Catalano v. Walgreen's Corp.

511 So. 2d 863, 1987 La. App. LEXIS 9958
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 11, 1987
DocketNo. CA 7039
StatusPublished

This text of 511 So. 2d 863 (Catalano v. Walgreen's Corp.) 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
Catalano v. Walgreen's Corp., 511 So. 2d 863, 1987 La. App. LEXIS 9958 (La. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

PRESTON H. HUFFT, Judge Pro Tern.

Walgreen’s Corporation and its insurer, Travelers Insurance Company, and L.L. Salmen Company appeal from a judgment of the trial court which found Walgreen’s to have been negligent and liable in solido with L.L. Salmen Company, for damages to John Catalano, plaintiff, in the amount of $60,000.00, and which dismissed Walgreen’s and Salmen’s third-party claims against each other.

This case has been before this Court previously. In John Catalano v. Walgreen’s Corporation, et al., 470 So.2d 904 (La.App. 4th Cir.1985), this Court reversed the trial court’s dismissal of Walgreen’s as a defendant. The trial judge had determined that Walgreen’s, as Salmen’s lessee, could not be held strictly liable to Catalano under La.C.C. art. 2317 nor could Walgreen’s be liable according to the terms of its lease agreement with Salmen. This Court held that parties cannot, by contract, insulate themselves from liability as to innocent third parties. This Court’s findings of fact and previous actions with respect to this case follow.

On May 3,1980, John Catalano struck his head on a metal door closing device as he [865]*865exited Walgreen’s Drug Store on South Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans. Cata-lano filed suit against Walgreen’s for injuries sustained in this incident. On October 30, 1981, Walgreen’s filed a third-party demand against the Salmen Company, the owner of the premises leased by Walgreen’s. On February 25, 1983, Catalano filed a supplemental and amended petition in which he alleged that the Salmen Company was jointly and solidarily liable with Walgreen’s and its liability insurer, Travelers Insurance Company. At the close of plaintiffs case, the trial judge granted a motion for directed verdict as to Walgreen’s and Travelers Insurance Company. The judge reasoned that the strict liability imposed by Louisiana Civil Code Article 2317 fell only upon Salmen Company as lessor of the premises because of the alleged obligations under the lease between Walgreen’s and Salmen. The lease allegedly imposed upon the lessor the responsibility for the maintenance and repair of the entrances to the leased premises. The trial judge also concluded that sufficient evidence had not been presented on which a jury could reasonably base a finding of negligence as to Walgreen’s. Therefore, the trial judge dismissed both plaintiff’s claim and the Salmen Company’s third-party claim against Walgreen’s and Travelers Insurance Company.

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff in the amount of $60,000.00. This verdict was later made the judgment of the court. Subsequently, the Salmen Company filed an exception of prescription alleging that more than one year had elapsed from the date of plaintiff's accident and the filing of plaintiff’s supplemental and amended petition in which the Salmen Company was named as a defendant. This exception was overruled by the trial judge and the Salmen Company appealed. Plaintiff also appealed the granting of the directed verdict as to Walgreen’s and Travelers Insurance Company.

On the initial appeal, plaintiff contended that the trial judge erred in granting the directed verdict as to Walgreen’s and Travelers because of evidence of Walgreen’s negligence allegedly produced by the plaintiff. According to plaintiff, Walgreen’s was custodian of the premises and was obliged to insure that the premises were free from defects or vices.

This Court agreed with the plaintiff’s position that the directed verdict in favor of Walgreen’s and Travelers Insurance Company was improperly granted by the trial judge. The finding that the lease between Walgreen’s and Salmen Company placed the strict liability obligation of LSA-C.C. art. 2317 only upon Salmen (and barred recovery from Walgreen’s) was erroneous. The alleged provisions of the lease could not relieve Walgreen’s from liability for the accident. Lessors and lessees cannot contractually insulate themselves from liability as to innocent third parties. As custodian of the building, Walgreen’s owed a duty to its customers to ensure their ability to safely walk in and out of its establishment.

This Court also found no merit in the Salmen Company’s argument that the plaintiff was contributorily negligent in this case. This Court held that customers should not be required to check a doorway to see if they can walk through without hitting their heads. The metal door closing device, which provided a clearance of only 6' 2%", constituted an unreasonable risk of harm and presented a possible basis of a finding of negligence as to Walgreen’s and Travelers.

However, because Walgreen’s and Travelers were dismissed from the lawsuit at the close of the plaintiff’s case, they did not have the opportunity to present their case. Therefore, this Court remanded the case for trial by the judge alone in order to determine the liability of Walgreen’s and Travelers.

This Court noted that if Walgreen’s and Travelers were found not to be liable, then Salmen’s exception of prescription would have to be maintained because more than one year had elapsed between the accident and the inclusion of Salmen as a defendant. However, if Walgreen’s and Travelers were found to be liable, then the action against Salmen would not have prescribed because the filing of a suit against one solidary [866]*866obligor interrupts prescription as to all other solidary obligors. LSA-C.C. art. 2097.

In a per curiam opinion, this Court denied the application of Walgreen’s and Travelers for a rehearing but amended the original opinion in order to expand the scope of the trial on remand. In addition to a determination of the applicants’ liability, this Court held that there must be a determination of quantum as to Walgreen’s and its insurer. The opinion directed the trial court to let Walgreen’s and its insurer put on whatever evidence they deemed appropriate. This Court also noted that if the trial court found Walgreen’s and Travelers liable, the court had to address the issues of indemnity raised by Walgreen’s and Sal-men.

After conducting a trial on remand as directed by this Court, the trial court entered a judgment on June 17, 1986, which states in pertinent part:

“Considering the law, evidence and argument of Counsel presented on the retrial of these proceedings, the Court is of the opinion that Walgreen’s Corporation was at fault in allowing the dangerous condition to exist and for their failure to maintain the premises free from defect; therefore:
“IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that there be judgment herein in favor of plaintiff, John Catalano and against defendants, Walgreen’s Corporation, and its insurer Travelers Insurance Company, and L.L. Salmen Company, in solido, in the full sum of sixty thousand dollars ($60,000.00) together with judicial interest from the date of demand until paid and all costs of these proceedings. “IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the Third Party Demands of both Walgreen’s Corporations and its insurer Travelers Insurance Company and L.L. Salmen Company be, and they are hereby, dismissed.”

On November 17, 1986, the trial court assigned reasons for judgment, which state in pertinent part:

“... the Court finds that a defect in the premises existed. Both defendants, Walgreen’s, as lessee, and L.L. Salmen Company, as lessor, were at fault in allowing the dangerous condition to exist which was a cause [of] plaintiff's injuries.”

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Related

Catalano v. Walgreen's Corp.
470 So. 2d 904 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1985)

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Bluebook (online)
511 So. 2d 863, 1987 La. App. LEXIS 9958, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/catalano-v-walgreens-corp-lactapp-1987.