The Case of the Vintage Sports Car: Motion for Summary Judgment

The Details of the Case

The plaintiff and defendant were involved in a car accident in which the plaintiff's vintage sports car was severely damaged. The plaintiff sued the defendant in federal court for $200,000 in damages, alleging that the defendant had run a red light and caused the accident. The defendant claimed that the light was green.

The plaintiff files a motion for summary judgment supported by an authenticated surveillance video that clearly shows the defendant driving through the red light. Additionally, an affidavit from a vintage car expert describing the value of the plaintiff's car and the cost of repairing the damage was submitted. On the other hand, the defendant opposes the motion for summary judgment but offers no evidence regarding the color of the light. Instead, he provides affidavits from two car experts stating that the plaintiff's car was not as valuable as claimed and only $50,000 worth of damage was done.

The Question

May the court grant the motion for summary judgment?

The Answer

The court may grant partial summary judgment on the issue of liability and leave the determination of damages to a jury. This is because there is no genuine dispute of material fact regarding the cause of the car accident. Since the defendant failed to present any evidence in response to the motion, the court can rule on the issue of liability through partial summary judgment.

May the court grant the motion for summary judgment?

The court may grant partial summary judgment on the matter of liability and give the issue of damages to a jury. Explanation: Summary judgment may be partial as well as complete. Because there is no genuine dispute of material fact regarding the cause of the car accident (due to the fact that the defendant failed to submit any evidence in response to the motion for summary judgment), the court can grant partial summary judgment on the issue of liability.