Cavalier v. Cain's Hydrostatic Testing, Inc.

637 So. 2d 724, 93 La.App. 1 Cir. 1214, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 1729, 1994 WL 195508
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 20, 1994
Docket93 CA 1214
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 637 So. 2d 724 (Cavalier v. Cain's Hydrostatic Testing, 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
Cavalier v. Cain's Hydrostatic Testing, Inc., 637 So. 2d 724, 93 La.App. 1 Cir. 1214, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 1729, 1994 WL 195508 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

637 So.2d 724 (1994)

Dennis CAVALIER and Norma Cavalier
v.
CAIN'S HYDROSTATIC TESTING, INC., et al.

No. 93 CA 1214.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

May 20, 1994.

*725 Daniel J. Nail, Risley C. Triche, Napoleonville, for plaintiffs-appellants Dennis and Norma Cavalier.

*726 Camille A. Morvant, II, Thibodaux, for defendants-appellants Cain's Hydrostatic Testing, Ray Parrish and U.S. Fidelity Co.

William F. Page, Lafayette, for defendant-appellant Ins. Co. of North America.

Owen Joyner, Metairie, for defendant-appellee Transco.

Before LOTTINGER, C.J., and CRAIN and LeBLANC, JJ.

LOTTINGER, Chief Judge.

On September 21, 1989, Dennis Cavalier was injured while conducting hydrostatic testing of pipe at Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corporation's (Transco) job site in Gibson, Louisiana. Transco had contracted with WHC Contractors (WHC) to fabricate and install pipelines at the Gibson compressor station. WHC, in turn, subcontracted out the hydrostatic testing of the pipe it fabricated to Cain's Hydrostatic Testing, Inc. (Cain's).

On the day of the accident, Cavalier was employed by WHC as a manual laborer. He reported to work and was instructed by his WHC supervisor, Fred Lovern, to assist Ray Parrish, a Cain's employee, with the testing of pipe which had been previously fabricated and laid out by WHC employees. During the course of hydrostatic testing, Cavalier was injured when he removed a plug from a valve which was connected to a pipe under depressurization.

Cavalier and his wife, Norma Cavalier, filed suit against Cain's, Ray Parrish and Transco for his injuries and her loss of consortium. Insurance Company of North America (now CIGNA), WHC's worker's compensation carrier, intervened to recover worker's compensation benefits. The parties stipulated that CIGNA paid a total of $67,126.77 in medical expenses and compensation benefits. A partial settlement was entered wherein CIGNA received $30,000.00, thus reducing its worker's compensation claim to $37,126.77. Settlement was also reached between Transco and the Cavaliers.

After trial on the merits, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Cavalier, assessing fault as follows: 80% to WHC; 20% to Cain's; 0% to Parrish; and 0% to Cavalier. The jury awarded Cavalier $500,000.00 in damages, but concluded that his wife, Norma Cavalier, suffered no loss of consortium. Based on this verdict, judgment was rendered, awarding Cavalier 20% of the total damages or $100,000.00 from Cain's. Additionally, pursuant to La.R.S. 23:1101, CIGNA was awarded 20% of its total workers' compensation claim. All parties have appealed, raising numerous assignments of error.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

The Cavaliers assign two errors. First, the trial court erred in awarding Cavalier only 20% of the total damages and second, the jury erred in failing to find a loss of consortium on behalf of Norma Cavalier. CIGNA reiterates the Cavaliers' first assignment of error, adding that the trial court also erred in reducing its remaining workers' compensation claim to 20%. Additionally, CIGNA asserts that the trial court erred in failing to grant a credit for future compensation obligations.

On the other hand, Cain's contends that the jury erred in finding it 20% at fault for Cavalier's injuries. Alternatively, Cain's asserts that the court erred in not holding that Cavalier was a borrowed or statutory employee of Cain's. For purposes of organization, we first address Cain's assignments of error.

LIABILITY OF CAIN'S

Cain's asserts that the jury erred in finding it 20% at fault for the accident. There are two potential bases for imposing liability on Cain's. The first is vicarious liability under La.Civ.Code art. 2320, the second is primary liability under La.Civ.Code art. 2315. See Roberts v. Benoit, 605 So.2d 1032 (La.1991); Roberts v. State, Louisiana Health and Human Resources Administration, 404 So.2d 1221 (La.1981).

According to La.Civ.Code art. 2320 an employer may be vicariously liable for the negligent acts of his employee.[1] To come within *727 the scope of this article, Cavalier must prove that Cain's employee, Ray Parrish, was negligent. However, after hearing the evidence, the jury assigned 0% fault against Parrish. We find no error in this assignment of fault.

Absent a finding of negligence on the part of Ray Parrish, Cain's cannot be negligent under the theory of vicarious liability. Thus, the proper inquiry is whether there is sufficient evidence of independent negligence to find Cain's liable under La.Civ.Code art. 2315.

In determining whether there is sufficient evidence to support the imposition of liability under article 2315 we must apply the four-pronged duty-risk analysis:

(1) Was the conduct in question a cause-in-fact of the resulting harm?
(2) What, if any, duties were owed by the respective parties?
(3) Were the requisite duties breached?
(4) Was the risk, and harm caused, within the scope of protection afforded by the duty breached?

Mart v. Hill, 505 So.2d 1120, 1122 (La.1987).

The first inquiry is whether Cain's failure to train and/or warn Cavalier was a cause in fact of Cavalier's injuries. Cause in fact is a "but for" inquiry; that is, the plaintiff would not have sustained the injuries but for the defendant's conduct. Roberts, 605 So.2d at 1042.

Trial testimony reveals that this was the first time that Cavalier helped with hydrostatic testing and that neither Cain's nor Parrish made inquiries as to Cavalier's experience. Cavalier testified that he had no training relative to hydrostatic testing or the hazards involved. This accident likely would not have occurred had Cavalier been warned or properly trained in the process of hydrostatic testing.

The second inquiry is whether Cain's owed a duty to Cavalier. There are several methods of determining the existence of a duty.

"A duty can be based on a statute or ordinance or a jurisprudential rule of law." Pickett v. Jacob Schoen & Son, Inc., 488 So.2d 1257 (La.App. 4th Cir.1986) at 1258. Or, it may be determined from "... a consideration of the three R's: the relationship of the parties, the risks involved in the transaction or conduct and an appraisal of what a reasonable man would do or refrain from doing under these circumstances." Stone, Tort Doctrine, Louisiana Civil Law Treatise, Vol. 12, Sec. 305, p. 413, (1977).

Tallo v. Stroh Brewery Company, 544 So.2d 452, 454 (La.App. 4th Cir.), writ denied, 547 So.2d 355 (La.1989).

Applying these principles in the instant case we focus on the relationship between Cavalier and Cain's. Although Cavalier was not an employee of Cain's, Ray Parrish allowed Cavalier to assist in the highly technical process of hydrostatic testing. While Cavalier was under orders of WHC to assist with the testing, Parrish accepted the assistance and instructed Cavalier during the testing process.

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Bluebook (online)
637 So. 2d 724, 93 La.App. 1 Cir. 1214, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 1729, 1994 WL 195508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cavalier-v-cains-hydrostatic-testing-inc-lactapp-1994.