Oliphant v. Town of Lake Providence

193 So. 516, 1938 La. App. LEXIS 612
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 1, 1938
DocketNo. 5633.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 193 So. 516 (Oliphant v. Town of Lake Providence) 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
Oliphant v. Town of Lake Providence, 193 So. 516, 1938 La. App. LEXIS 612 (La. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinions

DREW, Judge.'

Plaintiff instituted this suit seeking to recover of the Town of Lake Providence and its insurer, Maryland Casualty Com- • pany, damages in the sum of $27,000. She alleged that while in the act of crossing Davis street at the intersection of Davis and Second streets, in the town of Lake Providence, she was violently struck by an automobile, the property of said Town, being driven at the time by John Chaney, in the furtherance of the business of said Town.

The negligence alleged is that the car was driven across the intersection at a speed in excess of fifty miles per hour *518 and that the driver thereof failed to keep a proper lookout.

Defendants filed an exception of no cause or right of action to the petition, which was overruled by the lower court, and is not reurged here. Defendant Town of Lake Providence denied all the material allegations of plaintiff’s petition and, further answering, averred:

“Your respondent specially avers that at the time of the accident described and set forth in the petition herein and on or about January 3, 1936, John Chaney, was driving and operating the V-8 Ford coupe which struck the petitioner herein, and that said driving and operation of the said vehicle were without the permission and without the authority of your respondent, Town of Lake Providence, Louisiana, and further, without the knowledge, consent or acquiescence of your respondent, Town of Lake Providence.
“Your respondent further avers that said operation of said vehicle by the said John Chaney at the time of the accident herein sued upon was in no wise in furtherance of the business or pleasure or any other purpose of your respondent, Town of Lake Providence, or of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of your respondent, Town of Lake Providence, and further, that the said John Chaney so operating the vehicle, as aforesaid, was not employed by your respondent, was in no way acting as the agent, servant or representative of your respondent, but was driving aforesaid vehicle solely and only for his individual and personal benefit and purposes.
“Respondent further avers that your respondent is a municipal corporation duly organized under the laws of the state of Louisiana, and as such and under the limitations of the laws creating and empowering your respondent, your respondent is without power or authority to grant to any individual the right or authority to operate vehicles belonging to the said Town of Lake Providence for any other purposes than those appertaining • to the business and corporate purposes of your respondent, and respondent especially ave.rs therefore that in the event any purported or alleged authority or authorization to the said John Chaney to drive the vehicle aforesaid at the time of the accident herein sued upon be shown or demonstrated to this court, that then and in that event, such purported authority or authorization was ultra vires, void and illegal, and that your respondent, Town of Lake Providence can in no way be held legally responsible therefor. Wherefore respondent, Town of Lake Providence, especially enters this its plea of ultra vires and reserves and asserts all rights thereunder.
“Further answering herein, in the alternative and in the alternative only, your respondent avers that at the time of the accident herein sued upon, the aforesaid John Chaney was operating the vehicle involved in said accident, in a lawful, careful and prudent manner at the time said accident occurred, and was in no wise negligent or at fault and in no wise caused or contributed to the causing of said accident.
“Further answering, in the alternative and in the alternative only, your respondent shows that aforesaid accident whereon petitioner sues herein was due solely and only to the negligence and fault of petitioner in that petitioner was, at the .time of said accident, crossing at a point where pedestrians are not legally authorized to cross, and further that petitioner was crossing said street without looking in both directions and without an exercise of due care and prudence under the circumstances, and further that petitioner was in the act of crossing said street, at the time of the accident, in a careless, reckless and wanton manner, indifferent to her own safety, and that said negligence and carelessness of petitioner was the sole and only cause of the accident thereupon resulting.”

Defendant insurer denied the allegations of negligence made by plaintiff in the same manner and words as did the Town of Lake Providence, and alleged the negligence of plaintiff was the proximate cause of the accident. It further alleged:

“Further answering herein, your respondent, Maryland Casualty Company, specially avers that on o.r about December 9, 1935, your respondent issued to ‘Town of Lake Providence and/or the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Town of Lake Providence, Louisiana’ its automobile policy No. 15363576, insuring and covering the said assured as to public liability, property damage and collision occasioned by, or arising out of ownership and operation of that certain 1934 model V-8 Ford coupe, described in said policy, upon the terms and conditions, and subject to the limitations set forth in said policy, during the period December 7, 1935 to December 7. 1936.
*519 “Respondent now further avers that under the terms, limitations and conditions of the aforesaid policy, your respondent is in no way legally liable, or responsible to petitioner herein for the injuries and damage alleged to have accrued to plaintiff from that certain accident, described in petition and herein sued upon, for the reason that aforesaid policy did not and does not cover the accident herein sued upon for reasons and by virtue of circumstances more fully set out hereinafter.
“Your respondent further specially avers that there was and is no coverage, and no liability under the aforesaid policy for the reason that the vehicle therein described was being operated and driven at the time of the accident by one John Chaney, without the permission, authority, knowledge, or acquiescence of the named assured in aforesaid policy; that the said John Chaney was in no way the agent, employee, servant or representative of the said named assured.
“Respondent further specially avers that the aforesaid John Chaney was, at the time of the accident herein sued upon, operating aforesaid vehicle for personal benefits and purposes, and was in no way operating same in connection with the pleasure, or business of the named assured, and was in no way engaged in the furtherance, or prosecution of the pleasure, or business of the named assured.

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Bluebook (online)
193 So. 516, 1938 La. App. LEXIS 612, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oliphant-v-town-of-lake-providence-lactapp-1938.