Clark v. Schwegmann Giant Supermarket

740 So. 2d 137, 96 La.App. 4 Cir. 2301, 1999 La. App. LEXIS 58, 1999 WL 25577
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 13, 1999
DocketNo. 96-CA-2301
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 740 So. 2d 137 (Clark v. Schwegmann Giant Supermarket) 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
Clark v. Schwegmann Giant Supermarket, 740 So. 2d 137, 96 La.App. 4 Cir. 2301, 1999 La. App. LEXIS 58, 1999 WL 25577 (La. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

JjBYRNES, Judge.

This matter arises out of an injury to the claimant, Byron Clark (hereinafter referred to sometimes as “Clark”), that occurred in the course and scope of his employment at Schwegmann Giant Super Markets, Inc. on November 15, 1993. Schwegmann voluntarily commenced compensation payments. Clark instituted this litigation because of a dispute about the basis for calculating his compensation rate. According to Schwegmann’s calculations, the rate was $124.66 based on an average weekly rate of $186.90. But Schweg-mann’s calculation was based on classifying the claimant as a part-time employee. Clark contended that he should be classified as a full-time employee. The compensation judge found that Clark should be classified as a full-time employee.

On July 24, 1994, Byron Clark was incarcerated in Orleans Parish Prison and charged with the murder of his mother. Schwegmann ceased compensation payments pursuant to La. R.S. 23:1201.4, which allows an employer to terminate benefits when a claimant has been incarcerated. Subsequent to Clark’s incarceration and the discontinuance of his benefits by Schwegmann, Sabriya Clark, through her mother, Jacqueline Fuselier, asserted that she was entitled to ^receive benefits under La. R.S. 23:1201.4, because she was Clark’s natural minor daughter. Fuselier alleged that Clark had been forwarding $260.00 per month to her for the support of Sabriya.

Schwegmann’s has unwaveringly maintained that its computation of benefits is correct and that Clark has failed to demonstrate that he is physically unable to engage in any employment. It is Schweg-mann’s contention that the only reason that Clark is unable to work is because of his continued incarceration. Schwegmann also contends that it has never been proven that Sabriya should be recognized as Clark’s dependent or that Sabriya relied on his compensation award of support, both of which factors must be proven in order for Sabriya to establish entitlement to receive dependent benefits under La. R.S. 23:1201.4.

Although the compensation judge found that Schwegmann had been underpaying Clark for the period during which it voluntarily made payments to him, she refused to award benefits to Clark for the period following the cessation of payments by Schwegmann. The compensation judge [140]*140awarded Clark $9,500.00 in attorney fees based on a finding that Schwegmann was arbitrary and capricious in refusing to recognize Sabriya’s paternity, but then refused to award any dependent benefits to Sabriya.

Schwegmann appealed and Clark answered the appeal. The Attorney General is a party to this appeal because of certain constitutional rulings made by the compensation judge. The compensation judge made numerous findings both in her judgment and in her written reasons for judgment. Schwegmann made several assignments of error, as did Clark. The Attorney General objected to several constitutional rulings by the compensation judge. On March 25, 1996, pursuant to |3a contested motion to dismiss filed by Clark, the compensation judge signed a judgment dismissing Jacqueline Fuselier on behalf of her minor child, Sabriya, and substituted Clark as Sabriya’s representative.

On February 26, 1997, this Court issued an order transferring this case to the Supreme Court based on a finding that this Court has no appellate jurisdiction where a law or ordinance has been declared unconstitutional. La. Const.1974, Art. V, Section 5(D). The Supreme Court held that “hearing officers lack subject matter jurisdiction to determine issues of constitutionality.” Albe v. Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation, 97-0014, p. 1 (La.10/21/97); 700 So.2d 824, 825. On rehearing, the Supreme Court remanded this . case to this Court “for appeal of the non-constitutional issues.” Clark v. Schwegmann Giant Supermarket, 97-0581 (La.11/21/97); 701 So.2d 1324. We must also consider the effect of Clark’s answer to the appeal. Because of the difficulty of sorting out all of these issues, we have elected to consider the effect of Clark’s answer first, and then address each of the compensation judge’s enumerated findings in the judgment in sequential order. Any issues- or assignments of error not disposed of in this manner will be considered immediately following the discussion of the twelfth (final) finding of the compensation judgment.

CLARK’S ANSWER TO THE APPEAL

The plaintiff in his answer to the defendant’s appeal raises four issues only: (1) “the Judgment of the Trial Court ... was proper in ruling in favor of the plaintiff and finding that the defendant is arbitrary and capricious and owes the defendant attorney fees in the amount of $9,500.00 for their failure to accept proof of dependency of the minor child upon the claimant”; (2) a request for an increase |4in “attorney’s fees to Appellee for further work done by counsel on appeal”; (3) “Plaintiff further wishes to raise as an additional issue the failure of the OWCA in definings of disability”; (4) a request for a writ of mandamus for a medical examination.

The first of the four issues raised by Clark in his appellate answer and enumerated above contains no request for a modification, revision, reversal or demand for compensation benefits, but is merely a statement in support of the judgment below. An appellee may assert any argument in support of the judgment supported by the record without the necessity of appealing or answering the appeal. LSA-C.C.P. art. 2133B. This issue is discussed below as the ninth numbered finding of the compensation judgment.

The second of claimant’s four issues raised in his appellate answer, his request for additional attorney fees in consideration of this appeal, is addressed as part of this Court’s consideration of the compensation judge’s ninth enumerated finding. The third issue raised by Clark in his appellate answer, which concerns “the failure of the OWCA in its definings of disability,” seems to constitute a complaint about a reason for judgment rather than a complaint about anything ordered by the judgment. It does not seek “to have the judgment modified, revised, or reversed in part or ... [demand] damages.” LSA-C.C.P. art. 2133A. It, therefore, does not [141]*141constitute an item of relief which may be demanded by way of an answer to an appeal. Utley — James of Louisiana, Inc., Dept. Of Facility Planning and Control v. State, Div. of Admin., 94-2504, p. 2 (La. App. 1 Cir. 10/6/95); 671 So.2d 473, 474, footnote 2. The purpose of the answer is to request some modification, revision, or reversal of the judgment or a demand for damages. | ¡¡Id. Reasons for judgment are relevant only insofar as they might bear on the merits of the requested modification, revision, reversal, or demand for damages. Moreover, there is no requirement that the reason for the requested modification, revision or reversal be stated in the answer. It is both necessary and sufficient that the desired modification, revision or reversal be requested, but the reasons need not be incorporated in the answer. The trial court’s reasons for judgment form no part of the judgment. Id.

The fourth and final issue raised by Clark in his appellate answer is his request for a writ of mandamus ordering that he be given a medical examination. This issue is addressed at the end of this opinion as the second and last of the “Additional Assignments of Error.”

An answer to an appeal and an appeal may serve an equivalent function, but they are not interchangeable.

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Bluebook (online)
740 So. 2d 137, 96 La.App. 4 Cir. 2301, 1999 La. App. LEXIS 58, 1999 WL 25577, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clark-v-schwegmann-giant-supermarket-lactapp-1999.