Jones v. Maryland Casualty Co.

256 So. 2d 358, 1971 La. App. LEXIS 5332
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 20, 1971
DocketNo. 8618
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 256 So. 2d 358 (Jones v. Maryland Casualty 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
Jones v. Maryland Casualty Co., 256 So. 2d 358, 1971 La. App. LEXIS 5332 (La. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

LOTTINGER, Judge.

This is a suit filed by Sherman Jones and his wife, Elnora Jones, to recover damages and funeral expenses resulting from the wrongful death of their minor son, Donnie Ray Jones. The defendant is Maryland Casualty Company who had issued a homeowners insurance policy to J. Taylor Rooks, the owner of the premises upon which the death of young Jones took place. The Lower Court awarded judgment in favor of defendant and dismissed petitioner’s suit, and the petitioners have taken this appeal.

The findings of fact as determined by the Lower Court are as follows:

“On the day in question, Donnie Ray (age 14) and his brother, Roy (age 12) were taken to the Rooks’ residence by Mrs. Lenora S. Rooks to do yard work. Mr. Rooks had delegated to his mother responsibility for the management of his rental property. Additionally she handled the upkeep of his yard on Bright-[360]*360side Lane. She had permission to use his swimming pool on Brightside Lane.
After the two boys had completed the yard work assigned to them they asked Mrs. Rooks if they could go for a swim. While the testimony is not altogether clear, the Court has concluded that Donnie Ray told Mrs. Rooks that he could swim while Roy told her that he could not swim. Mrs. Rooks loaned the boys some swimming trunks and permitted them to dress in a cabana adjacent to the Swimming pool. After the boys had been playing at the shallow end of the pool for about 15 minutes, Mrs. Rooks left the pool and went into the house to get her car keys to take the boys home. When she returned Roy was sitting on the side of the pool but Donnie Ray was not visible. Mrs. Rooks proceeded to the poolside where she spotted Donnie Ray submerged at the bottom in the approximate center of the pool. Mrs. Rooks realized that something was seriously wrong and ran into the cabana where she called the fire department and her son’s office. It is not completely clear exactly what rescue efforts, if any, were made by Mrs. Rooks. Mrs. Rooks said she could swim but she was not trained in life-saving or water safety techniques, and there were no safety floats or ropes near the pool. Mrs. Rooks attempted without success to hook an electric extension cord from a fan over the submerged boy. The Court cannot qualify this as a reasonable rescue effort.
Pursuant to his mother’s phone call, J. Taylor Rooks came from his office to his residence. When he arrived he attempted to retreive the boy by throwing lawn furniture to him. Mr. Rooks was also unsuccessful in his efforts to pull the boy out. Eventually, the fire department arrived, removed the boy, and vainly attempted to rescitate him.
It is the plaintiffs’ position that their son’s death was by drowning which was proximately caused by the negligence of Mrs. Lenora S. Rooks and/or J. Taylor Rooks. Plaintiffs further submit that the insurance policy issued to J. Taylor Rooks by defendant, Maryland Casualty Company, affords coverage to Mr. Rooks under the facts of this case. Thus, the court herein faces two issues, (a) negligence vel non, and (b) insurance coverage vel non.”

Based upon the above findings, the Lower Court held the negligence of Mrs. Rooks as the proximate cause of the drowning of young Jones. The Lower Court further found no negligence on the part of Mr. Rooks and that the relationship between Mr. Rooks and his mother was not that of master and servant but that Mrs. Rooks was the non-servant agent of her son and', therefore, that no liability would attach to Mr. Rooks for the negligence of his mother. The Trial Court further found that the omnibus clause of the policy of insurance would not classify Mrs. Rooks as an insured under the policy.

The petitioner claims that Mr. Rooks was negligent (1) in failing to have any type of physical barrier or rope installed to separate the deep end from the shallow end of the pool, although the necessary connections for such a restraint were available, (2) in failing to equip the pool with lifesaving devices, such as ropes, hooks or life preservers and (3) giving his mother, Mrs. Lenora S. Rooks, who could not swim, authority or permission to permit non-swimmers to use his pool.

We feel the Lower Court was correct in finding no negligence on the part of Mr. Rooks in failing to provide barriers or life-saving devices. Young Donnie Ray Jones was 14 years of age at the time of his unfortunate death. Although the failure of Mr. Rooks in this regard might be considered negligence on his part were we faced with a situation in which the “attractive nuisance” doctrine were before us, the age of Donnie would certainly preclude the application of such doctrine in the present case and, furthermore, the petitioners have not even suggested that such doctrine would prevail.

[361]*361In support of its contention that Mr.. Rooks was negligent, the petitioners have cited Benoit v. Hartford Accident and Indemnity Co., La.App., 169 So.2d 925; Walker v. Rose Hill Amusement Co., La. App., 167 So. 144, and Rome v. London & Lancashire Indemnity Co. of America, La. App., 169 So. 132. All three of these cases dealt with injuries to patrons of public swimming pools. And in each of these cases, the Courts held in favor of the defendants. Certainly the duty of care to the proprietor of a public pool would be greater than that of the owner of a private backyard pool.

The evidence here reflects that although Mrs. Rooks had permission of her son to use the swimming pool, Mr. Rooks neither granted permission nor did he know that she had allowed anyone who worked for her to use his pool. The children, in swimming on this unfortunate date may have been considered guests of Mrs. Rooks, however, they certainly could not be considered as guests of Mr. Rooks.

The omnibus clause of the homeowners policy of insurance on Mr. Rooks’ residence provides as follows:

“(a) ‘Insured’ means
(1) The Named Insured stated in the Declarations of this policy;
(2) if residents of the Named Insured’s household, his spouse, the relatives of either, and any other person under the age of 21 in the care of any Insured; and
(3) under Coverage E—Personal Liability and Coverage F—Medical Payments to others: * * *”

The Lower Court concluded that Mrs. Rooks was not an insured under the policy issued to her son. Certainly she was not a named insured, nor did she live in his household which would disqualify her under subparagraphs 1 and 2. Subpar-agraph 3 of the insuring agreement is inapplicable by its own terms, as it refers to animals, water craft and vehicles. Thus, there is no liability imposed on the insurance company because of any negligence which might be found on the part of Mrs. Rooks. Nor would defendant be liable for funeral expenses under the provisions of the policy of insurance because this coverage obligates defendant;

“To pay all reasonable expenses incurred within one year from the date of accident for necessary medical, surgical, X-ray and dental services, including prosthetic devices, and necessary ambulance, hospital, professional nursing and funeral services, to or for each person who sustains bodily injury caused by accident,
(a) while on the premises with the permission of an Insured, or
(b) while elsewhere if such bodily injury,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
256 So. 2d 358, 1971 La. App. LEXIS 5332, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-maryland-casualty-co-lactapp-1971.