Delahoussaye v. Madere

733 So. 2d 679, 1999 WL 214942
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 14, 1999
Docket98-CA-1033
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 733 So. 2d 679 (Delahoussaye v. Madere) 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
Delahoussaye v. Madere, 733 So. 2d 679, 1999 WL 214942 (La. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

733 So.2d 679 (1999)

Howard J. DELAHOUSSAYE
v.
Cynthia MADERE, et al.

No. 98-CA-1033.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

April 14, 1999.

*681 Christopher J. Fransen, A. Remy Fransen, Jr., Fransen & Hardin, New Orleans, Louisiana, Attorney for Plaintiff/Appellant.

Raymond G. Hoffman, Jr., Metairie, Louisiana, Attorney for Defendant/Appellee.

Panel composed of Judges CHARLES GRISBAUM, Jr., EDWARD DUFRESNE, and THOMAS F. DALEY.

DALEY, Judge.

This is an appeal by the plaintiff, Howard Delahoussaye, in this personal injury lawsuit, which stems from a multi car accident. For reasons assigned, we affirm in part and reverse in part.

FACTS:

On November 23, 1993, Howard Delahoussaye, traveling northbound on Power Boulevard, was stopped behind a car driven by Ro Ann Meyer. Ms. Maureen Belcher, driving immediately behind Mr. Delahoussaye, had also come to a stop. Ms. Belcher was struck in the rear by a car driven by Cynthia Madere, which propelled her car into Mr. Delahoussaye's car. Mr. Delahoussaye's car was pushed into the rear of Ms. Meyer's car.

Mr. Delahoussaye filed suit against the following parties:

(1) Ms. Meyer and her insurer, Hartford Insurance Company;
(2) Ms. Belcher and her insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company;
(3) Ms. Madere and her insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company;
(4) Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, (Liberty Mutual), which provided uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for the vehicle Mr. Delahoussaye was driving at the time of the accident;
(5) Prudential Property & Casualty Insurance Company, (Prudential), the uninsured/under insured motorist *682 carrier on the car Mr. Delahoussaye's usually drives.[1]

Prior to trial, Mr. Delahoussaye settled with State Farm in its capacity as Ms. Belcher's insurer for $90,000.00. Ms. Belcher had a $100,000.00 policy with State Farm. He also settled with State Farm as Ms. Madere's insurer for the $10,000.00 policy limit. Ms. Meyer and Hartford were dismissed from the suit. Prudential denied coverage, claiming the car which plaintiff was driving was a rental car, and uninsured motorist coverage was only extended to the named insured, a spouse, and a resident relative. Prudential concluded that since Mr. Delahoussaye was neither, there was no coverage. Liberty Mutual made a non-binding tender of $40,000.00 to plaintiff pursuant to McDill v. Utica Mutual Insurance Co., 475 So.2d 1085 (La.1985). On January 22 and 23, 1998, trial was held against Liberty Mutual and Prudential.

At trial, Mr. Delahoussaye testified that he was stopped in traffic at the bottom of the Interstate 10 overpass on Power Boulevard, when the vehicle he was driving was struck in the rear. He felt two impacts, with the first being the most severe. At the time of the accident, Mr. Delahoussaye was living with Ms. Anita Fontenot. Ms. Fontenot owned a 1992 Lincoln Continental Town Car, which was insured with Prudential. Although Ms. Fontenot is the named insured on the policy, Mr. Delahoussaye was listed as a licensed driver residing at the residence of the insured. On November 22, 1993, Mr. Delahoussaye brought Ms. Fontenot's Town Car to Lamarque Lincoln Mercury for repairs. He obtained 1993 Town Car from Lamarque to use while the Fontenot car was being serviced. Mr. Delahoussaye explained that he and Ms. Fontenot had previously purchased cars from Lamarque and part of the dealership agreement was that another Town Car would be provided for the customer's use when their own car was being serviced. Although he never paid Lamarque for the use of the 1993 Town Car, he signed a document entitled "rental agreement," when obtaining the car he was driving at the time of the accident.

Ms. Dee Sattler, an employee of Lamarque Lincoln Mercury, testified that when Ms. Fontenot's car was brought in for warranty work, a loaner car was given to Mr. Delahoussaye to use. She filled out the document entitled "rental agreement" in order for Mr. Delahoussaye to use the loaner car. Mr. Delahoussaye was not billed for the use of this car; rather, Lamarque was reimbursed by Ford Motor Company.

Deputy Alan Welch of the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office testified that he investigated the accident of November 23, 1993. He concluded that Ms. Madere was at fault in causing the accident.

Ms. Madere was called by the plaintiff to testify. She stated that as she was coming down the overpass, she slammed on her brakes when she noticed the vehicles in front of her were stopped. She slid into Ms. Belcher's vehicle, which was stopped, but she was unsure if the Belcher vehicle struck plaintiffs car at the same time.

Ms. Belcher's deposition was introduced into evidence. She testified that she was stopped at the time she was struck by the Madere vehicle. This impact pushed her into Mr. Delahoussaye's car.

Mr. Delahoussaye testified that he experienced a "stiff feeling" in his back at the scene of the 1993 accident. The day after the accident, Mr. Delahoussaye sought treatment from Dr. William Berman, a chiropractor, for neck and back pain. He also sought treatment from Dr. Bruce Razza, an orthopedist, shortly after the accident. Mr. Delahoussaye was treated with *683 massage therapy, pain medications, antiinflammatory medications, and exercises for complaints of pain in the thoracic and lumbar areas of his back. He also received nerve blocks in his back. He spent a week at the Florida Spine Institute in an attempt to obtain relief from his pain. His condition did not improve, and he developed headaches. Mr. Delahoussaye became depressed. Due to the pain and depression, he was unable to do things he had done prior to the accident, or participate in outings with Ms. Fontenot and their young daughter. In March 1996, Ms. Fontenot left Mr. Delahoussaye, ending their 18-year cohabitation.

Mr. Delahoussaye stated that he did not have problems with his thoracic and lumbar spine prior to the 1993 accident. At the time of trial, Mr. Delahoussaye stated that he continued to have severe pain in these areas. Dr. Razza recommended surgery for these complaints, but Mr. Delahoussaye explained that he was afraid of the surgery and will live without the surgery as long as he can stand the pain.

Mr. Delahoussaye testified that in 1985 he sustained injuries in another accident which resulted in him undergoing five surgical procedures on his neck. He was rendered disabled from his job as a horse trainer, but continued to attended horse races and traveled to horse sales where he bought and sold horses. Following these surgeries, he remained under the care of Dr. Razza, and Dr. Berman, for occasional pain and stiffness.

Ms. Anita Fontenot testified that she lived with Mr. Delahoussaye from May 1978 until March 1996. She stated that prior to the 1993 accident, she and Mr. Delahoussaye had a "reasonable" lifestyle. He suffered from pain in the neck and shoulders prior to the 1993 accident; however, after the 1993 accident, he suffered from low back pain and became depressed. She testified that Mr. Delahoussaye did not want to participate in activities or outings with her and their daughter. He also lost interest in horse racing and no longer attended horse sales. Ms. Fontenot was unhappy with the relationship because of Mr. Delahoussaye's lack of participation, so she left their home.

Dr. Bruce Razza, who was accepted by the court as an expert in orthopedic surgery, testified that he treated Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
733 So. 2d 679, 1999 WL 214942, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/delahoussaye-v-madere-lactapp-1999.