Delphen v. Dept. of Transp. & Dev.

657 So. 2d 328, 1995 WL 315516
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 24, 1995
Docket94-CA-1261
StatusPublished
Cited by64 cases

This text of 657 So. 2d 328 (Delphen v. Dept. of Transp. & Dev.) 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
Delphen v. Dept. of Transp. & Dev., 657 So. 2d 328, 1995 WL 315516 (La. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

657 So.2d 328 (1995)

Robert DELPHEN and Gina M. Delphen
v.
The DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT, State of Louisiana, et al.

No. 94-CA-1261.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 24, 1995.
Rehearing Denied July 20, 1995.

*331 Christopher J. Bruno, Natasha R. Zimmerman, Bruno & Bruno, New Orleans, for Robert Delphen and Gina Delphen.

Iris A. Tate, Wilkerson, Tate & Williams, New Orleans, for State of Louisiana, through Dept. of Transp. and Development.

Michael T. Pulaski, Keith W. McDaniel, Diana L. Tonagel, Pulaski, Gieger & Laborde, New Orleans, for Bridgestone Cycle Co., Ltd.

Before BYRNES, CIACCIO and PLOTKIN, JJ.

BYRNES, Judge.

The State of Louisiana through the Department of Transportation and Development ("DOTD") and Bridgestone Cycle Company, Ltd. ("Bridgestone") appeal a judgment notwithstanding the verdict increasing the apportionment of Bridgestone and DOTD's fault, as well as lowering plaintiff Robert Delphen's[1] fault in a personal injury/product's liability action resulting from a bicycle accident. Plaintiffs, Robert and Gina Delphen, answered the appeal. We reverse in part and render.

The bicycle accident occurred on June 27, 1990, when Robert Delphen borrowed a ten-speed racing bike owned by Amy Newton and which had been stored at her friend's home, where the plaintiffs were residing. Robert Delphen crossed the Chef Menteur drawbridge, and encountered approximately a two-three inch change in elevation on the bridge at the point where the movable swing span joins the fixed portion of the bridge. He was thrown from the bicycle and struck his face on the roadway. As a result he underwent seven operations.

Robert and Gina Delphen filed suit against the DOTD for negligent maintenance of the roadway. They also filed a products liability action against Cleary Bicycle, Moped and Go-Cart Center, Inc., the dealer/seller of the bicycle; Suntour, U.S.A., the alleged distributor of the quick release mechanism on the bicycle; and Bridgestone, the bicycle manufacturer, alleging that the bicycle was defectively designed because it did not have a secondary retention device, which plaintiffs claim is supposed to keep the wheel from separating if the quick release device fails. Plaintiffs also claimed that the manufacturer did not provide adequate warnings. Robert Delphen averred that the front wheel separated from the bicycle before he lost control of the bicycle and was the proximate cause of his injuries. Plaintiffs settled with the seller/dealer and the alleged distributor of the quick release prior to trial.

After trial, the jury found that Bridgestone was 30 percent negligent, DOTD was 45 percent negligent, and Robert Delphen was 25 percent comparatively negligent. The jury's award included the following damages:

     Damages due to plaintiff, Robert Delphen
a) Past & future physical
   pain & suffering                $100,000.00
b) Past & future mental
   pain & anguish                    50,000.00
c) Past & future medical
   expenses                          95,524.52
d) Past & future lost
   wages                             98,000.00
e) Past & future permanent
   injury                            50,000.00
f) Loss of enjoyment of
   life                              20,000.00
                                   ___________
                   Total:          $413,524.52
    Damages due to plaintiff, Gina Delphen
a) Past & future loss of
   consortium                      $ 50,000.00

*332 On February 18, 1994, the trial court entered a judgment adopting the jury verdict with respect to the amount of the damage award. The trial court did not adopt the advisory jury verdict with respect to DOTD's percentage of fault, but amended the amount from 45 to 50 percent. The trial court reduced the assessment of Robert Delphen's fault from 25 to 20 percent.

On April 19, 1994, the trial court granted the plaintiffs' motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, increased Bridgestone's assessment of fault from 30 to 40 percent, and reduced Robert Delphen's fault from 20 to 10 percent. Bridgestone and DOTD appealed, and plaintiffs answered the appeal.

The issues on appeal are whether: (1) the trial court erred in granting a JNOV on the apportionment of fault; (2) the jury instructions were proper; and (3) the damage award was correct.

Bridgestone argues that: (1) the trial court used the wrong JNOV standard to set aside the jury verdict in assessing fault; (2) the trial court failed to provide the correct jury charges; (3) the plaintiffs failed to show that the bicycle was defective or that Bridgestone failed to provide adequate warnings; and (4) the amount of damages was excessive.

DOTD contends that: (1) it did not breach any duty owed to Robert Delphen; (2) that Robert Delphen did not act with reasonable care and his breach of duty was the proximate cause of his injuries; and (3) that the amount of damages is excessive.

Plaintiffs assert that: (1) the trial court applied the proper JNOV standard; (2) the plaintiffs carried their burden of proof established by the Louisiana Products Liability Act; (3) the trial court improperly instructed the jury with respect to Mrs. Delphen's claim for mental anguish; and (4) the damage award should be increased.

A motion for judgment NOV may be granted on the issue of liability or on the issue of damages or on both issues. La. C.C.P. art. 1811(F). When a bifurcated trial results in inconsistent findings by the trial judge and the jury, the appellate court must undertake a de novo review of the record. McCullough v. Regional Transit Authority, 593 So.2d 731 (La.App. 4th Cir.), writ denied, 595 So.2d 655 (La.1992). In addition, without addressing the propriety of the JNOV, misleading jury instructions with respect to the products liability claim require a de novo review of the record with respect to the apportionment of fault. See Nigreville v. Federated Rural Elec. Ins. Co., 93-1202 (La. App. 3d Cir. 7/13/94), 642 So.2d 216, writ denied, 94-2803 (La. 1/27/95), 649 So.2d 384.

A trial court has a duty to instruct the jury only on the law that pertains to the evidence adduced in that particular case. Barnett v. New Orleans Public Service Inc., 489 So.2d 452, 455 (La.App. 4 Cir.1986). To accomplish this duty, the trial court must both require that the jury consider only the correct law and avoid confusing the jury. Guilfore v. D.H. Holmes Co., Ltd., 93-0076 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1/13/94), 631 So.2d 491, writ denied, 94-0376 (La. 4/4/94), 635 So.2d 1125.

BRIDGESTONE—PRODUCTS LIABILITY

In the present case the trial court instructed the jury as follows:

The manufacturer of a product shall be liable to a claimant for damage proximately caused by an unreasonably dangerous product when such damage arose from a reasonably anticipated use of the product by the claimant or another person.... "Reasonably anticipated use" of the product means a use or handling of a product that the product's manufacturer should reasonably expect of an ordinary person in the same or similar circumstances. Normal use includes reasonable, foreseeable misuse, and a manufacturer is obligated to take into account such misuse in designing its product. The age of the product is not of consequence.... The manufacturer is in the best position, economically and technologically, to provide such general protection.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
657 So. 2d 328, 1995 WL 315516, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/delphen-v-dept-of-transp-dev-lactapp-1995.