Fussell v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.

153 So. 2d 911, 1963 La. App. LEXIS 1712
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 3, 1963
DocketNo. 5875
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 153 So. 2d 911 (Fussell v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty 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
Fussell v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 153 So. 2d 911, 1963 La. App. LEXIS 1712 (La. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

HERGET, Judge.

This is a suit by Plaintiffs seeking recovery of damages from defendants John A. Joiner, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, his alleged insurer; Mrs. W. F. Downs, her insurer, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company; and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, the insurer of Plaintiffs’ ve-[912]*912hide. The damages alleged are (1) to Mrs. Elton Fussell for personal injuries sustained, and (2) to her husband, Elton Fussell, for expenses incurred resulting from the injuries to his wife.

On a motion for a summary judgment filed by Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company,, judgment was rendered rejecting Plaintiffs’ demands as to it and dismissing said Defendant from the suit. From this judgment no appeal was taken.

After trial on the merits, for written reasons assigned, judgment was rendered against John A. Joiner in favor of plaintiffs, (1) Mrs. Elton Fussell for $2,000 and in favor of (2) Mr. Elton Fussell for $221.50, both awards bearing legal interest from date of judicial demand until paid. Further, judgment was rendered against the plaintiffs, Mr. and Mrs. Elton Fussell, in favor of Mrs. W. F. Downs, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, rejecting Plaintiffs’ demands and dismissing their suit insofar as said Defendants are concerned.

From the judgment rendered against him, John A. Joiner appealed. Plaintiffs answered Joiner’s appeal seeking an increase in the award of judgment in favor of Mrs. Elton Fussell to the sum of $5,000, and further, praying that the judgment be amended by awarding Plaintiffs-Appellees judgment against defendants, John A. Joiner, Mrs. W. F. Downs, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, in solido. Motions to dismiss the appeal were filed in this Court by Mrs. W. F. Downs, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company predicated on the ground Plaintiffs took no appeal from the judgment dismissing movers from the suit and the appeal taken by the co-defendant, John A. Joiner, does not bring before this Court his alleged in solido co-defendants. In support of the motions to dismiss the appeal, counsel for movers rely on Emmons v. Agricultural Insurance Co., La.App., 150 So.2d 94 wherein the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal concluded an appeal taken by one defendant cast in judgment,, of two defendants sued in solido, had no effect on the alleged co-defendant dismissed from the suit where plaintiff took no appeal from the judgment dismissing the suit as to that defendant and the dismissed defendant under such circumstances was not before the appellate court in the absence of his having filed a third party action against his alleged co-defendant, the appellant. Counsel for movers further refer to the case of Vidrine v. Simoneaux, La.App., 145 So.2d 400, decided by the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. This case held an appeal by a co-defendant sued in solido against whom judgment was rendered effectively brought before the appellate court, as though plaintiff had appealed from the judgment of dismissal, the co-defendant who had been dismissed. Application for writs to the Supreme Court was denied in the Vidrine case; whereas, writs were granted in the Emmons suit but the Supreme Court has not yet heard the matter. In the Emmons case the Appellate Court commented its holding therein was in conflict with, and contrary to, the Vidrine case.

It appears in the Vidrine case a third party action was, in fact, filed by a defendant therein, Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, against the other defendants, Simoneaux and Stelly. Therefore, on the factual issues the Vidrine case is not necessarily in conflict with the holding in the Emmons case. We, however, are of the opinion the decision in either the Emmons, or the Vidrine case does not affect the instant appeal. For, in the matter before us in the instant case, the Plaintiffs have answered the appeal praying (a) for an increase in the award, and (b) that all Defendants be condemned in solido. It appears in the Emmons case no answer to the appeal was filed. The answer in the Vidrine case prayed only for an increase in Lhe [913]*913amount awarded, without attempting to bring in the dismissed co-defendants.

LSA-C.C.P. Art. 2133 defining the necessity for filing and the effect to be accorded an answer by appellee, provides:

“An appellee shall not be obliged to answer the appeal unless he desires to have the judgment modified, revised, or reversed in part or unless he demands damages against the appellant. In such cases, he must file an answer to the appeal, stating the relief demanded, not later than fifteen days after the return day or the lodging of the record, whichever is later. The answer filed by the appellee shall be equivalent to an appeal on his part from mvy portion of the judgment rendered against him and of which he complains in his answer.” (Emphasis supplied)

We, therefore, are of the opinion the answer filed by Plaintiffs to the appeal taken by Joiner is effective to bring before the Court the alleged in solido co-debtors who, by the same judgment appealed from, were dismissed from the suit as alleged in solido debtors.

Accordingly, we are of the opinion the motions to dismiss the appeal, filed by Mrs. Downs, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, must be denied.

We adopt as our own the reasons for judgment of the Trial Court, as follows:

“This is a personal injury action brought by Mrs. Elton Fussell and her husband against John A. Joiner, Mrs. W. F. Downs, and Mrs. Downs’ insurer, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company. Mrs. Fussell was riding as a guest passenger in an automobile belonging to her husband, Elton Fussell, and driven by her daughter, Marie Fussell, at the time of the accident.
“The facts of the case are as follows :
“On August 21,1960, Mrs. Elton Fus-sell was riding in her husband’s automobile, driven by her daughter, as above set forth, which was proceeding in a westerly direction on U.S. Highway 190. Immediately ahead of the Fussell car was a truck owned and operated by John A. Joiner which was also traveling in a westerly direction. The weather was bad. It had been raining very hard, the road was wet and slippery, and at the time of the accident, there was a light rain falling.
“Mr. Joiner came to the road which leads to his house, and proceeded to make a left turn across the east bound lane of traffic, in order to enter same. Mrs. W. F. Downs, who was approaching from the west in an easterly direction was forced to apply her brakes in order to avoid striking Mr. Joiner. Her car went into a spin and skidded into the front end of the Fussell car, causing the injuries of which Mrs. Fus-sell complains.
“The plaintiff claims that her injuries are due to the concurrent negligence of her daughter in following too close behind the Joiner vehicle, Joiner for turning to the left without properly signaling, and Mrs. Downs for traveling too fast and failing to keep a proper lookout. Mrs. Downs contends that Joiner turned suddenly in front of her, forcing her to apply her brakes in order to avoid striking him. She was unable to control her car because of the slippery condition of the road.

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Related

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242 So. 2d 32 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1971)
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215 So. 2d 676 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1969)
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Emmons v. Agricultural Insurance Company
158 So. 2d 594 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1963)

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Bluebook (online)
153 So. 2d 911, 1963 La. App. LEXIS 1712, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fussell-v-united-states-fidelity-guaranty-co-lactapp-1963.