Molliere v. American Insurance Group

158 So. 2d 279
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 22, 1964
Docket5976
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 158 So. 2d 279 (Molliere v. American Insurance Group) 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
Molliere v. American Insurance Group, 158 So. 2d 279 (La. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinion

158 So.2d 279 (1963)

Joseph F. MOLLIERE, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of the Minor Child, Wayne Molliere,
v.
AMERICAN INSURANCE GROUP et al.

No. 5976.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

November 12, 1963.
Rehearing Denied December 16, 1963.
Writ Refused January 22, 1964.

*280 Seale, Hayes, Smith & Baine, by Donald T. W. Phelps, Baton Rouge, for appellant.

Dyer & Wilson, by Billy O. Wilson, Baton Rouge, for appellees.

Before ELLIS, LOTTINGER, HERGET, LANDRY and REID, JJ.

LOTTINGER, Judge.

This is a suit for damages resulting when the minor child of petitioner was injured when struck by an oncoming automobile. The petitioner is Joseph F. Molliere who sues individually and as administrator of the estate of his minor child, Wayne Molliere. The suit is against C. J. Cavalier, his liability insurance carrier, American Insurance Company, his employee, Sabin J. Breaux and Felix Bennett. The Lower Court awarded judgment in favor of petitioner, and against all defendants except Felix Bennett in the sum of $5,000.00, and dismissed the suit as it bears against Felix Bennett. The defendants have taken a suspensive appeal, and the petitioner has answered the appeal seeking an increase in the amount awarded.

The facts as found by the Lower Court are as follows:

"Prior to 11:20 A.M. on August 25, 1960, a dry and clear day, Sabin J. Breaux was driving a 1957 Chevrolet pickup truck owned by C. J. Cavalier in a northerly direction, between the city of Donaldsonville and the Town of White Castle, along Louisiana Highway No. 405. This Highway is a two-lane black top highway measuring approximately twenty-two feet with gravelled shoulders on both sides of sufficient width to park a motor vehicle. The covered pickup truck was being operated by the said Breaux in the course and scope of his employment of vending or peddling seafood for the said C. J. Cavalier. In order to attract the attention of prospective customers, Breaux would sound the horn of his vehicle as he proceeded along his route. At approximately this time, Mrs. Agnes Molliere, wife of Joseph F. Molliere, *281 and her daughter, Mary Ann Molliere, age 14, were in the dining room of the Molliere home located on the west side of Highway No. 405 approximately six miles above the city of Donaldsonville. The two other children of Mrs. Molliere, Doris, age 10 and Wayne, age 7, were playing in the rear of the yard on the south side of the home. As Breaux neared the Molliere home, blowing his horn to attract attention to the fact that he was peddling seafood, Mrs. Molliere sent Mary Ann out with a foot tub to purchase a dozen crabs. As the truck approached, Mary Ann flagged it down. Breaux thereupon stopped his truck in the northbound traffic lane of the black topped highway a few feet north of the southern entrance of the driveway and opposite the Molliere home. This driveway is of the circular type with 2 entrances into the highway. After Breaux determined that Mary Ann wished to purchase some crabs he descended from the cab of his truck and went to the rear thereof. He placed the tub given to him on the lowered rear tail gate and proceeded to lift the live crabs from his container in the truck and to place them in the tub by means of wooden tongs. In the meantime, the two other children had left their play in the yard and had crossed the southbound traffic lane to the rear of the truck in close proximity to the tail gate where they could watch the proceedings. After Breaux had lifted about one-half dozen crabs, a crab which had attached itself to a crab being lifted by the tongs dropped on to the flooring of the truck, sidled off the tail gate and fell at the feet of Wayne. The little boy, becoming frightened, ran from behind the truck into the path of a 1952 Ford Sedan owned and being driven by Felix Bennett in the south bound traffic lane. This automobile had been proceeding southwardly towards Donaldsonville at a speed of between 30 and 35 miles an hour. As the little boy ran from behind the truck he was struck by the front of the automobile at a point between the left front fender and the center ornament on the hood of this vehicle. The point of impact with reference to the highway was about two or three feet behind the parked truck and about seven feet from the western edge of the black top. He was then run over and dragged some ninety-six feet before he rolled from under the automobile at a point about two or three feet from the western edge of the black top. The car continued on some 264 feet from the original point of impact in the south bound lane when it was brought to a stop.
"As a result of being struck and run over, Wayne Molliere suffered a fracture of the right femur, a fracture of the hip, and a fracture of the skull with an avulsion of the left half of the scalp. He was given emergency treatment by Dr. Schexnayder of Donaldsonville and sent to the Charity Hospital in New Orleans where he remained from August 25, 1960, until September 23, 1960. Secondary infections were cleared with the use of antibiotics. He returned home and was kept in a cast for some 9 weeks. He was thereafter examined at Charity Hospital at regular monthly intervals until February 10, 1961, when his head injury was reported as healed and neurologically fine. He was then ordered to report at the end of five months. On July 27, 1961, the right femur was reported as apparently well healed. The hip fracture apparently was not severe since it is not mentioned in the prognosis. At the time of the trial the child showed no apparent residual defects except for the scar commencing at the left eye lid and running across his forehead and across the scalp in a semi-circle where it terminated near the left ear. He was out of school about a year but received *282 instructions during that time by a visiting teacher.
"There is testimony in the record which indicates that the brakes of the Bennett vehicle were not in good order. However, the Court is convinced that the condition of the brakes did not contribute to the accident. Bennett testified that he could not see the children behind the parked truck, and in this respect he is corroborated by the investigating officer, Trooper Jussel M. Ourso. The Court is further convinced that when the little boy darted from behind the parked vehicle that Bennett was then very nearly abreast of the parked truck and had no opportunity to attempt a stop or to take any measures to avoid hitting him. While driving with defective brakes is negligence, it was not a direct or proximate cause of this accident. When a child darts from behind a parked truck and emerges in front of the vehicle so suddenly that the driver cannot stop in time or take other steps to avoid injuring him the driver is not ordinarily liable for the injuries incurred. Seale v. Checker Cab Co., La.App., 137 So.2d 478, Layfield v. Bourgeois, La.App., 142 So.2d 799."

The petitioner claims that the accident and the resulting injuries to young Wayne was caused by the negligence of the defendant, Sabin J. Breaux, which negligence was a proximate cause of the accident. The Lower Court held that the crab truck operated by Breaux constituted an attractive nuisance and that Breaux should have reasonably foreseen that the accident or injury might occur. Accordingly the Lower Court awarded judgment in favor of petitioner and against Sabin Breaux, his employer, C. J. Cavalier, and his liability insurance carrier, American Insurance Company, in the sum of $5,000.00.

In the recent case entitled Beasley v.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Celestin v. Bourg
234 So. 2d 857 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1970)
Hardy v. Bye
207 So. 2d 198 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1968)
Marshall v. Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Co.
204 So. 2d 665 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1968)
Goff v. Carlino
181 So. 2d 426 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1966)
Molliere v. American Insurance Group
159 So. 2d 290 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1964)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 So. 2d 279, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/molliere-v-american-insurance-group-lactapp-1964.