Caceras v. Work

110 So. 3d 275, 2012 La.App. 4 Cir. 1097, 2013 WL 749728, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 353
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 27, 2013
DocketNo. 2012-CA-1097
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 110 So. 3d 275 (Caceras v. Work) 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
Caceras v. Work, 110 So. 3d 275, 2012 La.App. 4 Cir. 1097, 2013 WL 749728, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 353 (La. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinions

TERRI F. LOVE, Judge.

|/The parents of a child, who died before birth, filed suit against the treating doctor, treating nurse, and the Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Company seeking damages for the child’s death. The Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Company filed a peremptory exception of no right of action against the alleged father alleging he did not formally file a filiation action as to the deceased child. Therefore, the Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Company alleges that Louisiana law affords the father no remedy. The trial court sustained the exception. We find that the Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent pronouncement affords the father a remedy, as his petition alleges sufficient facts for an avowal action. Therefore, we reverse and remand for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On March 5, 2010, Glenda Caceras and the alleged father of her unborn child, Jesus Acevedo visited Dr. Kevin Work’s medical office on Canal Street for a routine visit and an ultrasound. Ms. Heyzel Reta-[277]*277na, a nurse working in Dr. Work’s office, instructed Ms. Caceras to ingest three white pills. When Ms. Caceras asked about the reason for the pills, Ms. Retana allegedly stated that the pills were “to [ 2aIlow the uterus to contract and just go ahead and take them.” Ms. Caceras suffered abdominal cramps and contractions after ingesting the pills administered. While in the exam room, Ms. Caceras informed Ms. Retana that she was there for an ultrasound. Then Ms. Retana allegedly instructed Ms. Caceras to regurgitate the pills. Following a pelvic exam, Dr. Work prescribed medication for an infection. Later that evening, Mr. Acevedo took Ms. Caceras to the emergency room at Oehs-ner Medical Center — West Bank, in Gret-na, Louisiana. Ms. Caceras’ unborn baby, determined to be sixteen weeks and six days along, died.

On March 3, 2011, within one year of the child’s death, Ms. Caceras, individually and on behalf of her deceased child, and Mr. Acevedo (collectively “Plaintiffs”) filed a petition for damages against Dr. Work, Ms. Retana, and the Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Company (“LAMMI-CO”) alleging that Dr. Work’s and Ms. Retana’s actions caused the death of her unborn baby. Attorney David Band then filed a petition for intervention asserting that he was previously retained by the Plaintiffs to represent them in the litigation. LAMMICO filed exceptions of no cause of action, no right of action, and lack of procedural capacity against the Plaintiffs. Subsequently, LAMMICO also filed a motion for partial summary judgment contending that Dr. Work’s insurance policy did not provide coverage for Ms. Reta-na. Mr. Acevedo filed an exception of insufficiency of citation and no right of action against Attorney Band.1 Dr. Work filed an exception of prematurity because the medical review panel was not convened prior to the Plaintiffs filing suit. After the filing of numerous oppositions to all of the exceptions, LAMMICO withdrew its exceptions of no right of action and lack of | .¡procedural capacity against Ms. Caceras due to the hospital records she attached to an opposition.2

The trial court granted LAMMICO’s peremptory exception of no right of action regarding Mr. Acevedo. Further, the trial court granted LAMMICO’s motion for partial summary judgment and held that Ms. Retana was not covered by LAMMI-CO’s insurance policy. The trial court also granted LAMMICO’s exception of no cause of action regarding survival actions on behalf of the deceased child. As to Dr. Work’s exception of prematurity, the trial court granted the exception, but dismissed the Plaintiffs’ claims without prejudice so the claims could be refiled following the medical review panel proceedings. Mr. Acevedo filed a motion for new trial, which the trial court denied. Mr. Acevedo subsequently filed a devolutive appeal of the trial court’s judgment granting LAMMI-CO’s peremptory exception of no right of action.

Mr. Acevedo asserts that the trial court erred because 1) Louisiana law does not require a filiation proceeding to pursue a wrongful death action pursuant to La. C.C. art. 2315.2, 2) if a filiation proceeding is required, the petition for damages is sufficient, and 3) that the trial court erred by disregarding evidence introduced at the hearing on the exception.

[278]*278 STANDARD OF REVIEW

A trial court’s ruling on a peremptory exception of no right of action is reviewed by appellate courts with the de novo standard of review because the exception deals with a question of law. Recovery Dev. Group, LLC, Next Generation Homes, LLC v. Nat’l Baptist Convention of Am., Inc., 10-1086, p. 10 (La.App. 4 Cir. 4/20/11), 63 So.3d 1127, 1132.

NO RIGHT OF ACTION

Mr. Acevedo contends that the trial court erred in granting LAMMICO’s exception of no right of action because Louisiana law does not require a separate filiation proceeding and that the allegations in the petition constitute an act for filiation. While the issue of filiation with a child not born alive is a res nova issue for this Court, given the Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent pronouncements in Udomeh v. Joseph, 11-2839 (La.10/26/12), 103 So.3d 343, we find that Mr. Acevedo’s assertions are meritorious.

“The function of the peremptory exception is to have the plaintiffs action declared legally nonexistent, or barred by effect of law, and hence this exception tends to dismiss or defeat the action.” La. C.C.P. art. 923. The exception of no right of action is a peremptory exception. La. C.C.P. art. 927. The Louisiana Revised Statutes provide that “[w]hen the grounds of the objection pleaded by the peremptory exception may be removed by amendment of the petition, the judgment sustaining the exception shall order such amendment within the delay allowed by the court.” La. C.C.P. art. 934.

This Court described the function of a peremptory exception of no right of action as follows:

The peremptory exception of no right of action questions whether the party against whom it is asserted has an interest in judicially enforcing the right alleged against the exceptor. Thomas v. State of Louisiana, 545 So.2d 632 (La.App. 4th Cir.), writ denied, 551 So.2d 639 (La.1989). When considering the exception, the court must ask whether the plaintiff belongs to a particular class for which the law grants a remedy for a particular grievance or whether the plaintiff has an interest in judicially enforcing the right asserted. In re G.E.T., 529 So.2d 524 (La.App. 1st Cir.1988). The exception does |snot raise the question of the plaintiffs ability to prevail on the merits nor [sic] the question of whether the defendant may have a valid defense. Duplessis Cadillac, Inc. v. Creative Credit Services, Inc., 597 So.2d 1155 (La.App. 1st Cir.1992).

Recovery Dev. Group, LLC, 10-1086, pp. 10-11, 63 So.3d at 1132-33, quoting Touzet v. V.S.M. Seafood Servs., Inc., 96-0225, pp. 2-3 (La.App. 4 Cir. 3/27/96), 672 So.2d 1011, 1012-1013. “[E]vidence may be introduced to support or controvert any of the objections pleaded, when the grounds thereof do not appear from the petition” at the hearing on the peremptory exception. La. C.C.P. art. 931.

LAMMICO contends that Mr. Acevedo does not have a right of action for wrongful death because he failed to file a formal filiation proceeding within a year of the death of the deceased child.

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110 So. 3d 275, 2012 La.App. 4 Cir. 1097, 2013 WL 749728, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 353, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caceras-v-work-lactapp-2013.