Favre v. Boh Bros. Construction Co.

90 So. 3d 481, 11 La.App. 5 Cir. 451, 2012 WL 833288, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 308
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 13, 2012
DocketNo. 11-CA-451
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 90 So. 3d 481 (Favre v. Boh Bros. Construction 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
Favre v. Boh Bros. Construction Co., 90 So. 3d 481, 11 La.App. 5 Cir. 451, 2012 WL 833288, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 308 (La. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

MARC E. JOHNSON, Judge.

IsThis appeal arises from the granting of three motions for summary judgment in a motorcycle personal injury case in favor of Defendants/Appellees, Boh Bros. Construction Company, L.L.C. (“Boh Bros”) and its insurer, Illinois National Casualty Company; the State of Louisiana, through the Department of Transportation and Development (“DOTD”) and through the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of the State Police (“DPSC”); and Trooper Daniel Flynn, and against Plaintiffs/Appellants, Kenneth Farve and Pamela Farve, from the 24th Judicial District Court, Division “P”. For the following reasons, we reverse the granting of the summary judgments and remand the matter to the trial court for further proceedings.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On August 29, 2007 at 12:54 a.m., Michael Montero crashed into the crash attenuator and collapsed it at the Causeway Boulevard/I-10 on-ramp. The crash (“Montero accident”) dislodged the reflective diamond that was attached to the crash attenuator. At 11:45 a.m. the same day, Michael Mills, the Project Safety Manager for the I-10/Causeway construction project for Boh Bros., performed a required inspection of the area, noticed the downed crash attenuator, and | ¿completed a report to Larry Henley, the Project Manager for Boh Bros., indicating that the crash attenuator was damaged. In response, Mr. Henley contacted Jack Harper Construction Company, the subcontractor for Boh Bros., to replace the attenuator. However, no repairs to the attenuator were made that day.

Later that same day, at 9:45 p.m., Mr. Farve was traveling in the area and ran into the same attenuator that had been damaged by the Montero accident. Mr. Farve sustained severe injuries requiring skin grafts and surgery to his leg. In his deposition and his traffic crash report, Trooper Larry Mayes stated that Mr. Farve’s motorcycle traveled into the gore area, hit against the crash attenuator’s metal foundation and traveled along the metal rail until it crashed into the crash attenuator, which had been collapsed from the previous crash. Trooper Mayes noted that the crash scene was located in a dimly lit area; all solid white lines were newly painted and highly reflective; there were reflectors located along the length of all the concrete barrier walls; and the reflective diamond for the crash attenuator had been damaged from the previous crash and was located on the right shoulder of the roadway. In addition, Trooper Mayes reported in the “Condition of Driver” section of the traffic crash report that Mr. Farve was drinking alcohol but not impaired. In his deposition, Trooper Mayes testified that Mr. Farve told him that he drank two beers prior to the accident; however, he used his discretion as a law enforcement officer to not enforce a DWI arrest of Mr. Farve.

Appellants filed a petition for damages alleging, among other things, that Appel-lees breached their duties to Mr. Farve by failing to take steps to replace the crash attenuator’s reflective diamond that had been previously damaged and to adequately light the location. On February 2, 2010, DOTD filed a motion for summary judg[484]*484ment asserting that its contract with Boh Bros, provides that it is not responsible for coordination of traffic control devices, and, in the alternative, it is | finot liable for Mr. Farve’s failure to notice clearly demarcated lane striping and reflectors. After taking the matter under advisement, the trial court denied the motion on March 23, 2010. In its written reasons for judgment, the trial court found that a genuine issue of material fact existed as to whether DOTD or Boh Bros, was responsible for the inspection and/or repairs of the crash attenuator in question. Additionally, the trial court found there were genuine issues of material fact regarding DOTD’s responsibilities to remove and/or repair the lighting at the scene of the accident, and whether DOTD is contractually liable for any negligence alleged by Appellants.

On April 6, 2010, Boh Bros, filed a motion for summary judgment asserting: 1) contractor immunity pursuant to LSA-R.S. 9:2771; 2) Mr. Farve caused the accident by driving into the gore area before impacting the already crushed crash attenuator; and, in the alternative, 3) even if the crash attenuator contributed to the accident, it was not remotely close to being negligent in timely replacing the crushed crash attenuator within 31 hours of notification. After taking the matter under advisement, the trial court granted the motion of Boh Bros, at Appellants’ costs on July 1, 2010. In its written reasons for judgment, the trial court found the previously damaged crash attenuator and/or lack of lighting were not the cause of or contributed to Mr. Farve’s accident; Mr. Farve’s actions or inactions were the sole and proximate cause of the accident and his injuries; Boh Bros, was not negligent in causing the accident nor did it breach any duty owed to motorists because it had the proper and required signals in place before and at the time of the accident; and Boh Bros, took the necessary steps to timely replace the previously damaged crash attenuator. On August 6, 2010, Appellants filed their motion a devolutive appeal of the July 1, 2010 judgment.

On September 1, 2010, DOTD re-urged its previous motion for summary | judgment and adopted the trial court’s reasoning in Boh Bros.’ summary judgment that Mr. Farve was solely liable for the accident and his injuries. Subsequently, on September 17, 2010, DPSC filed a motion for summary judgment asserting that discretionary immunity applied to Trooper Flynn, and its alleged failure to replace the dislodged reflective diamond on the crash attenuator had nothing to do with causing or contributing to the accident because Mr. Farve was solely at fault. On January 10, 2011, the trial court granted the motions of DOTD and DPSC at Appellants’ costs. The trial court found that Mr. Farve spent some time at “Bike Night” at the Pit Stop before the accident; the previously damaged crash attenuator and/or lack of lighting were not the causes of or contributors to the accident; Mr. Farve’s actions were the sole and proximate cause of the accident and his injuries; and all of the proper and required signals and traffic controls were in place before and at the time of the accident. Appellants filed a motion for devolutive appeal on January 21, 2011 from the January 10, 2011 trial court judgment.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

On appeal, Appellants raise the following assignments of error: 1) the trial court erred in determining that DOTD was entitled to summary judgment when genuine issues of material fact exists; 2) the trial court erred in determining that Boh Bros, was entitled to summary judgment when genuine issues of material fact exist; 3) the trial court erred in determining that DPSC and Trooper Flynn were entitled to [485]*485summary judgment when genuine issues of material fact exist; and 4) the trial court erred in making a factual determination that Mr. Farve was 100% at fault.

LAW AND ANALYSIS

General Law

Appellate courts review summary judgments de novo, using the same criteria |7that govern the trial court’s consideration of whether summary judgment is appropriate, asking whether there is any genuine issue of material fact, and whether the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. State ex rel. Dept. of Transp, and Development v. Central Gulf Towing, L.L.C., 07-166, 07-167 (La.App. 5 Cir. 10/30/07); 971 So.2d 1163, 1164, writ denied, 07-2304 (La.1/25/08); 973 So.2d 761.

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Bluebook (online)
90 So. 3d 481, 11 La.App. 5 Cir. 451, 2012 WL 833288, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 308, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/favre-v-boh-bros-construction-co-lactapp-2012.