Ashley Dyer v. American Service Insurance Company, Secure Patient Delivery Shuttle, LLC, and Jeffery Duet

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

ASHLEY DYER NO. 2019 CW 1605

VERSUS

AMERICAN SERVICE INSURANCE COMPANY, SECURE PATIENT

DELIVERY SHUTTLE, LLC, AND DECEMBER 5, 2019 JEFFERY DUET

In Re: American Service Insurance Company and Secure Patient

Delivery Shuttle, LLC, applying for supervisory writs, 19th Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge, No. 672372.

BEFORE: McCLENDON, WELCH, AND HOLDRIDGE, JJ.

STAY DENIED; WRIT GRANTED IN PART WITH ORDER; WRIT DENIED IN PART. The right of a litigant to a jury trial is fundamental in character, and the courts will indulge every presumption

against a waiver, loss, or forfeiture thereof. Alkazin v. City of Baton Rouge, 97- 0738 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 11/ 7/ 97), 705 So. 2d 208, 211- 12, citing Champagne v. American Southern Insurance

Company, 295 So. 2d 437, 439 ( La. 1974). The relators, American

Service Insurance Company and Secure Patient Delivery Shuttle, LLC, timely requested a jury and filed the requisite cash

deposit for a jury trial in accordance with La. Code Civ. P.

art. 1734. 1. Thus, the district court abused its discretion by denying the relators' request to accept the cash deposit for

jury costs. Accordingly, the trial court is ordered to

reinstate jury the trial as requested by American Service

Insurance Company and Secure Patient Delivery Shuttle, LLC. The trial court also abused its discretion by denying the relators' motion to extend discovery and their motion to continue trial. Accordingly, the trial court' s December 2, 2019 ruling denying the relators' motion to extend discovery and motion to continue trial is reversed and the relators are granted a continuance of

trial for a minimum of sixty days and additional time for discovery until thirty days prior to the new trial date. The portion of the writ seeking review of the trial court' s ruling denying the relators' motion to exclude the testimony of Lacy Sapp and Dr. Jolly is denied as moot in light of the extension

of time for discovery and continuance of trial. The trial court has yet to rule on the relators' motion to strike items in the plaintiff' s pre- trial order and therefore the writ is denied as to that issue as there is no ruling for this court to review.

PMc JEW GH

EPUTY CLERK OF COURT FOR THE COURT