Buckbee on Behalf of Buckbee v. Aweco, Inc.

418 So. 2d 698
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 21, 1982
Docket82-113
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 418 So. 2d 698 (Buckbee on Behalf of Buckbee v. Aweco, Inc.) 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
Buckbee on Behalf of Buckbee v. Aweco, Inc., 418 So. 2d 698 (La. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

418 So.2d 698 (1982)

Vera BUCKBEE, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS the ADMINISTRATRIX OF the SUCCESSION OF William Buckbee, and on Behalf of the Minor, Larry Dean BUCKBEE, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
AWECO, INC., et al., Defendants-Appellees.

No. 82-113.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

July 21, 1982.
Rehearing Denied September 8, 1982.

*699 Baggett, McCall, Singleton & Ranier, Drew Ranier, Lake Charles, for plaintiff-appellant.

Jones, Tete, Nolen, Hanchey, Swift & Spears, Bret L. Barham, Raggio, Cappel, Chozen & Berniard, Richard B. Cappel, Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, Robert W. Clements, Plauche, Smith, Hebert & Nieset, A. Lane Plauche, Meredith T. Holt, Lake Charles, for defendants-appellee.

Before DOMENGEAUX, GUIDRY and CUTRER, JJ.

CUTRER, Judge.

This is a tort suit by the survivors of William Buckbee arising out of a fatal job related accident.

On January 15, 1980, decedent, William Buckbee, and Mr. Roosevelt Vincent, employees at Lake Charles Refining Company, began to remove a plug from a coil on a used crude petroleum heater. The heater was not in use but had been washed prior to this operation. The removal of the plug was preparatory to an inspection of the heater coil. The inspection was to determine whether the coil was free from blockages and if the heater could be put into operation in the refining process. The plugs, due to their exposure to extreme heats in the refining process over long periods of time, often became frozen into place. To remove them required the use of a cold chisel (wedge) or the application of heat; however, the first plug had to be removed "cold" (no heat used) due to the possible existence of flammable materials in the coil.

Buckbee, an experienced man in the refining business, was the maintenance foreman at Lake Charles Refining Company. From all accounts, Buckbee apparently applied heat to remove the first plug from the heater coil. When the plug was removed an explosion and/or flare-up of flammable materials ensued. Both Buckbee and Vincent were burned. Buckbee suffered severe burns from which he died approximately one month later.

Vera Buckbee, surviving spouse, sued in tort for the death of her husband, alleging the defective nature of the heating unit, the failure of the seller and manufacturer to give adequate warnings concerning the potential dangers of the heater and the intentional torts of decedent's employers.

Various defendants to this suit were named, among which are: AWECO, Inc.; CKB Corporation; C & B Corporation, a/k/a CB Corporation; Kennedy International; C & H Refining Company of Lusk, Wyoming; Lake Charles Refining Company of Lusk, Wyoming; United Gas Pipeline Corporation, Inc.; Jerry R. Watt Company; Travelers Insurance Company; Plant Services, Inc.; the Alcorn Company; Lake Charles Refining Company; Joseph P. Chamberlain and Bob White.

Various exceptions and motions were filed by the defendants. The trial court sustained Jerry R. Watt Company's exception of lack of jurisdiction, dismissing it from the suit. The trial court granted Travelers Insurance Company's motion for summary judgment as it was the insurer of Jerry R. Watt Company. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Lake Charles Refining Company, AWECO, Inc., Kennedy International, C & H Refining Company of Lusk, Wyoming, Joseph P. Chamberlain and Bob White, dismissing the suit against these defendants.

Plaintiff appealed as follows:

"1) Granting of an exception of lack of jurisdiction of the person over Jerry S. (sic) Watt Company;
"2) Granting of the motion for summary judgment to the defendants Bob White,[[1]] AWECO, Inc., CKB Corporation[[2]] *700 and Joseph P. Chamberlain on the grounds that LSA-R.S. 23:1032 excludes these defendant joint venturers from liability to employees of the joint venture;
"3) Granting a motion for summary judgment in favor of Joseph P. Chamberlain holding that his actions were not intentional actions within the meaning of LSA R.S. 23:1032."

The assignments of error on appeal are as follow:

(1) Whether the court erred in granting the exception of lack of personal jurisdiction over the defendant, Jerry R. Watt Company;

(2) Whether the court erred in granting the motion for summary judgment barring plaintiff's action against joint venturers on the basis of the Louisiana Workmen's Compensation Statute, LSA-R.S. 23:1032; and

(3) Whether the court erred in granting the motion for summary judgment holding that Joseph P. Chamberlain was not acting intentionally within the meaning of LSA-R.S. 23:1032.

JURISDICTION: JERRY R. WATT COMPANY

On appeal plaintiff argues that the trial court erroneously granted defendant's, Jerry R. Watt Company's, declinatory exception of lack of jurisdiction. The trial court held that there were not sufficient minimum contacts between the defendant and the forum to activate its jurisdiction based upon the Louisiana Long Arm Statute, LSA-R.S. 13:3201 et seq. We disagree.

LSA-R.S. 13:3201 provides, in pertinent part, as follows:

"A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident, who acts directly or by an agent, as to a cause of action arising from the nonresident's:
(a) transacting any business in this state;
(b) contracting to supply services or things in this state;
(c) causing injury or damage by an offense or quasi offense through an act or omission in this state;
(d) causing injury or damage in this state by an offense or quasi offense committed through an act or omission outside of this state if he regularly does or solicits business, or engages in any other persistent course of conduct, or derives substantial revenue from goods used or consumed or services rendered in this state; * * *"

In determining whether the provisions of the long arm statute apply to the case sub judice, our Supreme Court, in Adcock v. Surety Research & Inv. Corp., 344 So.2d 969, 972 (La.1977), stated:

"The issue of the applicability of La. R.S. 13:3201 is basically a question of fact, the resolution of which will vary according to the circumstances of each case. Because the contacts which each of the defendants has with the forum differ, the issue as to each defendant must be dealt with separately."

This court has recently passed upon the applicability and scope of the long arm statute in Heinberg v. Poole, 413 So.2d 271, 273 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1982), in which we quoted from our earlier decision of Soileau v. Evangeline Farmer's Co-op, 386 So.2d 179, 182 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1980), as follows:

"`It is well settled that the legislative intent in enacting this statute was to extend personal jurisdiction of Louisiana Courts over non-residents to the full limits of due process, i.e., to any non-resident who has "minimum contacts" with this state. Drilling Engineering, Inc. v. Independent Indonesian American Pet. Co., 283 So.2d 687 (La.1973), and Aucoin v. Hanson, 207 So.2d 834 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1968). This jurisprudence requires a liberal interpretation of LSA-R.S. 13:3201 *701 in favor of finding jurisdiction. Adcock v. Surety Research & Inv. Corp., 344 So.2d 969 (La.1977); Latham v. Ryan, 373 So.2d 242 (La.App.

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