Estate of Hine, J. v. Pennsy Supply, Inc. ( 2018 )


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  • J-A07019-18
    NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
    ESTATE OF JEFF S. HINE BY AND              :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
    THROUGH HIS EXECUTRIX, JOLIE               :        PENNSYLVANIA
    HINE AND JOLIE HINE,                       :
    INDIVIDUALLY                               :
    :
    Appellants              :
    :
    :
    v.                             :   No. 1039 MDA 2017
    :
    :
    PENNSY SUPPLY, INC. AND                    :
    MICHELLE D. DULAY                          :
    Appeal from the Order Entered June 2, 2017
    In the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County Civil Division at
    No(s): 201406930
    BEFORE:      PANELLA, J., OLSON, J., and STEVENS*, P.J.E.
    MEMORANDUM BY OLSON, J.:                            FILED SEPTEMBER 07, 2018
    Appellants, the Estate of Jeff S. Hine, by and through his executrix, Jolie
    Hine, and Jolie Hine, individually, appeal from the order entered on June 2,
    2017, which granted the motion for summary judgment filed by Pennsy
    Supply, Inc. (hereinafter “Pennsy”). We vacate and remand.
    On June 5, 2014, Jeff S. Hine 1 (hereinafter “Mr. Hine”) and Jolie Hine
    (hereinafter “Ms. Hine”) filed a complaint against Pennsy and Michelle D. Dulay
    (hereinafter “Defendant Dulay”).          Within the complaint, the Hines averred
    that, on June 7, 2012, Mr. Hine and Defendant Dulay were involved in an
    automobile accident. Appellants’ Complaint, 6/5/14, at ¶ 10. Specifically, the
    ____________________________________________
    1   Mr. Hine died on September 19, 2015.
    ____________________________________
    * Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.
    J-A07019-18
    complaint declared, Defendant Dulay drove her vehicle through the
    intersection of Parkview Circle and North Empire Court in Wilkes-Barre,
    Pennsylvania, and crashed into Mr. Hine’s car. 
    Id. at ¶¶
    8-10.
    The Hines alleged that Defendant Dulay was negligent because she
    “proceeded through the intersection without yielding the right of way[,]
    causing her and [Mr. Hine] to collide.” 
    Id. at ¶
    10. Further, the Hines claimed
    that Pennsy was negligent because Pennsy was doing sidewalk construction
    at the intersection – and Pennsy removed the stop sign that was present at
    the intersection and failed to re-post the missing stop sign while doing the
    construction. 
    Id. at ¶¶
    10 and 14.
    Pennsy answered the complaint and denied that it was liable for the
    Hines’ injuries. Further, Pennsy filed a cross-claim against Defendant Dulay,
    which declared that, “[i]n the event that [the Hines] are successful in proving
    liability against Pennsy, Pennsy asserts that [Defendant] Dulay is solely liable
    to [the Hines], liable over to Pennsy and/or jointly and severally liable with
    Pennsy to [the Hines] for any injuries/damages proven by [the Hines].”
    Pennsy’s Answer and Cross-Claim, 7/18/14, at ¶¶ 43-44.
    On August 26, 2014, the Hines and Defendant Dulay filed a stipulation,
    declaring that the Hines and Defendant Dulay had “reached an agreement to
    settle for the applicable policy limits on behalf of [Defendant] Dulay.”
    Stipulation, 8/26/14, at ¶ 2. The stipulation further declared that the Hines
    withdrew all of their claims against Defendant Dulay and that Defendant
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    Dulay’s “exposure to [the Hines] for injuries stemming from this accident[]
    has been eliminated by virtue of the settlement.” 
    Id. at ¶
    4.
    Pennsy filed its summary judgment motion on March 30, 2017. Within
    the motion, Pennsy declared that the accident occurred in the following
    manner:
    [Mr. Hine] was traveling west-bound on North Empire Court
    when [Defendant] Dulay[,] traveling northbound on Parkview
    Circle[,] collided with [Mr. Hine’s] vehicle as [Defendant]
    Dulay exited Parkview Circle while attempting to make a left
    onto North [Empire Court].
    Pennsy’s Motion for Summary Judgment, 3/30/17, at ¶ 2.
    Pennsy noted that “Section 3321 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code . . .
    required [Defendant] Dulay to yield at the intersection of Parkview Circle and
    North Empire Court and yield the right-of-way to Mr. Hine;” moreover, Pennsy
    declared, since Defendant Dulay was making a left turn at the intersection,
    Section 3322 of the Vehicle Code also required Defendant Dulay to yield the
    right-of-way to Mr. Hine. 
    Id. at ¶
    15.
    As Pennsy claimed, at the time of the accident, it was performing road
    construction “at or near the intersection” where the accident occurred. 
    Id. at ¶
    12. In particular, Pennsy was “performing road construction on Coal Street
    in the City [of Wilkes-Barre] as the primary contractor for the ‘Coal Street
    Project’    [(hereinafter   “the   Project”),]   which   was   controlled   by   the
    Pennsylvania Department of Transportation” (hereinafter “PennDOT”). 
    Id. at ¶
    4.   Pennsy attached the relevant construction contract to its summary
    judgment motion; the contract does not contain any clause requiring Pennsy
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    to either remove or erect a stop sign at the intersection. See 
    id. at Exhibit
    “B” (ECMS Highway Construction Contract 9223, pp. 1-164).
    Pennsy claimed that it was entitled to summary judgment because “the
    record is devoid of any evidence that Pennsy removed the stop sign existing
    at the intersection prior to the accident.”     
    Id. at ¶
    12.   Further, Pennsy
    claimed, it did not have a duty to erect or maintain a stop sign at the
    intersection. 
    Id. at ¶
    13. Finally, Pennsy declared that the “record clearly
    demonstrates that [Defendant] Dulay failed to stop at the intersection, despite
    the legal obligation to do so, with or without a stop sign, which was the
    ultimate cause of the accident.” 
    Id. at ¶
    14.
    Pennsy also attached deposition transcripts to its summary judgment
    motion. Pennsy claimed that the transcripts demonstrated that there was no
    genuine issue of material fact in this case. See 
    id. at ¶
    15; but see Penn
    Ctr. House, Inc. v. Hoffman, 
    553 A.2d 900
    , 903 (Pa. 1989) (“[t]estimonial
    affidavits of the moving party or his witnesses, not documentary, even if
    uncontradicted, will not afford sufficient basis for the entry of summary
    judgment, since the credibility of the testimony is still a matter for the jury”)
    (internal quotations and citations omitted); Summers v. Certainteed Corp.,
    
    997 A.2d 1152
    , 1159 (Pa. 2010) (“[w]hen considering a motion for summary
    judgment, the trial court must take all facts of record and reasonable
    inferences therefrom in a light most favorable to the non-moving party”).
    Appellants responded to Pennsy’s summary judgment motion and
    admitted that the accident occurred in the way Pennsy described. Appellants’
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    Response, 4/28/17, at ¶ 2.          Appellants claimed, however, that the record
    evidence indicated that, historically, there was a stop sign present at the
    intersection of Parkview Circle and North Empire Court and that the stop sign
    “had recently been removed due to the sidewalk construction.” 
    Id. at ¶
    12(e).
    According to Appellants, the evidence of record demonstrated that Pennsy, as
    the prime contractor on the Project, either removed or was responsible for the
    removal of the stop sign.         
    Id. at ¶
    12(b) and (c).   Therefore, Appellants
    claimed, Pennsy’s motion must be denied because there exists a genuine issue
    of material fact as to whether Pennsy was negligent for either removing or
    allowing the removal of the stop sign at the intersection.
    On June 5, 2017, the trial court granted Pennsy’s motion for summary
    judgment because, the trial court held, “the record is devoid of any evidence
    that Pennsy removed the stop sign that existed at the intersection prior to the
    accident.” Trial Court Opinion, 6/5/17, at 2. Appellants filed a timely notice
    of appeal.2 Appellants number two issues on appeal:
    ____________________________________________
    2 Appellants settled their case against Defendant Dulay and the parties filed a
    stipulation declaring that Appellants withdrew their claims against Defendant
    Dulay. Stipulation, 8/26/14, at ¶ 4. We note that the trial court did not
    expressly dismiss Pennsy’s cross-claim against Defendant Dulay.
    Nevertheless, Pennsy’s cross-claim against Defendant Dulay was for
    indemnification and contribution and, by its terms, the cross-claim was only
    viable “[i]n the event that [Appellants] are successful in proving liability
    against Pennsy.” Pennsy’s Answer and Cross-Claim, 7/18/14, at ¶¶ 43-44.
    When the trial court granted Pennsy’s motion for summary judgment, it
    dismissed Appellants’ claims against Pennsy and made it legally impossible for
    Appellants to be “successful in proving liability against Pennsy.” See 
    id. Therefore, the
    grant of summary judgment to Pennsy implicitly disposed of
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    [1.] Whether the trial court committed an error of law and/or
    abused its discretion when granting Pennsy’s motion for
    summary judgment based upon its finding that Pennsy owed
    no duty of care to [Appellants] under the instant
    circumstances[?]
    [2.] Whether the trial court committed an error of law and/or
    abused its discretion when granting Pennsy’s motion for
    summary judgment based upon its finding that Pennsy did
    not breach a duty of care to [Appellants] under the instant
    circumstances[?]
    Appellants’ Brief at 10.
    As this Court has stated:
    Our scope of review of a trial court’s order granting or
    denying summary judgment is plenary, and our standard of
    review is clear: the trial court’s order will be reversed only
    where it is established that the court committed an error of
    law or abused its discretion.
    Summary judgment is appropriate only when the record
    clearly shows that there is no genuine issue of material fact
    and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter
    of law. The reviewing court must view the record in the light
    most favorable to the nonmoving party and resolve all doubts
    as to the existence of a genuine issue of material fact against
    the moving party. Only when the facts are so clear that
    reasonable minds could not differ can a trial court properly
    enter summary judgment.
    Englert v. Fazio Mech. Serv.’s, Inc., 
    932 A.2d 122
    , 124 (Pa. Super. 2007)
    (internal citations omitted); see also 
    Summers, 997 A.2d at 1159
    (“an
    appellate court may reverse a grant of summary judgment if there has been
    ____________________________________________
    Pennsy’s cross-claim against Defendant Dulay, thus rendering the summary
    judgment order the final order in the case. See Pa.R.A.P. 341(a)(1) (“[a] final
    order is any order that . . . disposes of all claims and of all parties”).
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    an error of law or an abuse of discretion. But the issue as to whether there
    are no genuine issues as to any material fact presents a question of law, and
    therefore, on that question our standard of review is de novo. This means we
    need not defer to the determinations made by the lower tribunals”).
    On appeal, Appellants claim that the trial court erred when it granted
    Pennsy’s motion for summary judgment. According to Appellants, there is a
    genuine issue of material fact that Pennsy was negligent when Pennsy
    removed and then failed to replace the stop sign at the intersection of North
    Empire Court and Parkview Circle. Appellant’s Brief at 39-73. We agree with
    Appellants.
    Viewed in the light most favorable to Appellants, the facts are as follows.
    At the time of the accident, Pennsy was the prime contractor for the
    Project. As the prime contractor, Pennsy “control[led] the subcontractors”
    and was “responsible for all the work” on the Project. N.T. Deposition of David
    Kuniega, Sr., 1/21/16, at 35-38. Part of the Project involved installing an
    ADA3-compliant ramp on the sidewalk that ran along Parkview Circle, at the
    intersection of Parkview Circle and North Empire Court. N.T. Deposition of
    Stephen J. Valenti, 10/11/16, at 14. Pennsy installed the ADA-compliant ramp
    prior to the accident; however, at the time of the accident, the area was still
    under construction. N.T. Deposition of Thomas Harding, 9/18/15, at 19-20.
    ____________________________________________
    3 ADA is the acronym for the Americans with Disabilities Act.          42 U.S.C.
    §§ 12101, et seq.
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    Mr. Hine testified that, “for the last 17 . . . [or] 20 years” prior to the
    accident, there had been a stop sign at the corner of Parkview Circle, which
    required drivers on Parkview Circle to stop before crossing through, or onto,
    the perpendicular road of North Empire Court. N.T. Deposition of Jeff S. Hine,
    1/26/15, at 20. The stop sign had been “in [the] area [of] . . . where the
    [new] ramp was.” N.T. Deposition of David Kuniega, Sr., 1/21/16, at 94-95.
    In the early-morning hours of June 7, 2012:
    [Mr. Hine] was traveling west-bound on North Empire Court
    when [Defendant] Dulay[,] traveling northbound on Parkview
    Circle[,] collided with [Mr. Hine’s] vehicle as [Defendant]
    Dulay exited Parkview Circle while attempting to make a left
    onto North [Empire Court].
    Pennsy’s Motion for Summary Judgment, 3/30/17, at ¶ 2.
    Wilkes-Barre City Police Sergeant Thomas Harding responded to the
    accident. As Sergeant Harding wrote in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    Police Crash Reporting Form, the accident occurred because:
    This intersection is normally controlled by a stop sign for
    vehicles traveling on Parkview Circle[;] however, due to
    recent sidewalk construction, the stop sign was removed and
    was not re-posted at the time of crash. [Defendant Dulay]
    proceeded into the intersection without yielding right of way.
    Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Police Crash Reporting Form, approved
    6/8/12, at 6 (some internal capitalization omitted).
    As Sergeant Harding testified, he did not “have any personal knowledge
    of who removed that stop sign.” N.T. Deposition of Sergeant Thomas Harding,
    9/18/15, at 14-15. However, Sergeant Harding testified, he believed “that
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    because of the construction the sign was removed.”      
    Id. at 26.
    Sergeant
    Harding testified that he came to this conclusion because: the stop sign was
    present when Pennsy began its construction; “the first time that [he] observed
    the absence of that stop sign” was on the morning of the accident (and, at the
    time, he patrolled the intersection “at least twice a week”); the stop sign
    existed in the area where the new ADA-compliant ramp was installed; while
    the ramp was installed at the time of the accident, the construction was
    ongoing in the area; and, there was “no damage to the concrete” where the
    sign should have been. 
    Id. at 38-40.
    Attilio “Butch” Fratti, the Director of Operations for the City of
    Wilkes-Barre, testified that he “would not dispute” Sergeant Harding’s
    statement that “due to recent sidewalk construction, the stop sign was
    removed and not yet reposted at the time of the crash.” N.T. Deposition of
    Attilio “Butch” Fratti, 1/20/16, at 24-25.   Further, Mr. Fratti looked at a
    construction “punch list” that PennDOT created approximately three months
    after the accident. The punch list was directed towards Pennsy and declared:
    “Stop Signs: Empire Ct. (no stop signs at 4 way intersection). COMPLETED.”
    See Punch List, from 9/12/12 through 12/14/12, at 3; see also N.T.
    Deposition of David Kuniega, Sr., 1/21/16, at 107-114; N.T. Deposition of
    Stephen J. Valenti, 10/11/16, at 18 (testified that the punch list item
    regarding the stop sign was created on September 12, 2012 and completed
    on September 24, 2012). Mr. Fratti interpreted the punch list entry to mean
    the following:
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    So, when we see this, it was told to me, as I read it on the
    punch list, that this stop sign happened to be removed
    by the contractor to develop and build a better ramp
    and at some point it was not put back up.
    N.T. Deposition of Attilio “Butch” Fratti, 1/20/16, at 13 (emphasis added).
    Mr. Fratti also testified that, if “any entity requires or requests a removal
    of a stop sign, you would have to go before the traffic committee in the City
    of Wilkes-Barre.”    
    Id. at 14.
       However, Mr. Fratti testified, no entity or
    individual ever requested the traffic committee to remove the stop sign at the
    intersection of Parkview Center and North Empire Court. 
    Id. at 15.
    Mr. Fratti testified that it was not “proper for a road construction
    company to take down a traffic control device and leave that intersection
    uncontrolled.” 
    Id. at 27.
    As Mr. Fratti testified: “[i]t’s just – stop signs, in
    particular, are very – it is dangerous to remove a traffic control item without
    putting something back in its place.” 
    Id. Pennsy employees
    David Tavaris
    and David Kuniega, Sr. agreed that a contractor is not permitted to remove a
    sign without proper authorization.        David Tavaris testified that, if the
    contractor were to do so, it would be “unsafe;” David Kuniega, Sr. testified
    that, if the contractor were to take down a stop sign and leave for the day,
    the action would be “reckless.” N.T. Deposition of David Tavaris, 1/21/16, at
    30; N.T. Deposition of David Kuniega, Sr., 1/21/16, at 32-33.
    Viewed in the light most favorable to Appellants, this evidence creates
    a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Pennsy was negligent in
    improperly removing – and then failing to replace – the stop sign at the
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    intersection of Parkview Center and North Empire Court. To be sure, Pennsy
    was the prime contractor on the Project and was “responsible for all the work”
    on the Project, including the work on the ADA-compliant sidewalk ramp.
    Moreover, both Sergeant Harding and Mr. Fratti expressly testified that “due
    to recent sidewalk construction, the stop sign was removed and not yet
    reposted at the time of the crash.”   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Police
    Crash Reporting Form, approved 6/8/12, at 6; N.T. Deposition of Sergeant
    Thomas Harding, 9/18/15, at 26; N.T. Deposition of Attilio “Butch” Fratti,
    1/20/16, at 24-25.    This evidence alone is sufficient to defeat Pennsy’s
    summary judgment motion, given the evidence also demonstrates that
    Pennsy did not have permission to remove the stop sign at the intersection
    and that removing a stop sign to create an uncontrolled intersection is
    unreasonably dangerous.     N.T. Deposition of Attilio “Butch” Fratti, 1/20/16,
    at 13-15; N.T. Deposition of David Tavaris, 1/21/16, at 30; N.T. Deposition of
    David Kuniega, Sr., 1/21/16, at 32-33.
    Therefore, we conclude that the trial court erred when it held that “the
    record is devoid of any evidence that Pennsy removed the stop sign that
    existed at the intersection prior to the accident.” See Trial Court Opinion,
    6/5/17, at 2.
    We recognize that this Court may affirm a trial court’s order if it is
    correct on any ground. See E.J. McAleer & Co. v. Iceland Prods., Inc.,
    
    381 A.2d 441
    , 443 n.4 (Pa. 1977). And, here, Pennsy claims that “regardless
    of whether a stop sign was removed, [Defendant] Dulay failed to stop at the
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    intersection which ultimately caused the accident and, therefore, . . . it cannot
    be said that Pennsy’s action was the proximate cause of the accident.”
    Pennsy’s Brief at 22 and 26. Pennsy’s claim fails.
    Regarding proximate cause, conduct is a proximate cause of the
    plaintiff’s harm where it “was a substantial factor in bringing about the harm
    inflicted upon a plaintiff.” Jones v. Montefiore Hosp., 
    431 A.2d 920
    , 923
    (Pa. 1981). As the Pennsylvania Supreme Court explained:
    At its root, the concept of legal cause . . . is an articulation of
    policy related to social and economic considerations. Dean
    Prosser has described proximate or legal causation as
    follows:
    Once it is established that the defendant's conduct has in
    fact been one of the causes of the plaintiff's injury, there
    remains the question whether the defendant should be
    legally responsible for what he has caused. Unlike the
    fact of causation, with which it is often hopelessly
    confused, this is essentially a problem of law. It is
    sometimes said to be a question of whether the conduct
    has been so significant and important a cause that the
    defendant should be legally responsible.          But both
    significance and importance turn upon conclusions in
    terms of legal policy, so that this becomes essentially a
    question of whether the policy of the law will extend the
    responsibility for the conduct to the consequences which
    have in fact occurred.
    Prosser, Law of Torts § 42 (4th ed.). . . . [The Pennsylvania
    Supreme] Court, in accord with Prosser, has stated: “the
    concept [of proximate cause], like that of negligence itself,
    was designed not only to permit recovery for a wrong but to
    place such limits upon liability as are deemed socially or
    economically desirable from time to time.”         Grainy v.
    Campbell, 
    425 A.2d 379
    , 382 (Pa. 1981). . . .
    As a general rule, however, in the absence of policy
    considerations which would limit liability, if an actor's
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    negligence is the legal cause of damages sustained by
    another, the actor is liable for those damages. Under the
    analysis of “legal cause” set forth in the Restatement of Torts,
    Second and adopted by [the Pennsylvania Supreme] Court .
    . . , the question is whether the defendant's conduct was a
    “substantial factor” in producing the injury. Restatement
    (Second) of Torts § 431.
    As [the Pennsylvania Supreme] Court observed in Ford v.
    Jeffries, [
    379 A.2d 111
    (Pa. 1977),] ordinarily the
    determination of whether the defendant's conduct was a
    substantial cause of the injuries complained of should not be
    taken from the jury if the jury may reasonably differ as to
    whether the conduct of the defendant has been a substantial
    factor in causing the harm. See also Restatement (Second)
    of Torts § 434. If issues are raised on which a jury may not
    reasonably differ, it is proper for the trial court to decide
    them. If, on the other hand, a jury may reasonably differ on
    whether the defendant's conduct was a substantial factor in
    causing the injury, generally, the case must go to the jury on
    those issues.
    Vattimo v. Lower Bucks Hosp., Inc., 
    465 A.2d 1231
    , 1233-1234 (Pa. 1983)
    (plurality) (emphasis omitted) (some internal citations omitted).
    Further, “[t]wo or more causes may contribute to and thus be the legal
    or proximate cause of an injury.” Feeny v. Disston Manor Personal Care
    Home, Inc., 
    849 A.2d 590
    , 595 (Pa. Super. 2004).
    As Pennsy and the trial court noted, it is true that – regardless of
    whether a stop sign existed at the intersection – Defendant Dulay had a legal
    obligation to yield the right-of-way to Mr. Hine. See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3221(a)
    (“[w]hen two vehicles approach or enter an intersection from different
    highways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left
    shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right”); 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3222
    (“[t]he driver of a vehicle intending to turn left within an intersection or into
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    an alley, private road or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle
    approaching from the opposite direction which is so close as to constitute a
    hazard”).
    However, viewed in the light most favorable to Appellants, the record
    evidence demonstrates that Defendant Dulay was not aware of her legal
    obligation to yield the right-of-way to Mr. Hine.         Erie Insurance Claim
    #010181057413 Recorded Interview, 6/7/12, at 8 (Defendant Dulay told the
    claims adjuster “[i]t wasn’t my fault.        There was no stop sign”); N.T.
    Deposition of Defendant Dulay, 3/25/15, at 14, 21, 27, 29, and 30 (Defendant
    Dulay testified that: “the accident was not [her] fault because there was no
    stop sign;” at the scene of the accident, she asked Sergeant Harding “I was
    supposed to stop at the intersection?”; “with regard to the intersection, as
    [she] approached the intersection, there was nothing telling [her] to slow
    down or stop;” and, “[i]n this situation, as [she] was entering the intersection,
    [she] looked and [she] believe[d she] had a right-of-way”); see also N.T.
    Deposition of Defendant Dulay, 3/25/15, at 30 (when asked “[d]o you know
    whether or not in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania there is a requirement
    – I am not talking about stop signs – a requirement as a rule of the road . . .
    to stop at intersections?,” Defendant Dulay answered: “I do now”).
    Moreover, Defendant Dulay testified that she was aware of the “rules
    and regulations at a stop sign . . . [to] stop” and she testified that “[i]f there
    was a stop sign there, [she] would [] have stopped.”          N.T. Deposition of
    Defendant Dulay, 3/25/15, at 25-26 (some internal capitalization omitted).
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    Viewed in the light most favorable to Appellants, this evidence
    demonstrates that there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the
    removal of the stop sign was a substantial factor in bringing about the harm
    to Appellants. To be sure, the stop sign at the intersection of Parkview Circle
    and North Empire Court appears to exist to ensure that drivers, such as
    Defendant Dulay, who might not know all of the rules of the road and are
    unaware of their obligation to stop at the intersection, actually stop and do
    not cause an accident. Thus, a jury could reasonably differ as to whether
    Pennsy’s conduct was a substantial factor in causing Appellant’s’ damages and
    the trial court erred in taking this case from the fact-finder. See 
    Vattimo, 465 A.2d at 1233-1234
    (internal quotations and citations omitted).
    We thus conclude that the trial court erred when it granted Pennsy’s
    motion for summary judgment.4
    Order vacated. Case remanded. Jurisdiction relinquished.
    ____________________________________________
    4 Pennsy claims that we should affirm the trial court’s order because Appellants
    “have not identified an expert or provided an expert report related to Pennsy’s
    duties with regard to the stop sign or [Defendant] Dulay’s duties at the
    intersection.” Pennsy’s Brief at 28. We do not believe that expert testimony
    is necessary to establish that the unauthorized removal of a stop sign at an
    intersection can create an unreasonably dangerous and unsafe condition. See
    Commonwealth v. Dunkle, 
    602 A.2d 830
    , 836 (Pa. 1992) (“expert
    testimony is admitted only when the subject matter is beyond the knowledge
    or experience of the average layman. When the issue is one of common
    knowledge, expert testimony is inadmissible”).           At any rate, Pennsy’s
    employees admitted that a contractor is not permitted to remove a stop sign
    without proper authorization and that doing so is both “unsafe” and “reckless.”
    N.T. Deposition of David Tavaris, 1/21/16, at 30; N.T. Deposition of David
    Kuniega, Sr., 1/21/16, at 32-33.
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    Judge Panella joins.
    President Judge Emeritus Stevens files a Dissenting Memorandum.
    Judgment Entered.
    Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
    Prothonotary
    Date: 09/07/2018
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