Hessler v. Travelers Insurance Co.

204 So. 2d 671, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 4847
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 4, 1967
DocketNo. 2754
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 204 So. 2d 671 (Hessler v. Travelers Insurance 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
Hessler v. Travelers Insurance Co., 204 So. 2d 671, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 4847 (La. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

CHASEZ, Judge.

This is an action in tort arising from a two car collision at the intersection of Marque and Grant Streets in New Orleans. The plaintiff, Mrs. Verris Hessler Veith, brought suit in her own behalf and for the use and benefit of her minor children, Edward George Veith, Jr. Michael Ernest Veith and Bonnie Therese Veith. Her petition named The Travelers Insurance Company, insurer of Mrs. Dorothy Smith, as defendant. Mrs. Dorothy Smith, not herself a party to the suit, was the driver of the vehicle proceeding along Grant Street, and Mrs. Veith was the driver of the vehicle on Marque Street.

The Travelers Insurance Company responded with a third party petition against Employers Liability Assurance Corporation, liability insurer of Mrs. Veith. Plaintiff then filed a supplemental and amended petition naming Employers Liability Assurance Corporation as an additional defendant in her claim for the use and benefit of the minor children.

After a hearing on the merits, the trial court found both drivers negligent and dismissed Mrs. Veith’s claim for her individual damages. The judgment granted the claim for the use and benefit of the minor children to be paid with equal contribution by Employers Liability Assurance Corporation and The Travelers Insurance Company. Plaintiff appealed the decision of the trial court praying for a reversal of the decree holding her contributorily negligent, and additionally applied for an increase in the award for the children’s injuries. Defendant, The Travelers Insurance Company, answered the appeal with a [673]*673prayer for a reversal of the judgment holding Mrs. Smith negligent. Travelers also filed an exception of no right of action, which was brought to the attention of the court for the first time on appeal. This exception challenges Mrs. Veith’s right to represent the minor children due to the fact that she has not qualified as their natural tutrix. The case was argued and submitted-to this court on both the exception and the merits.

ON THE EXCEPTION

Counsel for defendant has excepted to plaintiff’s right of action on behalf of her minor children, because she has not qualified as natural tutrix of these children. The exception of no right of action is peremptory and may be noticed by either the trial or appellate court. C.C.P. 927. If this exception were sustained the suit would properly be dismissed.

The question of whether a mother has qualified as natural tutrix of her children is in reality a challenge of her procedural capacity rather than an exception of no right of action. The Louisiana Supreme Court in Jefferson v. Jefferson, 246 La. 1, 163 So.2d 74, passed on the possible conflict between the exception of no right of action which is peremptory and the exception to procedural capacity which is dilatory. C.C.P. 927, 928. The Supreme Court considered an exception similar to the one raised here as an, attack on the representative capacity of the plaintiff to sue as a natural tutrix of a minor child and distinguished the two exceptions as they are presented in the Code of Civil Procedure.

“In differentiating the former exceptions of want of capacity and want of interest, Professor Henry G. McMahon, a distinguished authority on civil procedure, stated:
‘ * * * [The] exception of want of capacity is deemed the proper and only medium of putting the authority of the plaintiff at issue whenever he appears in a representative capacity, whether as mandatary, tutor, (or for the ‘use and benefit’ of a minor without qualifying as tutor and without facts showing that plaintiff is the administrator of the estate of such minor), curator, administrator, executor, receiver, liquidator, or syndic. This exception appears to be the proper method of putting the procedural capacity of the plaintiff at issue where he appears in an individual capacity, whenever it is contended that for any reason the plaintiff is not sui juris.’
“[6] In our opinion, the present exception challenges the representative capacity of the plaintiff. Prior to the adoption of the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, it was characterized as an exception of want of capacity. Under the Code, the objection is one of those raised through the dilatory exception.
“[7] The failure of the defendants to plead the objection in the original dilatory exception waived it. The law does not permit a ‘stringing out’ of dilatory objections in serial pleading. Article 926, LSA-C.C.P., specifically provides:
‘All objections which may be raised through the dilatory exception are waived unless pleaded therein.’
“[8] We hold, then, that the objection to the procedural capacity of the plaintiff has been waived. Since the representative capacity was not legally challenged, the qualification of the plaintiff is presumed and no evidence is required to sustain it. Art. 700, LSA-C.C.P.”

Jefferson v. Jefferson, supra 163 So.2d at pages 77-78.

The dilatory exception, which must be plead prior to answer, is therefore of no effect when raised on appeal, and the plaintiff is presumed to have procedural capacity to continue this suit in behalf of and representing the minor children.

We are bound to follow the Jefferson decision, and we must presume that the [674]*674plaintiff has a right of action for the use and benefit of her minor children. However, sans this interpretation of the Code of Civil Procedure, we would have followed the precedent set forth in Mc Vay v. New Orleans Public Service, La.App., 148 So. 67, and remanded the case to have the plaintiff’s procedural capacity corrected. The solution found in the Me Vay decision would eliminate any possibility of either the defendant or the plaintiff suffering the consequences of a judgment in favor of a party who actually had no right to initiate the cause of action. We can only hope that the presumption required by the Jefferson decision will not undermine the rights of litigants in other contests.

ON THE MERITS

The essential facts are not seriously disputed. The accident occurred on May 11, 1964 at approximately 7:30 A.M. at the uncontrolled intersection of Grant Street and Marque Street in Donna Villa Subdivision in New Orleans. The plaintiff, a resident of the subdivision, was proceeding toward the river on Marque Street when she brought her vehicle to a stop at its intersection with Grant Street. Testifying that she saw that the way was clear, she advanced into the intersection to a point more than halfway across it when the other vehicle collided with her, damaging her right front fender and door. Mrs. Veith’s three minor children, Edward, Michael and Bonnie were passengers in the automobile at the time of the collision.

Mrs. Smith, driver of the other automobile, was also a resident of Donna Villa Subdivision. While proceeding up Grant Street at fifteen or twenty miles an hour, she stated that she had seen the Veith vehicle approaching the corner, but, because it appeared to be stopping, she continued towards the intersection. She did not notice the Veith vehicle again until she had entered the intersection, just moments before the collision.

Since the court a qua held both drivers contributorily negligent, both have argued a lack of negligence on appeal. Therefore, the task of this court is to determine whether either driver should be held free from negligence.

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Bluebook (online)
204 So. 2d 671, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 4847, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hessler-v-travelers-insurance-co-lactapp-1967.