Ferguson v. Burkett

454 So. 2d 413
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 10, 1984
Docket83-810
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 454 So. 2d 413 (Ferguson v. Burkett) 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
Ferguson v. Burkett, 454 So. 2d 413 (La. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

454 So.2d 413 (1984)

Huey Allen FERGUSON, Thomas Huey Ferguson & Mrs. Thomas Huey Ferguson, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
Don M. BURKETT, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 83-810.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

August 10, 1984.

Gordon, Bailey & Associates, Jack M. Bailey, and Walker, Feazel & Tooke, Barry G. Feazel, Shreveport, for plaintiffs-appellants.

Edward Chevallier, Many, Dewey E. Burchett, Jr. of Thomas & Burchett, Bossier City, for defendant-appellee.

Before DOMENGEAUX, FORET and DOUCET, JJ.

*414 DOUCET, Judge.

Plaintiffs, Huey Allen Ferguson and his parents Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Huey Ferguson, brought this action against an attorney, defendant Don M. Burkett, who represented Huey after he was involved in an automobile accident resulting in death to another driver. Huey was subsequently charged with negligent homicide. The Fergusons contend the condition of the highway contributed to the accident. Mr. Burkett acted as counsel for the Fergusons up until the date on which Huey was scheduled for a hearing whereupon Mr. Burkett allegedly informed plaintiffs he wished to be relieved of representation responsibility and suggested Huey plead guilty to the charge. Pursuant to counsel's advice, Huey pled guilty and was sentenced to one year imprisonment.

Thereafter, plaintiffs aver, Mr. Burkett turned his attention to representation of the surviving widow and children of the victim of the accident. The plaintiffs responded to Burkett's change of allegiance by filing suit against him seeking damages claimed to have arisen from the attorney's failure to pursue a cause of action against the State as custodian of highways, since prescribed, and, additionally, damages were sought by the parents for loss of consortium of their son.

Plaintiffs' allegations against defendant are summarized in their petition as follows:

"A. Failing to preserve evidence for the defense of his client against possible criminal charges and/or the prosecution of his civil action;
B. Failing to give his individual allegiance to his client after having been retained by him and after having received his confidence;
C. Permitting the disclosure of and the wrongful use of confidential information conveyed to him by his client in consideration of the privileged attorney-client relationship;
D. In acting for both his client, HUEY ALLEN FERGUSON, and for another whose interest was adverse to or conflicting with that of HUEY ALLEN FERGUSON in the same matter;
E. Failing to meet the standards of professional expertise as required by the circumstances of his legal representation of HUEY ALLEN FERGUSON;
F. Failing to properly apprise his client to his rights of a civil action;
G. Failing to have the best interest of his client, HUEY ALLEN FERGUSON, in mind when advising him to plead guilty to a charge of negligent homicide;
H. Failing to preserve the rights of his client to a civil action by interrupting prescription of that right;
I. Failing to advise his client of his probable defenses to a negligent homicide charge.
J. Failing to exercise his duty of reasonable care, ordinary skill, and knowledge in the conduct of his client's affairs."

Your petitioners allege that as a result of the fault of the petitioners, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Huey Ferguson, itemized their damages as follows:

"A.   Loss of Love              $10,000.00
 B.   Loss of companionship     $10,000.00
 C.   Loss of affection         $10,000.00
 D.   Loss of society           $10,000.00
 E.   Loss of comfort           $10,000.00
 F.   Loss of solace            $10,000.00
 G.   Loss of services          $10,000.00
                                __________
      Total Damages             $70,000.00"

Appellants made no claim for damages directly resulting from breach of contract. Instead, they made only tort claims for loss of consortium.

The defendant responded with an Exception of No Cause and No Right of Action vis-a-vis the parents claim. The trial court found the parents had no legally recognizable claim for loss of consortium of their incarcerated, major son and the exceptions were sustained. The parents now appeal.

Appellants assign the following specifications of error:

*415 1. The trial court made a manifest error in failing to recognize the right of plaintiffs, THOMAS HUEY FERGUSON and MRS. THOMAS HUEY FERGUSON, to a cause of action under Article 2315 for loss of consortium.
2. The trial court made a manifest error in deciding that because the substance of Act 202 of the 1982 Legislature was added to Article 2315 in a separate paragraph, it provided a "new" right to recovery.
3. The trial court made a manifest error in deciding to refuse to allow plaintiffs/appellants' claim to be heard on the grounds that to do so might cause other claims to be fraudulently brought.
4. The trial court erred in failing to make retroactive application of Act 202 of the 1982 Louisiana Legislature on the grounds that the legislature did not specifically provide for retroactive application.
5. The trial court erred in placing the rights of a "private-citizen tort offender" above the rights of the victim of the tort.

The trial judge addressed all of the issues raised by appellants in his thorough opinion on the exception, which we incorporate herein below as our own:

"Defendant herein, Don M. Burkett, has filed Exceptions herein, contending that the petition herein disclosed no cause of action on the part of plaintiff, Thomas Huey Ferguson and Mrs. Thomas Huey Ferguson, parents of their co-plaintiff, Huey Allen Ferguson; and, that said Thomas Huey Ferguson and wife have no right of action in the present cause against defendant.

"The basis of all the plaintiffs' claims herein is the alleged legal malpractice of the defendant in his representation of plaintiff, Huey Allen Ferguson, in connection with a criminal, negligent homicide proceedings; and, in the undertaking by the defendant to also represent certain survivors of the victim of the alleged negligent homicide in a subsequent civil proceeding against Huey Allen Ferguson for damages. Plaintiff, Huey Allen Ferguson, allegedly on the advice of the defendant, pled guilty to negligent homicide and was subsequently given a suspended sentence and placed on supervised probation for five (5) years, with a special condition of probation that he serve one year in the Sabine Parish Jail, commencing March 15, 1982. The petition herein does not allege the status or outcome of the civil suit against Huey Allen Ferguson and there is nothing in the record about that suit, except plaintiffs' allegation in their petition that the suit was filed and served upon plaintiff, Huey Allen Ferguson.

"The damages claimed by Thomas Huey Ferguson and wife are set forth in Paragraph XXXV. of the Petition herein. In essence, they claim damages in the total amount of Seventy Thousand and 00/100 ($70,000.00) Dollars for loss of consortium with their son, due to the injuries and damages allegedly suffered by their son and co-plaintiff as an alleged result of the alleged legal malpractice of defendant. They claim Ten Thousand and 00/100 ($10,000.00) Dollars each for loss of love, companionship, affection, society, comfort, solace, and, services.

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Bluebook (online)
454 So. 2d 413, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ferguson-v-burkett-lactapp-1984.