M.F. v. ADT, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff M.F. ("Minor"), a minor, brings a claim against Defendant ADT, Inc. ("ADT") for wrongful death under K.S.A. § 60-1901. Plaintiff Charles E. Frost, Jr., Administrator of the Estate of Elizabeth *1124Frost ("Administrator"), brings claims against ADT for negligence and fraudulent misrepresentation. Plaintiffs together bring claims against ADT for Kansas Consumer Protection Act ("KCPA") violations,
I. Legal Standard
To survive a motion to dismiss brought under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6), a complaint must contain factual allegations that, assumed to be true, "raise a right to relief above the speculative level"
The Supreme Court has explained the analysis as a two-step process. For the purposes of a motion to dismiss, the court "must take all the factual allegations in the complaint as true, [but is] 'not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation.' "
Finally, if the court on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion looks to matters that were not attached to the complaint or incorporated into the complaint by reference, it generally must convert the motion to a Rule 56 motion for summary judgment.
II. Factual Allegations
A. Timeline of events
The facts of this action are tragic. Plaintiffs are M.F., a minor and sole heir-at-law to decedent Elizabeth A. Frost ("decedent"), and Charles E. Frost, Administrator of the Estate of Elizabeth Frost. Defendant is ADT, LLC ("ADT"), an alarm services company. Protection One, Inc., and Protection One Alarm Monitoring, Inc., the companies with which decedent contracted, merged with ADT on or around April 13, 2017. Protection One supplied both the home security system and subsequent monitoring services to the residence of decedent, located at 3420 SE Indiana Ave., Topeka, Kansas 66205.
Sometime during the early morning hours of August 15, 2016, an accidental home fire from the kitchen stove began at decedent's residence. Decedent's home was equipped with a security system, which Defendant sold and monitored. At 1:30 a.m., Defendant received a "sensor tamper" alert for "glass break" in the dining room. Defendant did not call any individual or emergency service at that time. At 1:32 a.m., Defendant received an alert for "expansion module failure." The expansion module is the key pad and system center located by the front door of the home. Defendant did not call any individual or emergency services at that time. At approximately 1:43 a.m., Defendant twice attempted to call decedent, but was unable to reach her. At 1:49 a.m., Defendant then attempted to call the next call-back number, that of decedent's grandmother, but was also unable to reach her. The caller identification label associated with Defendant's number is an unlisted number and does not identify Defendant as the caller. Between 2:01 a.m. and 2:04 a.m., Defendant again attempted to call decedent's number and the next call-back number. Defendant was again unable to reach either party. Around 2:04 a.m., Defendant "fully cleared" the alarms.
Around 2:52 a.m., City of Topeka Public Works Department employees noticed the house fire and dialed 911 from a cell phone. First responders arrived at the scene at approximately 2:58 a.m. A fire crew conducted a primary search and found decedent face down, unconscious, in a hallway. The fire crew took decedent from the house and began emergency medical treatment at approximately 3:07 a.m. Decedent was transported to Stormont Vail Health Care in Topeka, KS, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. Her cause of death was inhalation of smoke and soot from the *1126fire. Decedent experienced significant conscious pain and suffering.
B. Alleged Representations
Plaintiffs allege that on Defendant's website are the following statements:
• The ability to remotely learn of possible hazards and to dispatch responders is key to how security monitoring works.
• Protection 1 home alarm systems will provide you with total peace of mind.
• [Security systems] are monitored 24/7 at our central monitoring centers, so you can rest easy in the knowledge that we've got your back at all times.
• 24/7 professional monitoring centers will address alarms immediately to ensure that help is on the way.
• Protection 1's home monitoring services ensure that you and your family always have a watchful eye and a lightning fast response unit on your side.
• [ADT] [t]ake[s] monitoring seriously and always employ[s] triple redundancy monitoring for home alarm systems.
• In the event of an emergency, local police or fire assistance will be notified.
• A trained employee immediately attempts to call you to notify you of the disturbance in case it is a false alarm. If you confirm a false alarm, the employee will see if there is anything else you need before letting you hang up. If the employee is unable to contact you, or if you confirm that the alarm is genuine, the authorities will be notified. A dispatch will then send police officers to your residence to evaluate the situation.
C. Contractual Provisions
Decedent signed a contract with Defendant on March 12, 2014. On the front page of the contract is a "Financial Summary" of the services contracted for between Defendant and decedent.
Section 6 provides as follows:
We Are Not an Insurer. YOU AGREE THAT: (i) WE ARE NOT AN INSURER OF YOU, OTHER PERSONS LIVING IN, OR PRESENT AT YOUR PREMISES, OR YOUR PREMISES OR ITS CONTENTS; (ii) IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE INSURANCE COVERING
*1127YOU, YOUR PREMISES AND ITS CONTENTS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER AFFECTED PERSONS OR PROPERTY; (iii) OUR SERVICE FEES ARE BASED ON THE DETERRENCE AND OTHER VALUE OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED AND OUR LIMITED LIABILITY UNDER THIS CONTRACT, AND NOT THE VALUE OF YOUR PREMISES OR ITS CONTENTS, OR THE LIKELIHOOD OR POTENTIAL EXTENT OR SEVERITY OF INJURY (INCLUDING DEATH) TO YOU OR OTHERS; AND (iv) YOUR SYSTEM AND OUR SERVICES MAY NOT ALWAYS OPERATE AS INTENDED FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING OUR NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER FAULT. WE CANNOT PREDICT THE POTENTIAL AMOUNT, EXTENT, OR SEVERITY OF ANY DAMAGES OR INJURIES THAT YOU OR OTHERS MAY INCUR WHICH COULD BE DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM OR SERVICES TO WORK AS INTENDED. AS SUCH (a) YOU AGREE THAT THE LIMITS ON OUR LIABILITY, WAIVERS AND INDEMNITIES, SET FORTH IN THIS CONTRACT ARE A FAIR ALLOCATION OF RISKS AND LIABILITIES BETWEEN YOU, US AND ANY AFFECTED THIRD PARTIES; (b) YOU WILL LOOK EXCLUSIVELY TO YOUR INSURER FOR FINANCIAL PROTECTION FROM SUCH RISKS AND LIABILITIES, AND (c) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED FOR IN SECTION 7 BELOW, YOU WAIVE ALL RIGHTS AND REMEDIES AGAINST US ... THAT YOU ... OR OTHER THIRD PARTY MAY HAVE DUE TO ANY LOSSES OR INJURIES YOU OR OTHERS INCUR.19
In Paragraph 7, decedent agreed to a Limitation of Liability, which reads:
Limitation of Liability. YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES FOR OUR LIABILITY ARE SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION, NEITHER WE NOR ANY PERSON OR ENTITY AFFILIATED WITH US SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS, INJURY, OR OTHER CONSEQUENCE ARISING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM THE FAILURE OF EITHER THE SERVICES OR SYSTEM TO WORK AS INTENDED ... IF WE OR ANY PERSON OR ENTITY AFFILIATED WITH US IS DETERMINED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SUCH LOSS, INJURY, OR OTHER CONSEQUENCE, YOUR CLAIM AGAINST US SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE LESSER OF (i) $300.00; OR (ii) SIX (6) TIMES THE MONTHLY SERVICE FEE. THIS AMOUNT IS YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY NO MATTER HOW THE LOSS, INJURY, OR OTHER CONSEQUENCE IS CAUSED, EVEN IF CAUSED BY OUR NEGLIGENCE, BREACH OF THIS CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ANY APPLICABLE LAW, OR OTHER FAULT. AT YOUR REQUEST, WE MAY IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION AGREE TO ASSUME ADDITIONAL LIABILITY BY SIGNING AN AMENDMENT TO THIS CONTRACT STATING THE EXTENT OF OUR ADDITIONAL LIABILITY AND THE ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. YOU AGREE THAT WERE WE TO HAVE LIABILITY GREATER THAN THAT STATED ABOVE, WE
*1128WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE SERVICES. WE ARE NOT LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, SPECULATIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.20
In Paragraph 8, decedent agreed to hold Defendant harmless for any third-party claims:
Hold Harmless. IF ANY THIRD PARTY FILES ANY CLAIM OR LEGAL ACTION AGAINST US OR ANY PERSON OR ENTITY AUTHORIZED TO ACT ON OUR BEHALF, ARISING FROM OUR SERVICES OR YOUR SYSTEM, YOU AGREE TO DEFEND AND HOLD US COMPLETELY HARMLESS FROM ANY SUCH ACTIONS, INCLUDING ALL DAMAGES, EXPENSES, COSTS, AND ATTORNEYS' FEES WE INCUR. THIS INDEMNIFICATION SHALL APPLY EVEN IF SUCH ACTIONS ARISE FROM OUR NEGLIGENCE, BREACH OF THIS CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, NON-COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION, OR OTHER FAULT, SUBJECT TO OUR LIMITED LIABILITY SET FORTH ABOVE.21
In Paragraph 9, decedent agreed to a one-year limitation of action:
Legal Actions. NO CLAIM OR LEGAL ACTION EITHER OF US MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF THIS CONTRACT, YOUR SYSTEM OR OUR SERVICES (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, OR OTHERWISE) MAY BE BROUGHT MORE THAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE DATE THE CAUSE OF ACTION FOR SUCH CLAIM ACCRUED.22
In Paragraph 10, decedent agreed to monitoring services and procedures. The contract provides:
When the Center receives an actionable alarm signal from your system (an "Alarm Event"), we will make reasonable efforts, consistent with local laws and our response policies, to make the appropriate notifications. These notifications may include the local emergency response provider ..., the person designated on your Monitoring Information Schedule or the monitored premises. You acknowledge we are subject to various governmental regulations and industry standards designed to reduce false alarms ... In the event an Alarm Event is detected, we may, in our sole discretion, endeavor to contact the Premises by telephone to verify that it is not a false alarm.23
The paragraph continues, "we shall attempt to notify the Premises or the first available person designated on your Monitoring Information Schedule."
Finally, the contract contains an integration clause:
This Contact is the entire agreement between you and us, and supersedes all *1129previous contracts between you and us regarding alarm monitoring or similar services at the Premises. You agree that we are not bound by and you have not relied on any representation, promise, condition, inducement, or warranty, express or implied, not included in this Contract.26
III. Discussion
A. Enforceability of the Contract
1. Unconscionability
Plaintiffs argue that "the service agreement is unconscionable and should not be enforced, in any way, by the court."
Unconscionability is a doctrine under which a contract may be denied enforcement because of "procedural abuses arising out of the contract formation, or because of substantive abuses relating to the terms of the contract, such as terms which violate reasonable expectations of parties or which involve gross disparities in price."
The leading case on unconscionability in Kansas is Wille v. Southwestern Bell TelephoneCo.
(1) The use of printed form or boilerplate contracts drawn skillfully by the party in the strongest economic position, which establish industry wide standards offered on a take it or leave it basis to the party in a weaker economic position; (2) a significant cost-price disparity or excessive price; (3) a denial of basic rights and remedies to a buyer of consumer *1130goods; (4) the inclusion of penalty clauses; (5) the circumstances surrounding the execution of the contract, including its commercial setting, its purpose and actual effect; (6) the hiding of clauses which are disadvantageous to one party in a mass of fine print trivia or in places which are inconspicuous to the party signing the contract; (7) phrasing clauses in language that is incomprehensible to a layman or that divert his attention from the problems raised by them or the rights given up through them; (8) an overall imbalance in the obligations and rights imposed by the bargain; (9) exploitation of the underprivileged, unsophisticated, uneducated and the illiterate; and (10) inequality of bargaining or economic power.36
Further, there must be additional factors such as deceptive bargaining conduct as well as unequal bargaining power to render the contract unconscionable.
Plaintiffs argue that Defendant's adhesion service agreement contains multiple indicators of unconscionability under Wille , including hiding disadvantageous clauses within masses of fine print and in inconspicuous places, using unnecessary legalese, an "overall imbalance in the obligations and rights imposed by the bargain," and "clear inequality of bargaining and economic power."
"[c]onsidering the small fee [the security company] received, all parties to this contract understood that [the security company] was not insuring all the merchandise located at [Plaintiff's] store. The court concludes that the liability limiting language in the contract is not unconscionable; it avoids placing [the security company] in the position of being an insurer of [Plaintiff's] property.39
Indeed, courts have "repeatedly upheld limitation of liability clauses in burglar alarm service contracts against allegations that they are violative of public policy or unconscionable."
Further, the language limiting liability in decedent's contract was not hidden in fine print. In Santana v. Olguin , the court found a limitation of liability clause conspicuous when it was "written in relatively plain language and set forth after an all-capital-and-bold heading that clearly and unequivocally signaled the importance of *1131the release and limitation of liability language."
Finally, assuming there is "unequal bargaining and economic power" here due to the nature of the adhesion contract, Plaintiffs allege no facts to support an inference that there was deceptive bargaining conduct at the time of contracting such that the contract should be found to be unconscionable.
2. Gross Negligence
Plaintiffs assert that the contractual limitations of liability are unenforceable due to allegations of gross negligence. Plaintiffs' Complaint alleges that "[d]efendant's negligent acts and/or omissions were carried on with a wanton and conscious disregard for the rights and safety of decedent and/or other clients of defendant similarly situated to decedent."
3. Suit Limitation Provision
Paragraph 9 of decedent's contract with ADT reads, "no claim or legal action either of us may have arising out of this contract, your system, or our services (whether based on contract, negligence, or otherwise) may be brought more than one year after the date the cause of action for such claim accrued."
Absent statutory prohibition, Kansas law permits a contracting party to limit the time of its liability under a contract.
Plaintiffs assert that the provision is unenforceable because wrongful death, survival, and consumer protection claims invoke public policy concerns "of a greater magnitude" than other causes of action protected from contractual limitation by Kansas courts. Plaintiffs cite no authority in support of their contention that public policy forbids a one-year suit limitation for survival actions or consumer protection claims, and the Court declines to make new law. Further, even if a one-year contractual suit limitation is against public policy, Plaintiffs' survival and consumer protection claims are dismissed for failure to state a claim, as discussed below. The Court first considers the effect of the suit limitation provision on Minor's wrongful death claim.
B. Minor's Wrongful Death Claim
Minor asserts that a one-year suit limitation for wrongful death claims is against Kansas public policy, and further, that Minor's minor status tolls any applicable suit limitation provision or statute of limitations. Under Kansas law, a wrongful death claim requires that the decedent "might have maintained the action had such person lived."
1. Contractual Limitation of Wrongful Death
When considering whether public policy limits enforcement of an otherwise enforceable contract, the Court must balance competing interests. On one hand, Kansas courts have consistently recognized "the paramount importance of the freedom to contract."
In Pfeifer , the plaintiff brought a retaliatory discharge claim, alleging that her employer fired her because she collected Worker's Compensation.
The Pfeifer court relied on Hunter v. American Rentals in holding that the contractual limitation would impede a legislative purpose.
*1134Minor asserts that wrongful death "invoke[s] public policy concerns of a greater magnitude than the retaliatory discharge claim protected by the Pfeifer court," and asserts that Kansas law supports this finding.
2. Tolling of the Wrongful Death Claim
Minor asserts that even if the one-year provision is enforceable, under K.S.A. § 60-515, the suit limitation is tolled based on his minor status. In Mason v. Gerin Corp. , the Kansas Supreme Court found that expiration of decedent's own statute of limitations prior to his death bars a wrongful death claim by his heirs.
In Frost v. Hardin , the Kansas Supreme Court, adopting the opinion of the Kansas Court of Appeals, found that a wrongful death action by minor children was not barred by the statute of limitations simply because the action would be barred if brought by the widow mother.
Unlike Frost , here, the question is whether a minor child is barred by a contractual limitation that would bar suit by the decedent herself, not a statute of limitations that would bar adult heirs. A condition precedent to a claim under the Kansas wrongful death statute is that the decedent "might have maintained the action" had they lived.
Alternatively, Minor asserts that he is not barred by a contractual limitation because he is not in privity of contract. Privity of contract is "essential to the maintenance of any action on any contract ... in respect of the matter sued on."
C. Count II: Administrator's Negligence Claim
Administrator brings a claim for negligence under K.S.A. § 60-1801, alleging Defendant owed decedent and Minor certain duties separate and apart from its contractual duties: 1) exercising a reasonable degree of care in monitoring and responding to alerts; 2) duties affirmatively assumed through specific promises and representations in promotion materials, and 3) duties arising from the Restatement of Torts §§ 323 and 324A.
Defendants argue that Administrator's negligence claims should be dismissed because "the existence of a contractual relationship bars the assertion of tort claims covering the same subject matter governed by the contract.... Stated another way, tort duties may not be imposed on a party where the party's duties and rights are specifically defined by contract."
Administrator cites Burcham and Bittel in support of his contention that he has pleaded multiple duties independent of the service contract.
Finally, the duties Administrator alleges arise under the Restatement-Negligent Performance of Undertaking to Render Services and Duty of One Who Takes Charge of Another Who is Helpless-are not adequately pleaded. Plaintiffs have alleged no facts to support a claim that Defendant "gratuitously render[ed] services" or "[took] charge of another who is helpless"
D. Counts III, IV, V: All Plaintiffs' Fraud and KCPA Violations Claims
Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b), when "alleging fraud or mistake, a party must state with particularity the circumstances constituting fraud or mistake." This provision "applies to allegations of deceptive trade practices under the KCPA."
Although Plaintiffs have pleaded with particularity the content of the statements, they have not sufficiently pleaded when the representation was made to Plaintiff. Plaintiff argues that they have satisfied the "when" requirement by pleading that "up to the date of filing of this complaint, all of the representations contained in paragraphs 58-65 remain on defendant's website." As this Court explained in Jamieson , allegations reflecting such broad time periods are not sufficiently particular for purposes of Rule 9(b).
Further, Plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate they were aggrieved. In addition to pleading the when, where, what, and who of the alleged misrepresentations, a plaintiff bringing a KCPA claim must allege she is an "aggrieved consumer," that is, she "suffered some 'loss or injury'
*1138as a result of the violation."
many, if not all, of the students were unaware of the statement. Many enrolled prior to the publication of the statement in the university catalogue. Nor is there any showing that any of the students suffered injury or loss as a result of the publication of the statement. The students enrolled and paid the tuition. By so doing, they were consumers under the KCPA; however, the Act requires more in that they must also be aggrieved by the violation.98
Similarly, the Court finds here that Plaintiffs have failed to allege plausible facts that decedent was an "aggrieved" consumer within the meaning of the KCPA. Plaintiffs have alleged no facts to show that decedent was aware of the statements on the website or that she relied upon them. Thus, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have failed to plead the element of causation required to plausibly allege that decedent was an "aggrieved consumer" under the KCPA.
Because Plaintiffs have not pleaded the elements of their fraud claims with particularity, and because they have not presented plausible allegations that decedent was "aggrieved" by Defendant's alleged violation of the KCPA, the Court dismisses Plaintiffs' fraud and KCPA claims. Plaintiffs request that the Court grant them leave to amend the Complaint to plead their claims with particularity in the event the Court finds their allegations insufficient to state a fraud claim. D. Kan. Rule 15.1 requires that a party moving for leave to amend attach a proposed pleading so that the Court can determine whether leave to amend is appropriate.
E. Counts VI and VII: All Plaintiffs' Warranty Claims
Finally, the court considers whether Plaintiffs' have sufficiently alleged express and implied warranty claims.
1. Express Warranty
Plaintiffs assert that Defendant made "representations of fact or promise relating to the security system, including but not limited to" the representations found on Defendant's website, and that these representations became part of the basis of the bargain.
"Despite the general rule that express warranties, once made, may not be disclaimed, courts will uphold disclaimers if the parties clearly intended to finalize their agreement in one writing."
2. Implied Warranty
Plaintiffs assert an implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose and argue that under KSA § 50-639, a supplier may not exclude, modify, or otherwise limit this warranty. Defendant argues 1) this limitation is not applicable because this was a contract for services, not goods, and alternatively, 2) no implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose existed because the goods were acquired for the ordinary purpose for which such goods are generally used.
Implied statutory or common-law warranties can exist outside of the ambit of the UCC.
Defendant breached the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose regarding the home security system and the subsequent monitoring services, when emergency services were not contacted after a glass break and again after the expansion model failure. Defendant further breached this warranty by using an unlisted telephone number to call decedent and her grandmother that did not identify defendant as caller.108
Plaintiffs assert that they have pleaded claims based on goods because their allegations stem from failure of "defendant's integrated security system ... which is *1140connected to the defendant's call center and its systems" and the "system failed because it dialed a call-back number using an unlisted number."
In Franklin v. Northwest Drilling Co. , the defendant equipped the plaintiff's well with a pump and motor and the contract between the parties included both an agreement for services and the cost of the equipment.
Plaintiffs cite Corral v. Rollins Protective Services Co. in support of their contention that an implied warranty exists for alarm systems under K.S.A. § 50-639. However, the Court finds the present case distinguishable. In Corral , the plaintiff alleged that "the alarm system failed to function," namely, that the good failed to function as warranted. Here, Plaintiffs do not allege that the good failed to function; rather, they allege that the service portion of the contract was not upheld, namely, that despite receiving a "sensor tamper" and "expansion module failure," the "defendant did not call any individual or emergency services."
Even if the Court found that the warranty applied based on a sale of "property," Plaintiffs have failed to adequately plead an implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. An implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose exists "[w]here the seller at the time of contracting has reason to know any particular purpose for which the goods are required and that the buyer is relying on the seller's skill or judgment to select or furnish suitable goods."
A defining characteristic of the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is that the goods contracted for are used for a particular, rather than ordinary, purpose.
A "particular purpose" differs from the ordinary purpose for which the goods are used in that it envisages a specific use by the buyer which is peculiar to the nature of his business whereas the ordinary purposes for which goods are used are those envisaged in the concept of merchantability and go to uses which are customarily made of the goods in question. For example, shoes are generally used for the purpose of walking upon ordinary ground, but a seller may know that a particular pair was selected to be used for climbing mountains.119
Thus, for an implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose to arise, the goods must be used for a particular purpose, and the seller must have reason to know of the buyer's particular purpose for the goods.
Defendant argues that Plaintiffs have alleged no facts to show decedent's intended use of the equipment was any different from the use of the equipment by other customers. The ordinary purpose of a home security system is monitoring home security. Plaintiffs have alleged no facts to support a finding that decedent intended to use the equipment in any particular way outside of its ordinary use, namely, home monitoring. Accordingly, Plaintiffs claim for implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is dismissed.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED BY THE COURT that Defendant's Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 9) is granted .
IT IS SO ORDERED.
K.S.A. § 50-623
Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly ,
Ridge at Red Hawk, L.L.C. v. Schneider ,
Ashcroft v. Iqbal ,
Kan. Penn Gaming, LLC v. Collins ,
Iqbal ,
Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(d) ; GFF Corp. v. Associated Wholesale Grocers,
See Alvarado v. KOB-TV, LLC,
Doc. 10-1.
Doc. 10-1 at 1.
Id. at 2 (emphasis in original).
Id. at 3, ¶ 6 (emphasis in original).
Id. at 3-4, ¶ 7 (emphasis in original).
Id. at 3-4, ¶ 8 (emphasis in original).
Id. at 4, ¶ 9 (emphasis in original).
Id. at 4, ¶ 10.
Id. at 11, ¶ 22.
Doc. 12 at 18.
LDCircuit, LLC v. Sprint Commc'ns Co., L.P. ,
Estate of Bryant v. All Temperature Insulation, Inc. ,
Knopke v. Ford Motors Co. , No. 14-2225,
Wilson v. Mike Stevens Motors, Inc. ,
Santana v. Olguin ,
Knopke ,
Id. at 906-07 (citations omitted).
Id. at 907.
Doc. 12 at 17.
Peter's Clothiers, Inc. v. Nat'l Guardian Sec. Servs. Corp. ,
E.H. Ashley & Co. v. Wells Fargo Alarm Servs. ,
Santana v. Olguin ,
Doc. 10-1 at 1.
Wille ,
Plaintiff alleges, "the defendant took advantage of decedent's inability to understand the language of the service agreement." Doc 12 at 30. However, this conclusory statement is not supported by facts, and accordingly, is not entitled to a presumption of truth. Ashcroft v. Iqbal ,
Doc. 8 ¶¶ 34, 41.
Wolfgang v. Mid-Am. Motorsports, Inc. ,
Wagner v. Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc. ,
Twombly ,
Doc. 10-1 ¶ 9.
See, e.g. , Coates v. Metro. Life Ins. Co. ,
B.S.C. Holding, Inc. v. Lexington Ins. Co. ,
Infinity Energy Res. v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. , No. 12-2685-JTM,
K.S.A. § 60-1901.
Pfeifer v. Fed. Exp. Corp. ,
Id. at 1228.
Id. at 1229.
Id. at 1232.
Id. at 1233.
Id. at 1234.
Hunter v. American Rentals ,
Id. at 133 ("G.S.1949, Chapter 8, Article 5 ... § 8-5, 118 provides: (a) When one vehicle is towing another the drawbar or other connection shall be of sufficient strength to pull, stop and hold all weight towed thereby.... (b) In addition to the drawbar connections between any two such vehicles there shall be provided an adequate safety hitch.").
Doc. 12 at 19. Plaintiff cites Byrd v. Wesley Med. Ctr. , where the court reasoned that "we recognize wrongful death actions because of the great value we place on human life." Byrd v. Wesley Med. Ctr. ,
See e.g. , Humes v. Clinton ,
Doc. 10-1 ¶ 9. Notably, accrual, and therefore the timing of the one-year suit limitation, is determined by Kansas law. K.S.A § 60-513 ; Davidson v. Denning ,
Mason v. Gerin Corp. ,
Id. at 1343.
Id. at 1345.
Frost v. Hardin ,
Cf. Grp. Health Ass'n, Inc. v. Gatlin ,
See e.g., Peter's Clothiers, Inc. v. Nat'l Guardian Sec. Servs. Corp. ,
Doc. 10-1 ¶ 8.
State ex rel. Stovall v. Reliance Ins. Co. ,
KSA § 60-1901.
Restatement (Second) of Torts § 323 (1934) (Negligent Performance of Undertaking to Render Services); Restatement (Second) of Torts § 324A (1934) (Duty of One Who Takes Charge of Another Who is Helpless).
Horizon Holdings, LLC v. Genmar Holdings, Inc. ,
Universal Premium Acceptance Corp. v. Oxford Bank & Trust ,
Clark v. Assocs. Comm. Corp. ,
Burcham v. Unison Bancorp, Inc. ,
Bittel ,
Burcham ,
See Accountable Health Sols., LLC v. Wellness Corp. Sols., LLC , No. 16-2494-DDC-TJJ,
Id. at 4, ¶ 10; Clark ,
Restatement (First) of Torts § 323 (1934) ; Restatement (First) of Torts § 324A (1934).
Thompson v. Jiffy Lube Int'l Inc. ,
Id. at 930 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b) ("In all averments of fraud or mistake, the circumstances constituting fraud or mistake shall be stated with particularity.").
Jamieson v. Vatterott Educational Ctr., Inc. ,
Caputo v. Prof'l Recovery Servs., Inc. ,
Id. at 688.
Id. at 692.
Id. at 691.
D. Kan. Rule 15.1.
McCoy v. City of Independence, Kan. , No. 12-1211-JAR-JPO,
Doc. 8 ¶ 88.
Ray Martin Painting, Inc. v. Ameron, Inc. ,
Doc. 10-2 ¶ 22.
See Moore v. Climate Corp. , No. 15-4916-DDC-KGS,
Corral v. Rollins Protective Servs. Co. ,
Moler v. Melzer ,
K.S.A. § 50-624(k)(3).
Doc. 8 ¶ 85.
Doc. 12 at 31.
Franklin v. Nw. Drilling Co. ,
Id. at 1202. Other courts have found contracts that include both an installation of goods and subsequent services to be service contracts. See Higgins v. Lauritzen ,
Doc. 8, ¶¶ 17, 18.
K.S.A. § 84-2-315 ; Golden v. Den-Mat Corp. ,
K.S.A. § 84-2-315, cmt. 1; see CB Lodging ,
E.g. , Smith v. Stewart ,
Int'l Petroleum Servs., Inc. v. S & N Well Serv., Inc. ,
Stover v. Eagle Prod., Inc. ,
K.S.A. § 84-2-315, cmt. 2.
Danaher v. Wild Oats Mkts., Inc. , No. 08-2293-DJW,
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.