Daigle v. Guinchard

208 So. 2d 11, 1968 La. App. LEXIS 5374
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 4, 1968
DocketNo. 7250
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 208 So. 2d 11 (Daigle v. Guinchard) 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
Daigle v. Guinchard, 208 So. 2d 11, 1968 La. App. LEXIS 5374 (La. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

LOTTINGER, Judge.

This case is before us on the question of quantum alone, liability having been stipulated by all of the defendants. Ulysse Daigle, Jr., minor son of appellee, was seriously injured as a result of an intersectional collision in October, 1965, in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

After the accident, he was taken to a doctor’s office in Donaldsonville where emergency first aid treatment was administered. He was subsequently taken to Charity Hospital in New Orleans whereupon he was rushed into an examining room. [12]*12As a result of the accident, young Daigle suffered a linear skull fracture, partial traumatic amputation of all the toes of his right foot and a laceration across the tip of his right foot, termed a “skin flap”. It was necessary for young Daigle to remain in the hospital from October 24 until November 8, 1965. He was semi-conscious for four days following the accident. It was necessary that he be fed intravenously for the first two and one-half days. After leaving the hospital it was necessary that young Daigle see a local doctor daily for about one week, and also necessary that he return to Charity Hospital for examination and treatment. For two weeks following the accident, he was bothered with double vision and during his period of convalescence, he had daily headaches. This accident happened on October 24, 1965, and it was not until mid-December, 1965, that young Daigle was able to put any pressure on his foot.

The record points out that Ulysse Daigle, Jr. was born on June 24, 1949. At the time of the accident, he was in the ninth grade. This sixteen year old youngster enjoyed participating in sports, and played little league baseball for two years. His parents owned a small grocery store, and he helped them in it. He also worked part time in the cane fields and in cutting lawns.

Because of the necessary absence from school occasioned by his injury, young Daigle failed the ninth grade. He became extremely sensitive about the appearance of his foot. Because of his embarrassment, he rarely plays with his younger brother and sisters, and works less frequently in his parents’ store.

The lone physician who testified assigned a 30% disability as to the foot. The doctor further testified that the amputation sites would remain mildly tender, and that this would be permanent, young Daigle would have difficulty walking on uneven surfaces, and though he would not have acute pain, he would occasion some discomfort after a prolonged period of time, and this discomfort would be more than the average person.

The Trial Court awarded judgment in favor of Ulysse Daigle, as Administrator of and on behalf of the estate of his minor son, Ulysse Daigle, Jr., in the amount of $12,500.00, together with legal interest from date of judicial demand plus an expert witness fee of $75.00 for the doctor who testified. It further awarded Ulysse Daigle, individually, the sum of $841.95 for special damages. From this judgment, defendants-appellants, Gus Guinchard, Jr., New Amsterdam Casualty Company and The Travelers Insurance Company, have appealed, and the plaintiff has answered the appeal seeking an increase in the award of $12,-500.00 for and on behalf of the estate of Ulysse Daigle, Jr. and also an increase in the expert witness fee.

Defendants-appellants strongly argue that the amount awarded by the Trial Court for pain and suffering is clearly an abuse of discretion on the part of the Trial Judge.

Appellants rely heavily on the case of Larned v. Wallace, 146 So.2d 434, 440, La. App. 3rd Cir. (1962), writs denied, wherein:

“Plaintiff suffered a compound, com-minuted fracture of the bones of the left great toe requiring that it be amputated through the metatarsal phalangeal joint. Subsequently a small amount of skin grafting was performed to promote faster healing. About 6 months after the injury the foot had to be reoperated and small pieces of dead bone removed because a small draining sinus had persisted in part of the amputation scar.
“Plaintiff spent a total of 37 days in the hospital and was on crutches about 2 months. He was finally discharged by the doctors 10 months after the accident. At the time of his discharge, the only [13]*13residual effects of the injury were a small area of anesthesia at the amputation site and a sensation of imbalance in walking. However, it was the opinion of the doctors that the plaintiff would in time overcome the imbalance. The permanent disability to the foot was estimated at about 18%.”

The Court in Larned v. Wallace, supra, fixed the award for pain, suffering and disability at $5,000.00 and used Treadaway v. Marphis, 73 So.2d 215, La.App. 4th Cir. (1954) where the award was for $4,000.00 and injuries consisted of fractures of the lower leg and ankle, causing muscles to become atrophied and requiring prolonged orthopedic treatments to obtain only partial use of the ankle; Plaisance v. Pellerin, 102 So.2d 499, La.App. 1st Cir. (1958), wherein plaintiff was awarded $6,000.00 for severe injury to a knee which resulted in 25% permanent loss of use of the leg; and Brantly v. City of Baton Rouge, 98 So.2d 824, La.App. 1st Cir. (1957), where a 50 year old lady was awarded $2,500.00 when she suffered a 10% permanent disability as a result of traumatic arthritis of the ankle and foot, as its guides in fixing such an award.

In seeking to have the award for pain, suffering and disability increased, plaintiff cites Green v. American Home Assurance Company, 169 So.2d 213, La.App.2d Cir. (1964) and Larned v. Wallace, supra. In the Green case, the Court awarded a married woman, who has sustained numerous cuts, bruises, and contusions over the body, loss of a portion of the left big toe, the fracture of several bones of the foot, and was rendered unconscious, the sum of $7,500.00. In citing both Green v. American Home Assurance Company, supra, and Larned v. Wallace, supra, plaintiff contends that the injuries young Daigle received are much more severe than those received by the plaintiffs in the above two cases.

Plaintiff has cited several cases, to-wit: McMillan v. Phillips, 194 So.2d 161, La. App. 2d Cir. (1967), wherein injuries consisted of a comminuted fracture of the left fibula and a fracture of the right knee cap; Freeman v. Liberty Mutual Company, 175 So.2d 659, La.App. 1st Cir. (1965), here there was injury to an ankle and foot; Daigle v. Hardware Dealers Mutual Fire Ins. Co., 165 So.2d 643, La.App. 1st Cir. (1964), wherein the orthopedist who attended the plaintiff characterized the injury as “a very severe foot injury”; and Christ v. State, 161 So.2d 322, La.App. 3rd Cir. (1964); which was also a foot injury case. These cases cited by the plaintiff deal primarily with injuries to a foot or angle, and are not limited to a toe or several toes. We therefore feel that these cases are not appropriate.

The plaintiff has most correctly brought to our attention that under Gaspard v. LeMaire, 245 La. 239, 158 So.2d 149 (1963) and Ballard v. National Indemnity Corporation, 246 La. 963, 169 So.2d 64 (1964), the “Doctrine of Uniformity” has been discarded in Louisiana. In conformity with the above, and with the pronouncement of the Supreme Court in the Ballard case, wherein at 169 So.2d 64, 67, the Court stated:

“On appeal, if the appellate court affirms the lower court and

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208 So. 2d 11, 1968 La. App. LEXIS 5374, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/daigle-v-guinchard-lactapp-1968.