Garvin v. Perret

670 So. 2d 1250, 1996 WL 78342
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 14, 1996
Docket95-CA-217
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 670 So. 2d 1250 (Garvin v. Perret) 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
Garvin v. Perret, 670 So. 2d 1250, 1996 WL 78342 (La. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

670 So.2d 1250 (1996)

Fred GARVIN
v.
George PERRET, & Charles Stone.

No. 95-CA-217.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

February 14, 1996.
Writ Denied May 10, 1996.

*1251 Ira J. Rosenzweig, New Orleans, for plaintiff-appellee, Fred Garvin.

G. Dwayne Maricle, Metairie, for defendant-appellant, Aetna Insurance.

Paul A. Bonin, New Orleans, for defendant-appellant, Charles Stone.

Before GOTHARD and CANNELLA, JJ., and CHEHARDY, J., Pro Tem.

SUSAN M. CHEHARDY, Judge, Pro Tempore.

In this workers' compensation matter, the appellants, the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company and Charles Stone, are appealing the August 30, 1994 judgment finding that claimant, Fred Garvin, was injured on September 12, 1991 during the course and scope of his employment with Sal Napolitano, George Perret and Roxanne Dodgen; that the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, George Perret, and Roxanne Dodgen were arbitrary and capricious in their refusal to pay benefits; and, that defendants were therefore liable for penalties and attorneys' fees. The judgment further denied a Peremptory Exception of Prescription and a Motion for Involuntary Dismissal. For the following reasons, we amend in part and affirm as amended.

Plaintiff was injured while working at Jefferson Downs as a groom/hot walker. In order to be employed at the track, plaintiff had to obtain a license each year from the Louisiana State Racing Commission and be placed on a "worklist" at the track. Sal Napolitano, whose workers' compensation insurer was the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, placed plaintiff on his worklist and secured plaintiff's license with the Louisiana State Racing Commission on July 24, 1991. The license was signed by Napolitano, Garvin and the owners of the track, and indicated that Napolitano was Garvin's employer. At the hearing before the Workers' Compensation Hearing Hearing Officer, plaintiff testified that his agreement with Napolitano was that he could work for other horse owners or trainers.

Thereafter, plaintiff came to an agreement with defendant, Charles Stone, to work for him at a rate of $150.00 per week. Plaintiff began work for Stone on September 9, 1991. On September 12, 1991 while in Stone's employ, plaintiff was approached by defendant, George Perret, and asked to school a horse named O'Hara's Secret owned by defendant, Roxanne Dodgen. Perret paid Garvin $5.00 for this work. While schooling O'Hara's Secret, the horse became spooked and trampled plaintiff. Plaintiff was hospitalized and received extensive medical treatment. Plaintiff *1252 was neither placed on Stone or Perret's worklists, nor did they carry workers' compensation insurance.

Plaintiff filed a workers' compensation claim against Perret and his daughter, Roxanne Dodgen, in 1992 and Charles Stone in 1993. Napolitano and his insurer, Aetna, were brought into the action on April 5, 1994.

A hearing was held on June 27, 1994. Judgment was rendered on August 31, 1994, after the case was left open for the plaintiff to file a certified or verified copy of his medical report. In her judgment, the hearing officer determined that plaintiff was injured during the course and scope of his employment with Napolitano (the work list carrier), Perret (the horse trainer) and Dodgen (the horse owner). She found Napolitano to be the borrowed employer. She also found that Aetna, Perret and Dodgen were arbitrary and capricious in refusing to pay compensation. The hearing officer determined plaintiff's wages to be $155.00 per week and awarded $2,000.00 in penalties and $2,000.00 in attorney fees.

The judgment does not dismiss defendant Charles Stone. Neither does the judgment state whether the plaintiff was found permanently or temporarily disabled nor whether the disability is total or partial. In reasons for judgment, the hearing officer states plaintiff is permanently disabled, noting that he has a fifth grade education and that plaintiff is seventy years of age. She assessed penalties because there was no contradictory evidence that plaintiff was injured and all of the possible employers refused to pay.

Aetna, Napolitano, and Charles Stone appeal.

On appeal, Aetna asserts four specifications of error. It contends that Napolitano is not the statutory employer of plaintiff, that the action against Napolitano was prescribed, that the trial judge considered improper evidence and that it was not arbitrary and capricious.

Charles Stone contends plaintiff was not his borrowed employee; that plaintiff's injuries did not arise out of the course and scope of his employment with Stone. In addition, Stone argues that he had nothing to do with the hiring of plaintiff by Perret and Dodgen and that when plaintiff was injured he was performing a personal mission for extra money.

Appellant, Aetna, contends in its first assignment of error that the Hearing Officer erred in holding plaintiff to be the statutory employee of Napolitano and the borrowed employee of Perret and Dodgen. The applicable standard of review in worker's compensation cases is a "manifest error— clearly wrong" standard. Alexander v. Pellerin Marble & Granite, 93-1698 (La. 1/14/94), 630 So.2d 706. "The appellate court must determine not whether the trier of fact was right or wrong, but whether the fact finder's conclusion was a reasonable one, after reviewing the record in its entirety." Freeman v. Poulan/Weed Eater, 93-1530 (La. 1/14/94), 630 So.2d 733, 737-38.

Upon review of the entire record of the proceeding in the Office of Workers' Compensation Administration, the Court finds that the Hearing Officer did commit manifest error in finding Napolitano to be the statutory employer of Garvin. In determining statutory employment, the court looks to La.R.S. 23:1061.

"When any person, in this section referred to as the `principal', undertakes to execute any work, which is part of his trade, business or occupation or which he had contracted to perform, and contract with any person, in this section referred to as the `contractor', with the execution by or under the contractor of the whole or any part of the work undertaken by the principal, the principal should be liable to pay any employee employed in the execution of the work or to his dependent, any compensation under this Chapter which he would have been liable to pay if the employee had been immediately employed by him." La.-R.S. 23:1061(A).

La.R.S. 23:1032 provides that workers compensation is the exclusive remedy for injuries suffered by the employee in the course and scope of his employment with his employer or principal or employee of such employer or principal. However, the immunity does not extend to intentional torts or *1253 the employee not in the course and scope of his employment. "Principal" is defined as:

(2) For purposes of this Section, the work "principal" shall be defined as any person who undertakes to execute any work which is a part of his trade, business, or occupation in which he was engaged at the time of the injury, or which he had contracted to perform and contracts with any person for the execution thereof.

Under La.R.S. 23:1061, if the defendant is not the regular employer, but is considered a "principal", then it is a statutory employer and immune from tort liability. However, the statutory employer or, borrowing employer, is solidarily liable with the general employer for workers compensation. La.R.S. 23:1061 B; Barnes v. L.M. Massey, Inc., 612 So.2d 120, 124 (La.App. 1 Cir.1992); Travelers Ins. Co. v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
670 So. 2d 1250, 1996 WL 78342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garvin-v-perret-lactapp-1996.