Hanford v. Delta Steamship Lines, Inc.

232 So. 2d 818, 1970 La. App. LEXIS 5505
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 9, 1970
DocketNos. 3862, 3863
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 232 So. 2d 818 (Hanford v. Delta Steamship Lines, Inc.) 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
Hanford v. Delta Steamship Lines, Inc., 232 So. 2d 818, 1970 La. App. LEXIS 5505 (La. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

BARNETTE, Judge.

These two consolidated cases, now before this court on appeal by the plaintiff, Benjamin Hanford, were instituted in an attempt by plaintiff to recover from his employer, Delta Steamship Lines, Inc., and its compensation insurer, American Employers Insurance Company, compensation and medical expenses in addition to those already paid on his behalf by the defendants.

The first of these suits, number 3862 on our docket, was filed in the court below on February 28, 1967. Both the employer and the insurer are named as defendants in that suit and recovery of $1,043.50 plus future expenses to accrue was sought. Plaintiff also prayed for expert witness fees, attorney’s fees and penalties. On December 15, 1967, a judgment was rendered, signed and filed maintaining an exception of no right or cause of action filed in behalf of the defendant Delta and plaintiff’s suit as to that defendant was dismissed. No appeal was taken from that judgment and it is now final as to Delta Steamship Lines, Inc.

The second suit, number 3863 on the docket of this court, was filed by plaintiff in the court below on July 31, 1967. In that suit plaintiff named as defendant only Delta Steamship Lines, Inc., and seeks recovery of workmen’s compensation of $35 per week “beginning on or about July 20, 1967 or such other time as * * * [the] court may fix and continuing for the duration of disability,” subject to compensation previously paid, and for attorney’s fees and penalties.

The two cases were consolidated for trial below and are consolidated on this appeal. After trial below judgment was rendered in favor of the plaintiff in the first suit (number 3862) against the defendant American Employers Insurance Company for $1,596.25. A witness fee of $100 was fixed for the medical expert who testified on plaintiff’s behalf. From that judgment the plaintiff, Hanford, appealed. The defendant-appellee American Employers answered the appeal in this court praying for reversal.

In the second suit (number 3863) there was judgment in favor of the defendant Delta Steamship Lines, Inc., rejecting plaintiff’s demands and dismissing his suit. From that judgment the plaintiff has appealed.

Briefly the facts giving rise to these suits are: The plaintiff, Benjamin Han-ford, was employed as a receiving clerk by Delta and in the course of his employment sustained serious and painful injuries in an accident at the Galvez Street wharf in the City of New Orleans on February 28, 1966. The injuries resulted from a fall when Hanford tripped on plastic bands which had negligently been left on the wharf by Cooper Stevedoring of Louisiana, Inc., an independent contractor. Hanford was paid workmen’s compensation benefits by Delta or on its behalf by American Employers for 101 weeks in the amount of $3,565 and medical benefits were paid totaling $2,680.-28. These payments were admitted and stipulated on trial of these cases.

No mention was made at the trial of these consolidated cases, nor do the pleadings reflect, that plaintiff brought a suit in [820]*820tort and recovered a judgment of $25,600 against Cooper Stevedoring and its liability insurer. An appeal to this court resulted in an affirmance of that judgment. See Hanford v. Jan C. Uiterwyk Company, 214 So.2d 236 (La.App.1968). Writs were refused by the Supreme Court, 253 La. 67, 216 So.2d 309 (1968). The extent of plaintiff’s injuries are fully discussed in our opinion in that case. We will take judicial cognizance of that suit and will comment below concerning one aspect thereof which is relevant to the principal point plaintiff seeks to make on this appeal. The trial of these cases (on April 15, 1968) was while the appeal in the tort suit was pending in this court.

In the suit which bears our docket number 3862, the plaintiff recovered a judgment for the full amount sought, except that the judgment makes’ no mention of his claim for attorney’s fees and penalty. Plaintiff makes no issue of the rejection of those items on this appeal. On the face of the record before us, the purpose of his appeal is obscure. In this court through counsel’s brief and oral argument, the reason for appeal is revealed and the issues he seeks to have decided were not raised at any prior stage of the proceeding. This will be more fully discussed below.

In the suit which bears our docket number 3863, the proceeding in which plaintiff seeks recovery of additional compensation, and which was rejected below, plaintiff has neither briefed nor argued the issue on this appeal. The demand in that suit was resolved adversely to plaintiff on a finding of fact based on medical testimony. It is incumbent upon him as appellant to point out to us the errors of judgment of the trial court which are so manifest as to warrant a reversal. He has pointed out none and our examination of the record does not disclose any error or fact or law and that judgment will be affirmed. Glorioso v. Glorioso, 223 La. 357, 65 So.2d 794 (1953); Karisny v. Sunshine Biscuits, Inc., 215 So.2d 201 (La.App.3d Cir.1968); Plauche v. Derouen, 193 So.2d 918 (La.App. 3d Cir.1967); Cush v. Griffin, 95 So.2d 860 (La.App. 2d Cir.1957); Landry v. Hill, 94 So.2d 308 (La.App. Orleans 1957).

We will return now to a discussion of the issues presented on the appeal in suit number 3863. We will first address ourselves to appellee’s answer to the appeal seeking a reversal of the judgment in appellant’s favor. The “Reasons for Judgment” by the trial judge are as follows:

“Based upon the testimony of the witnesses and other evidence adduced at the trial, the Court finds that plaintiff’s heart condition was not aggravated as a result of the accident involved in this litigation. The Court further finds that the other injuries sustained by plaintiff as a result of this accident did not render him totally and permanently disabled. Accordingly, it is the conclusion of the Court that plaintiff was not totally and permanently disabled within the meaning of the workmen’s compensation law as a result of injuries sustained in the accident of February 28, 1966. It is further concluded that defendant, Delta Steamship Lines,' Inc., owes no further compensation under the workmen’s compensation law. Accordingly, judgment has been rendered in favor of defendant and against plaintiff, dismissing plaintiff’s suit at his cost in the matter of Benjamin Hanford vs. Delta Steamship Lines, Inc., No. 446-529 of the Civil District Court.
“The Court further concludes that plaintiff should have completely recovered from injuries sustained from accident of February 28, 1966 by the end of December 1967. Accordingly, excess medical benefits for injuries related to the accident during this period should be allowed. The Court fixes this amount at $1,596.25, as per exhibit annexed hereto. Based upon the foregoing, judgment has been rendered in favor of plaintiff and against defendant in the full sum of [821]*821$1,596.25, together with interest and costs in the matter of Benjamin Hanford vs. Delta Steamship Lines, Inc. and American Employers Insurance Co., No. 460-349 of the Civil District Court.”

The exhibit annexed to the “Reasons for Judgment” is a detailed itemization of plaintiff’s 13 exhibits filed in evidence in support of his demand for payment of additional medical expense. The court allowed six of the items claimed, which total $1,596.25. The rejected items of expense related to treatment of conditions not related to the accident giving rise to these suits.

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232 So. 2d 818, 1970 La. App. LEXIS 5505, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hanford-v-delta-steamship-lines-inc-lactapp-1970.