanding
requirement of Mass. R. Crim. P. 13 [a] [2][, as appearing in
442 Mass. 516 (2004),] that affidavits be on personal knowledge
of affiant, affidavit in support of motion seeking documentary
evidence may be on information and belief provided it is based
on specific and reliable known sources); Sher v. Desmond, 70
Mass. App. Ct. 270, 281 (2007) (affidavit submitted with
grandparent visitation complaint based on information and
belief). Although § 60J does not provide guidance regarding the
form and substantive requirements for the affidavit, it
incorporates the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule
11 (e) of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure, as
amended, 456 Mass. 1401 (2010), provides some guidance for
instances such as this, when a statute requires an affidavit to
be filed. The rule states that when an affidavit is permitted
or required to be filed it may be made "by the party, or by a
10
person having knowledge of the facts for and on behalf of such
party." One commentator has observed that rule 11 (e) permits
affidavits based on something other than personal knowledge,
particularly where a statute requires an affidavit without
specifying that it be based on the personal knowledge of the
affiant. See J.W. Smith & H.B. Zobel, Rules Practice § 23.1.3
(2d ed. 2006). We recognize that in some instances affidavits
may be based on sources other than personal knowledge.
The defendants argue that the plain meaning of the term
"affidavit" was established in Howland v. Cape Cod Bank & Trust
Co., 26 Mass. App. Ct. 948, 949 (1988), and should be applied
here. Howland was a case that involved a will contest and an
affidavit submitted pursuant Rule 16 of the Supplemental Rules
of the Probate Court, as amended (1987). Id. The court
observed that the term "affidavit" is "a word which implies a
statement under oath by a person having direct knowledge of the
facts which he verifies, except as otherwise clearly stated in
the affidavit itself." Id. The defendants contend that this
definition requires that the affidavit be based on personal
knowledge and should be applied to § 60J affidavits. To support
their argument, the defendants cite two Superior Court decisions
that adopted Howland's definition. We are not persuaded.
Howland does not mandate an affidavit to be based on personal
knowledge in every circumstance. Howland contemplates that
11
affidavits will be based on direct knowledge "except as
otherwise clearly stated in the affidavit itself." Id. By
simply stating in the affidavit that it is based on information
and belief, the affidavit would be sufficient under the
definition articulated in Howland. In addition, the two
Superior Court cases that the defendants rely on do not
interpret Howland's definition of "affidavit" as requiring
affidavits submitted pursuant to § 60J to be based on personal
knowledge. We have reviewed the two cases; they actually
concluded that § 60J does not require an affidavit to be based
on personal knowledge.
The defendants next argue that because of the specific
reference to Mass. R. Civ. P. 56, 365 Mass. 824 (1974), in the
third paragraph of § 60J, the plaintiff's affidavit must comport
with the requirements of rule 56 (e).10 The defendants' argument
would require the affidavit to be based on personal knowledge
and set forth facts that would be admissible in evidence. This
argument has no merit.
10
Rule 56 (e) of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil
Procedure, 365 Mass. 824 (1974), requires that affidavits "shall
be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as
would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively
that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated
therein. Sworn or certified copies of all papers or parts
thereof referred to in an affidavit shall be attached thereto or
served therewith."
12
The standard articulated in § 60J is different from the
standard a party must meet to succeed in a motion for summary
judgment. Section 60J requires an affidavit to contain
"sufficient facts to raise a legitimate question of liability
appropriate for judicial inquiry," whereas rule 56 (e) requires
an affidavit to contain "specific facts showing that there is a
genuine issue for trial." Moreover, the affidavit required
under § 60J is intended for use at the initial stages of
litigation and precedes formal discovery, whereas an affidavit
in support of a motion for summary judgment typically follows
formal discovery. It would be impractical to require a party to
submit an affidavit conforming with rule 56 (e) requirements at
the outset of the litigation when there has not been any formal
discovery. The purpose of § 60J is to help eliminate frivolous
claims at the early stage of litigation. If a rule 56 (e)
standard is required at the outset, many viable claims may be
stymied because the requisite information needed to proceed will
require discovery, and personal knowledge may be elusive without
discovery due to the nature of the cause of action.11 In
11
If the affidavit under § 60J must be based upon personal
knowledge, this would hinder plaintiffs who were so intoxicated
when they were at the establishment that they do not remember
what happened or, as here, the estate of a decedent who
allegedly died while driving under the influence of alcohol.
This also would hinder plaintiffs who were injured as a result
of a patron being overserved at an establishment because,
presumably, the plaintiff would not have personal knowledge of
13
addition, the statute specifically provides an opportunity for
the defendants to file a motion for summary judgment. The
logical and plain reading of the statute suggests that the
affidavit required by § 60J need not meet the summary judgment
standard at the outset of litigation because the defendants have
a subsequent opportunity to file a motion for summary judgment.
This case is similar to Sher, 70 Mass. App. Ct. at 278, where
the Appeals Court concluded that the affidavit required when
filing a complaint for grandparent visitation does not have to
meet a summary judgment standard because it is required at the
initial stages of the action and is "filed prior to the
initiation of any formal postcomplaint discovery." The court
noted that the summary judgment procedure "remains otherwise
available to a parent." Id. We conclude that a § 60J affidavit
need not comply with rule 56 (e) requirements.12 The § 60J
what happened at the establishment prior to his or her injuries.
Both of these situations are plausible under § 60J.
12
The defendants also take issue with the fact that the
plaintiff's counsel signed the § 60J affidavit, where the
plaintiff is the administrator of the decedent's estate. If the
statute were interpreted to mean that only the plaintiff could
be the affiant, many valid claims would not be viable because of
the reasons already articulated in this opinion. See
Courtemanche v. Beijing Restaurant, Inc., 490 F. Supp. 2d 107,
110 (D. Mass. 2007). The defendants further argue that if the
plaintiff's counsel is allowed to sign the affidavit, any dram
shop negligence complaint will proceed to trial unless there is
evidence of counsel's intentional "design to defraud or to seek
an unconscionable advantage." Van Christo Advertising, Inc. v.
M/A-COM/LCS, 426 Mass. 410, 416 (1998). This argument has no
14
affidavit must, however, provide identifiable sources of
information that are reasonably reliable, and set forth details
of that information. See Lampron, 441 Mass. at 270-271.
The defendants also argue that the affidavit did not set
forth sufficient facts to raise a legitimate question of
liability. We first address the standard of review. We already
have decided that the affidavit need not meet a rule 56 (e)
standard at this stage in the litigation. However, the standard
of review applicable to a § 60J affidavit is higher than the
standard of review applicable to a motion to dismiss under Mass.
R. Civ. P. 12 (b) (6), 365 Mass. 754 (1974), which is concerned
merit. The legal analysis is the same for § 60J despite the
fact it is the plaintiff's counsel who is signing the affidavit.
The affidavit still would be evaluated for whether the plaintiff
has put forth sufficient facts to raise a legitimate question of
liability. Because it was the plaintiff's attorney who signed
the affidavit, Mass. R. Civ. P. 11 (a), as amended, 456 Mass.
1401 (2010), would apply, stating, "[t]he signature of an
attorney to a pleading constitutes a certificate by him that he
has read the pleading; that to the best of his knowledge,
information, and belief there is a good ground to support it;
and that it is not interposed for delay." We conclude that
plaintiff's counsel conducted a diligent investigation and is an
appropriate individual to sign an affidavit under § 60J.
The defendants also argue that the affidavit is not sworn
to or signed under the pains and penalties of perjury. We agree
with the Superior Court judge that because an affidavit
submitted upon information and belief is sufficient to satisfy
§ 60J, to require an affiant to swear to these facts would be
inapposite.
15
with the sufficiency of the pleadings.13 In contrast, the
purpose of the procedural requirements in § 60J is to "promote
the availability of liability insurance by establishing
mechanisms whereby the incidence of frivolous claims might be
reduced." Croteau, 402 Mass. at 422. The purpose of § 60J
would not be served if the standard of review was the same as
that applicable to a motion to dismiss. Courtemanche v. Beijing
Restaurant, Inc., 490 F. Supp. 2d 107, 111 (D. Mass. 2007)
("Given the specific intent of the legislature, this Court
understands the affidavit requirement to necessitate more than
what is sufficient to survive a motion to dismiss"). Section
60J requires a showing that the complaint raises a legitimate
question of liability. As previously discussed, the § 60J
affidavit must provide identifiable sources of information that
are reasonably reliable, details of that information, and an
assurance that the complaint is not frivolous.
The defendants next contend that the standard of review
should be similar to that applicable to procedural requirements
13
"In reviewing the sufficiency of a complaint under [Mass.
R. Civ. P.] 12 (b) (6), 365 Mass. 754 (1974), '[w]e take as true
"the allegations of the complaint, as well as such inferences as
may be drawn therefrom in the plaintiff's favor . . . ."
Golchin v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 460 Mass. 222, 223 (2011),
S.C., 466 Mass. 156 (2013), quoting Marram v. Kobrick Offshore
Fund, Ltd., 442 Mass. 43, 45 (2004). "What is required at the
pleading stage are factual 'allegations plausibly suggesting
(not merely consistent with)' an entitlement to relief . . . ."
Golchin, supra, quoting Iannacchino v. Ford Motor Co., 451 Mass.
623, 636 (2008).
16
for medical malpractice claims. G. L. c. 231, § 60B. The
purpose of § 60B is to discourage frivolous claims and to
"ensure the continued availability of medical malpractice
insurances at a reasonable cost," Vasa v. Compass Med., P.C.,
456 Mass. 175, 178 (2010), quoting Paro v. Longwood Hosp., 373
Mass. 645, 647 (1977), which is somewhat similar to the purpose
of § 60J. See Croteau, 402 Mass. at 421-422 ("designed to
promote the availability of liability insurance by establishing
mechanisms whereby the incidence of frivolous claims might be
reduced"). Section 60B requires every malpractice action to be
heard by a tribunal where the plaintiff will make an "offer of
proof" and the tribunal decides "if the evidence presented if
properly substantiated is sufficient to raise a legitimate
question of liability appropriate for judicial inquiry." In
both §§ 60B and 60J, the plaintiff must provide facts that raise
a legitimate question of liability. The defendants argue that
in Little v. Rosenthal, 376 Mass. 573, 578 (1978), this court
decided that the phrase "legitimate question of liability" in
§ 60B created a heightened pleading standard that is analogous
to a judge deciding a defendant's motion for a directed verdict.
Because § 60J has the same language, the defendants argue, the
heightened pleading standard should be adhered to when judges
are evaluating affidavits under § 60J. We disagree.
17
Although there are similarities in the two statutes, there
is one major difference that is fatal to the defendants'
argument. In Little, this court held that the standard used by
the medical malpractice tribunal is akin to that of a judge
deciding a motion for directed verdict because of the tribunal's
role of evaluating evidence, not because of the "legitimate
question of liability" language. Id. at 578. Section 60B
requires the tribunal to evaluate evidence submitted by the
plaintiff. Id. The statute permits the tribunal to "summon or
subpoena any such records or individuals to substantiate or
clarify any evidence which has been presented before it." G. L.
c. 231, § 60B. In contrast, § 60J merely requires the plaintiff
to file an affidavit that includes sufficient facts to raise a
"legitimate question of liability appropriate for judicial
inquiry." There is no language in § 60J indicating that the
judge's role in this context includes an evaluation of evidence.
Because § 60J does not require plaintiffs to present evidence as
does § 60B, we decline to adhere to the same standard applied by
tribunals in evaluating medical malpractice causes of action.
We now decide whether the facts set out in the plaintiff's
affidavit sets forth sufficient facts to raise a legitimate
question of liability. The defendants' liability is grounded on
the common law of negligence. Cimino v. Milford Keg, Inc., 385
18
Mass. 323, 327 (1982). To demonstrate the defendants'
liability, the plaintiff must prove that the decedent was
"(1) a patron of premises (2) who is served intoxicating
liquors (3) while he is intoxicated (4) and under
circumstances from which the defendant knew or reasonably
should have known that he was intoxicated when served (5)
operates a motor vehicle while intoxicated (6) such
operation was reasonably foreseeable by the defendant (7)
and a person of ordinary prudence would have refrained from
serving liquor to that patron in the same or similar
circumstances (8) and such operation causes the plaintiff's
death or injury within the scope of the foreseeable risk."
Id. at 331 n.9. The defendants argue that the plaintiff has not
put forth sufficient facts to establish that the decedent was
obviously intoxicated at the time he was last served. "To
prevail in a dram shop case, a plaintiff must prove by a
preponderance of the evidence that the patron in question was
exhibiting outward signs of intoxication by the time he was
served his last alcoholic drink." Rivera v. Club Caravan, Inc.,
77 Mass. App. Ct. 17, 20 (2010). The plaintiff can prove this
through circumstantial evidence. Id. at 20-21.
The § 60J affidavit here alleges that multiple witnesses,
including the decedent's daughter, heard or observed the
decedent being loud and boisterous and exhibiting slurred speech
on the night of his death. It sets forth witness statements
that describe the decedent's behavior at the restaurant at
various times from approximately 4 P.M. to 8:45 P.M. One
witness joined the decedent for two rounds of drinks and was
19
told by Jane Doe, with whom he was familiar, that she was
concerned that the decedent was intoxicated and had not eaten
anything. The witness then observed Jane Doe offer the decedent
food but the decedent declined her offer. The witness
subsequently observed Jane Doe serving the decedent more drinks,
despite her previous expressed concern for his state of
inebriation. The witness described the decedent as being loud
and slurring his speech. The witness left the restaurant at
approximately 8:45 P.M., about fifteen minutes before the
decedent telephoned his daughter. The decedent's daughter spoke
to her father at approximately 9 P.M., four minutes before he
lost control of his vehicle. Her father told her that he had
left the restaurant and was heading home. Her father's speech
was slurred, making it difficult for her to understand him. The
witness statements that chronicled the decedent's night up until
approximately four minutes before his fatal crash, along with
the information from the police report and medical toxicology
report, set out sufficient facts to raise a legitimate question
of liability at this stage in the litigation. A finder of fact
could infer from the daughter's observations that the decedent's
speech was slurred and hard to understand upon leaving the
restaurant four minutes before his fatal crash, and that he most
likely was exhibiting behavior that would put Jane Doe on notice
that he was intoxicated. At the very least, the witness
20
statements and the information from the police report and
medical toxicology report set out sufficient facts to raise a
legitimate question of liability at this stage in the
litigation. The plaintiff does not need to win his case at this
point in the action. He need only present sufficient facts to
raise a legitimate question of liability by providing
identifiable sources of information on which the complaint is
based, details of that information, and facts indicating that
the information is reasonably reliable. He has done so. He
also has shown that the claim is not frivolous, one of the
objectives of § 60J.
Conclusion. For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that
the plaintiff's affidavit based upon information and belief is
sufficient to satisfy the procedural requirement under G. L.
c. 231, § 60J, and the plaintiff has sufficiently raised a
legitimate question of liability. The order denying the
defendant's motion to strike the plaintiff's G. L. c. 231,
§ 60J, affidavit and for partial summary judgment is affirmed.
So ordered.