Dietrich v. Allstate Ins. Co.

540 So. 2d 358, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 370, 1989 WL 20591
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 28, 1989
Docket87 CA 1271, 88 CA 0157
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 540 So. 2d 358 (Dietrich v. Allstate Ins. Co.) 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
Dietrich v. Allstate Ins. Co., 540 So. 2d 358, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 370, 1989 WL 20591 (La. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

540 So.2d 358 (1989)

Nita M. DIETRICH
v.
ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY, et al.

Nos. 87 CA 1271, 88 CA 0157.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

February 28, 1989.
Writ Denied April 21, 1989.

Charles R. Moore and Richard McGimsey, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellant, Nita M. Dietrich.

Frank Fertitta, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee, Vinyl Works and U.S.F. & G.

Daniel Atkinson, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee, Marilyn Clark and Allstate Ins. Co.

A. Howell Andrews, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee, Cabana Pool Corp.

Before EDWARDS, SHORTESS, SAVOIE, CRAIN and ALFORD, JJ.

SAVOIE, Judge.

Nita M. Dietrich (plaintiff) suffered spinal injuries and is now a quadriplegic after diving into Marilyn Clark's swimming pool on July 12, 1984. Plaintiff brought suit against Clark and Allstate Insurance Company, Clark's homeowner insurer, alleging negligence and strict liability under LSA-C. C. arts. 2315 and 2317. Cabana Pool Corporation *359 (Cabana), the installer of the pool, and The Vinyl Works Company, the manufacturer of the pool's vinyl liner, were later named as defendants. Plaintiffs alleged negligence and strict liability against them as well. Clark and Allstate Insurance Company moved for summary judgment, as did Cabana, on the grounds that there was no dispute as to any material fact and that, as a matter of law, they were entitled to a dismissal. The trial court dismissed plaintiff's suit as to Clark, Allstate, and Cabana (defendants). (The Vinyl Works Company did not move for summary judgment and is not before this court on appeal.) The court held there was no breach of duty on Clark's part and the cause of the accident was plaintiff's negligence in failing to ascertain that it was safe to dive. It went on to find that the pool was not unreasonably dangerous for its intended use. Plaintiff appeals from this judgment.

The depositions of Clark, Joseph "Jim" Cazes, plaintiff, and John Barksdale, who were all present when the accident occurred, and the deposition of Kandy Bennett, a friend of the plaintiff who was with her prior to the accident, were submitted by defendants in support of their motions for summary judgment. In opposition to the motion for summary judgment, plaintiff submitted an affidavit by Frederick J. Zeretzke, a registered land surveyor who surveyed Clark's pool after the accident to determine the contour of the pool's bottom. Plaintiff also submitted the affidavit of Dr. Alexander Gabrielsen, a private consultant in aquatic safety and pool design.

The facts are as follows. On July 12, 1984, plaintiff went to the Common Point Lounge at about 5:45 p.m., to meet Bennett and Clark, with whom she had been acquainted for some time. Bennett arrived at the Common Point at 6:30 p.m.; Clark arrived between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m., accompanied by Cazes. Clark and Cazes joined the plaintiff for a drink or two, then Cazes went home shortly afterwards.

Clark suggested to plaintiff and the others at the table where they were sitting that they all go over to her residence for a swimming party. Plaintiff accepted; the others declined. Clark made a telephone call to Cazes at his home to invite him as well. Plaintiff called over to John Barksdale, who was at the bar and whom she had met once previously, and invited him to join the party. Plaintiff, Clark, and Barksdale left the Common Point between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m.

Plaintiff estimated that she had five or six glasses of wine and a few hors d'oeuvres while she was at the Common Point. Bennett said that when she arrived at the Common Point, plaintiff was drinking a beer and that while she was with plaintiff, plaintiff probably had three or four glasses of wine. Plaintiff said that when she left the Common Point she was "feeling good"; Bennett said that she and plaintiff were "pretty loaded" when they left, but that plaintiff did not appear to be intoxicated. Barksdale said plaintiff was "very silly acting—not stumbling or falling or anything like that, but ...in a lot more party mood" from when he had met her previously. However, plaintiff, Bennett, and Barksdale all said that the plaintiff had control of herself, and Clark said that the plaintiff never appeared intoxicated.

Clark arrived at her house first and was in the kitchen when Barksdale and plaintiff came in. It is disputed whether plaintiff and Barksdale stopped off to buy beer prior to arriving at Clark's home and whether they brought it into the house. The outdoor light switch was in the utility room just off the kitchen, and Clark had turned the lights on as she walked in. There were three sets of outdoor floodlights for the backyard and pool area; there was also a streetlight which shone into Clark's backyard.

According to Clark and Barksdale, plaintiff commented immediately that there was too much light. Clark testified that she asked everybody to go outside first before she turned off the floodlights so she could check for snakes.[1] Plaintiff, Barksdale, and Clark all walked outside, and Clark jokingly said, "This is the shallow end and *360 this is the deep end." Prior to the accident, plaintiff had been in the backyard pool area approximately nine times during the five years that Clark had the pool. However, plaintiff testified that she had not been in the pool area for a year and a half before the accident until July 4, 1984, when she actually went in the pool for the first time. On July 4, 1984, a little over a week prior to the accident, plaintiff was in the pool for approximately two to three hours in the daytime. During that time, she could not remember drinking any alcoholic beverages; she also never dove into the pool, but simply floated around on a raft. She testified that she knew which end was shallow and which was deep.

Cazes joined the group last. He and Barksdale sat together outside while the women went inside. Cazes had a drink; it is disputed whether the others were each drinking beer. When both women came out of the house, plaintiff was wearing a towel or a robe, and Clark a swimsuit. It is disputed whether Clark was to remove her swimsuit and whether the group was to go skinny-dipping. All four were gathered around a table located near the shallow end of the pool. A diving board was at the deep end. A slide was also on one side of the deep end of the pool. The pool was built in a figure-eight shape; the shallow end was much smaller than the deep end. There was no rope or other device marking the drop-off between deep and shallow water.[2] The shallow end was three feet deep; the drop-off to the deep end was sudden, and the deep end was eight or nine feet deep. Plaintiff testified that she knew there was a drop-off. There were no depth markers on the vinyl underwater liner, there were no warning signs, and there were no underwater lights in the pool.

Barksdale was seated facing the pool; Cazes, opposite him, turned his chair so his back was to the water. Clark was to Cazes' left, plaintiff to his right. Plaintiff was in Clark's line of vision and directly in Barksdale's view. The four were talking and visiting, and some or all were drinking beers.

Shortly after the four had gathered at the table, and at some point before 10:00 p.m., plaintiff left the group and dove into the pool. Cazes was aware that plaintiff walked behind him to go to the pool, but he did not see her approach the pool or dive into it. Clark saw plaintiff dive, but she did not actually see her enter the water. Barksdale saw plaintiff approach the pool but he did not see her dive or enter the water.

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Related

Price v. Exxon Corp.
664 So. 2d 1273 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
Menendez v. Paddock Pool Construction Co.
836 P.2d 968 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1991)
Dietrich v. Allstate Insurance Co.
541 So. 2d 898 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
540 So. 2d 358, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 370, 1989 WL 20591, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dietrich-v-allstate-ins-co-lactapp-1989.