Dupre v. LA RETAILERS ASS'N SELF-INSURERS

509 So. 2d 608
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 13, 1987
Docket85-854
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 509 So. 2d 608 (Dupre v. LA RETAILERS ASS'N SELF-INSURERS) 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
Dupre v. LA RETAILERS ASS'N SELF-INSURERS, 509 So. 2d 608 (La. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

509 So.2d 608 (1987)

Robert D. DUPRE, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
The LOUISIANA RETAILERS ASSOCIATION SELF-INSURERS FUND, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 85-854.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

May 13, 1987.
Writ Denied September 21, 1987.

Allen, Gooch, etc., Sera H. Russell, III, Lafayette, for defendant-appellant.

John Saunder and John Larry Vidrine, Ville Platte, for plaintiff-appellee.

Before GUIDRY, LABORDE, KNOLL and KING, JJ., and PAVY, J. Pro Tem.[*]

KING, Judge.

The issues presented by this appeal are the correctness of the trial court's entry and amendment of a preliminary judgment and the trial court's award of worker's compensation benefits, penalties and attorney's fees to the claimant.

Robert D. Dupre (hereinafter referred to as plaintiff) filed suit on December 12, 1983 seeking worker's compensation benefits against The Louisiana Retailers Association *609 Self-Insurers Fund (hereinafter referred to as defendant), the worker's compensation insurance carrier for "The Outdoorsman," a retail sporting goods store, located in Lafayette, Louisiana. After defendant was cited and served and failed to timely answer the suit, plaintiff took a preliminary judgment, pursuant to LSA-R.S. 23:1316, on January 13, 1984. Thereafter, defendant answered the suit and moved to set the matter for trial. Defendant appealed to the Third Circuit, Louisiana Court of Appeal from the entry of the preliminary judgment and the appeal was dismissed since it was an interlocutory decree. Dupre v. The Louisiana Retailers Association Self-Insurer's Fund, (La.App. 3 Cir.1984) (Our Docket Number 84-221 rendered on April 13, 1984.) Plaintiff moved to amend the preliminary judgment to include unpaid medical expenses and this motion was heard and granted on October 3, 1984 and a judgment was signed on October 4, 1984. Defendant applied for supervisory writs to the Third Circuit, Louisiana Court of Appeal from the granting of this motion and this writ was denied. Dupre v. The Louisiana Retailers Association Self-Insurer's Fund, (La.App. 3 Cir. 1985) (Our Docket Number 84-1114 rendered on January 9, 1985). Defendant then applied to the Louisiana Supreme Court for supervisory writs from the denial of its writ application and the writs were denied. Dupre v. The Louisiana Retailers Association Self-Insurer's Fund, 462 So.2d 1241 (La.1985). After the completion of the trial on the merits, the trial court ruled that plaintiff was in the course and scope of his employment when he was injured; that plaintiff was totally and permanently disabled within the meaning of the Louisiana Worker's Compensation statute; and that defendant was arbitrary and capricious in failing to properly investigate the claim and in failing to pay worker's compensation. The trial court awarded plaintiff worker's compensation benefits in the amount of $204.00 per week for an indefinite time during his disability and also awarded plaintiff penalties and attorney's fees for defendant's arbitrary failure to pay worker's compensation benefits.

Defendant appeals alleging that:
(1) The trial court erred in issuing a preliminary judgment herein;
(2) The trial court erred in amending the preliminary judgment after answer had been filed and after defendant had moved for a trial date;
(3) The trial court erred in holding that plaintiff was in the course of his employment when attacked and injured by an unknown third-party assailant;
(4) The trial court erred in holding plaintiff's injuries arose out of plaintiff's employment;
(5) The trial court erred in holding that plaintiff was disabled; and
(6) The trial court erred in awarding penalties and attorney's fees.

For the reasons hereinafter set forth we affirm in part and reverse in part the trial court judgment and render judgment dismissing plaintiff's claim.

FACTS

Plaintiff was the owner/manager of a retail establishment located in the Acadiana Mall in Lafayette, Louisiana, called "The Outdoorsman." Plaintiff went to the location of "The Outdoorsman", in the Acadiana Mall in Lafayette, Louisiana, at the end of the workday at approximately 10:00 o'clock P.M. on December 14, 1982. It was customary for plaintiff to collect and account for all of the day's receipts, place them in the trunk of his car, and then return in his car late in the evening to his home in Point Blue, Louisiana. The next banking day, during ordinary banking hours, plaintiff would take the business receipts to a nearby bank and deposit them. On the evening of his alleged injury, plaintiff left "The Outdoorsman" with the business receipts, locked them in the trunk of his car, left the business, and stopped at a Lafayette restaurant for a quick meal before returning to his home in Point Blue. After finishing his meal, plaintiff was on his way home when he again stopped, this time at a bar on the highway. At the bar, plaintiff used the restroom and then had a *610 couple of drinks. Plaintiff testified that he generally discussed his business and its location with the bartender. As plaintiff was leaving the bar to get into his car, someone attacked him, beating him severely. Plaintiff testified that someone shouted "Hey, Outdoorsman" immediately before the attack. Plaintiff had no other knowledge of the attack because he was knocked unconscious by his attacker. The attack had nothing to do with the business receipts that plaintiff had in the trunk of his car and plaintiff stated that no one in the bar knew of the existence of the business receipts in the trunk of his car because he had not discussed it with anyone in the bar. Plaintiff stated that he had not been robbed, even after he had been beaten and knocked unconscious. Plaintiff received a serious injury to his jaw which required surgery. He subsequently developed a form of neurosis preventing him from working, according to the psychologist testifying at trial.

PRELIMINARY JUDGMENT

Defendant contends in its first assignment of error that the trial court should not have entered a preliminary judgment as its adjuster had obtained an oral extension of time from plaintiff's attorney within which to file an answer. Plaintiff's attorney testified he had no recollection of granting such an extension and such extension, if granted, was not confirmed in writing.

Defendant in effect contends that the preliminary judgment should not have been entered because of the action of the plaintiff's attorney in agreeing to grant an extension of time to the adverse party to file responsive pleadings. See e.g. Allstate Ins. Co. v. Toups, 486 So.2d 304 (La.App. 3 Cir.1986), writ den., 489 So.2d 917 (La. 1986). We do not find that the trial court was manifestly in error or clearly wrong in not finding such an agreement from the evidence.

A preliminary judgment may be obtained on the basis of the facts set forth in a verified petition without the necessity of proof. For its rendition no proof is required except as to the fact of delay. Bickford v. Lutz, 339 So.2d 1268 (La.App. 1 Cir.1976); Walden v. Collins, 262 So.2d 848 (La.App. 2 Cir.1972); Hill v. Southern Advance Bag & Paper Co., 151 So. 241 (La.App. 1 Cir.1933). There is no question of fact that an answer was not timely filed by defendant. Therefore, we find that the trial court properly entered a preliminary judgment in this matter.

Plaintiff filed a worker's compensation action against the defendant on December 12, 1983.

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Bluebook (online)
509 So. 2d 608, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dupre-v-la-retailers-assn-self-insurers-lactapp-1987.