Breaux v. Texas & Pacific Railway Co.

176 So. 2d 640, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 4337
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 12, 1965
DocketNo. 6388
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 176 So. 2d 640 (Breaux v. Texas & Pacific Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Breaux v. Texas & Pacific Railway Co., 176 So. 2d 640, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 4337 (La. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

REID, Judge.

This is a suit for wrongful death brought by Elisie Breaux, dative tutor of the minors Daniel Paul Leonard and Jennifer Anne Leonard, to recover for the death of the minors’ parents, Lloyd Leonard and Harriett Breaux Leonard, both of whom were fatally injured as a result of a collision between a freight train owned by the Texas and Pacific Railway Company, Incorporated, and a 1955 Chevrolet automobile owned and operated by the said Lloyd Leonard and in which his wife, Harriet Breaux Leonard, was riding as a guest passenger. The accident occurred at approximately 7:00 A.M. on the morning of September 23, 1961, at the intersection of Louisiana Highway 70 with the Texas and Pacific Railway Company, Incorporated’s tracks in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, known as the Magnolia crossing. The suit was brought against the Texas and Pacific Railway Company, Incorporated and its employees, D. J. Toney, engineerman, and Fred W. Wilson, Sr., fireman. In an alternative demand American Employers’ Insurance Company, liability insurer of the automobile being driven by Lloyd Leonard, was joined as a party defendant, in the event the driver Lloyd Leonard was found con-tributorily negligent in the death of his wife and guest passenger, Harriet Breaux Leonard.

The defendants Texas and Pacific Railway Company, Incorporated, D. J. Toney and Fred W. Wilson, Sr., filed a third party petition alleging that in the event judgment was rendered against them and in favor of Elisie Breaux, in his capacity as legal tutor of the minors and for their use and benefit for the injuries and death of their mother, Harriett Breaux Leonard, then the said Elisie Breaux, in said capacity would be responsible for the virile share of the said Lloyd Leonard as a joint tort feasor.

Plaintiff filed exceptions of no right and no cause of action to the third party demand, which exceptions were sustained by the Lower Court and the third party demand of the initial defendants was dismissed. Third party petitioners were granted writs by this Court and this Court maintained the exceptions insofar as impleading Elisie Breaux as dative tutor for said minors and overruled the exceptions permitting the impleading of Elisie Breaux, tutor, as the proper legal representative of the Succession of Lloyd Leonard, and the case was remanded to the Lower Court for trial on the merits. See 147 So.2d 693.

Trial of the case lasted ten days, and for written reasons assigned September 8, 1964, judgment was rendered against Texas and Pacific Railway Company, Incorporated, D. J. Toney and Fred W. Wilson, Sr., in solido, and in favor of Elisie Breaux (1) as dative tutor of the minor Daniel Paul Leonard in the amount of $45,750.00 and (2) as dative tutor of the minor Jennifer [643]*643Anne Leonard in the amount of $42,000.00, and (3) as dative tutor of both minors in the amount of $3140.00, “the three awards totaling the sum of $92,890.00 to bear legal interest from the date of judicial demand until paid, together with all costs, including the fee of W. E. Groves, which is fixed at $150.00.” The three figures stated in the judgment total $90,890.00 rather than $92,890. This same $2000.00 error in addition is shown in the reasons for judgment. No mention was made of a dismissal of the suit as against American Employers’ Insurance Company. Texas and Pacific Railway Company, Incorporated, D. J. Toney and Fred W. Wilson, Sr. have appealed from said judgment. Said appeal was answered by the plaintiff praying that the judgment be increased to a total of $354,341.00. No appeal was taken with regard to American Employers’ Insurance Company.

Plaintiff alleged in his petition the following grounds of negligence; Failure to provide special warnings to motorist of approaching train, especially considering the poor visibility caused by darkness and dense fog and mist and considering that the vision of motorists was obstructed by high growth of sugar cane and weeds and brush; driving train at an excessive rate of speed; failure to keep proper lookout; failure to ring bell or sound whistle before reaching intersection, in compliance with LSA-R.S. 45 :561; failure to clear right of way of weeds and grass and to provide special warning devices at a dangerous intersection constituting a trap for motoring public.

In his reasons for judgment the Trial Judge set forth the following findings of fact:

“On the morning of the accident and just prior thereto Mr. and Mrs. Leonard had left their home in Pierre Part and were traveling eastwardly along Louisiana State Highway No. 70 with the intention of proceeding to Baton Rouge where Mr. Leonard had a medical appointment. Lloyd Leonard was driving with his wife seated to his right.
“The Texas and Pacific train had left Thibodaux and was proceeding north-wardly towards Gary which is near Donaldsonville. The train was composed of five loaded cars, three empties, a caboose and two diesel engines. The train with engines weighed 700.2 tons. D. J. Toney, the engineer, was seated on the right hand side of the cab, with Fred W. Wilson, Sr., the fireman, seated to the left. Their respective seats are 29' 11Y2" behind the front of the engine, 32/ 10" from front steps, and from 10' to 12' above the tracks. The engine measured lO' 2" in width.
“As the automobile rolled upon the tracks of the Texas and Pacific right of way at the Magnolia crossing, which is located between Napoleonville and Gary, it was struck on its right side at and just forward of the right front door by the left front portion of the lead diesel engine.
“The point of impact with reference to the highway was in the eastbound traffic lane which was determined by scrape marks on the highway. There were no skid marks leading to or from the point of impact. Mr. Leonard was found, unconscious but still living, on the west side of the tracks about 60 to 70 feet north of the point of impact. State Troopers measured by tape the distance from the point of impact to where the front of the lead engine stopped and found the distance to be 610 feet. Mrs. Leonard’s body was found in the front seat of the automobile which was still attached to the front of the engine.
“The Texas & Pacific Railway right of way runs from Gary southwardly along the west bank of Bayou La-fourche until it reaches Napoleonville. It then crosses Bayou LaFourche and continues along the east bank until its termination at Thibodaux.
[644]*644“State Highway No. 70 leaves Highway No. 1 near Paincourtville and continues westwardly toward Pierre Part. This highway is a standard 20' two lane blacktopped highway. A traffic survey conducted by the State Department of Highways shows that at the time of the accident approximately one vehicle a minute crosses the intersection.
“On the western side of the Magnolia crossing and at a distance of S0.7 feet from the western rail is the standard and usual Louisiana Law stop sign. At a distance of 381.5 feet west of the intersection is a standard highway railroad crossing sign.
“The highway and railroad track intersect at right angles about a mile west of Bayou Lafourche and Louisiana State Highway No. 1. The crossing is outside the limits of any municipality and there are no houses, buildings, or other structures along either the right of way or the highway. All four quadrants of the intersection were devoted to the growing of crops of sugar cane.

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Bluebook (online)
176 So. 2d 640, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 4337, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/breaux-v-texas-pacific-railway-co-lactapp-1965.