Olivier v. Fidelity & Casualty Co. of New York

91 So. 2d 897, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 571
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 2, 1957
DocketNo. 4334
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 91 So. 2d 897 (Olivier v. Fidelity & Casualty Co. of New York) 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
Olivier v. Fidelity & Casualty Co. of New York, 91 So. 2d 897, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 571 (La. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

LOTTINGER, Judge.

This matter1 and the companion case of Olivier v. Fidelity & Casualty Company of New York, 91 So.2d 902, arise out of an automobile accident which occurred in the Parish of Iberia on January 29, 19S5. The petition of Louis Olivier alleges that about 11:30 P.M. on said date he was driving his automobile at a legal and reasonable rate of speed with his lights on in an easterly direction on the Loreau-ville-Lake Dauterive blacktop highway at which time a pickup truck owned by defendant Julius Chatagnier and driven at the time by the defendant Charles Chatag-nier in a westerly direction on said highway with his lights on, negligently and without warning suddenly swerved to the left of the center of the highway immediately in front of petitioner’s automobile and that said turn was made so suddenly that it was impossible for the petitioner to avoid colliding with the pickup truck. Damages are sought in the amount of $50.50 for emergency medical treatment, $240 for wages lost during a period of two months and $15,000 for pain suffered as a result of the accident. It is further alleged that the plaintiff’s 1936 Ford coupe automobile was rendered a total wreck and that same was worth $600. The other defendant is the Fidelity & Casualty Company of New York, the liability insurer of the defendant Julius Chatagnier.

The answer of the defendant is in the form of a general denial, the further allegation being made that the accident was the result solely of the plaintiff’s negligence and that the pickup truck owned by Julius Chatagnier and in the custody of Charles Chatagnier with the former’s permission was, at the time of the accident, parked on the south side of the Loreauville-Lake Dauterive blacktop road, the front of the truck facing in a westerly direction with the headlights burning. It is averred that the truck was parked as far off the road as was possible, the right side thereof extending two feet onto the travelled portion of the road. It is further set forth that the plaintiff at the time was travelling at a speed of about 40 miles per hour and that, notwithstanding the foregoing, he made no attempt to avoid the pickup truck and collided with same; that he made no attempt to reduce his speed or to swerve or to do ■anything else to avoid tire accident. The further allegation is made that he was driving while intoxicated and that his state of intoxication directly contributed to the accident. Assuming the position of plaintiffs in reconvention, Julius Chatagnier reconvened for the sum of $460, being the amount claimed as damages which resulted to his pickup truck, and Charles Chatagnier, alleging that he sustained a bruised chest, a broken nose, and lacerations of the right hand, right eye and left leg and that he was unable to work for a period of two months, reconvened for the sum of $400 for loss of wages, $40 for medical expenses and $5,000 for pain and suffering.

[899]*899Following trial on the merits ill the court below the demands of the plaintiffs were dismissed. Julius Chatagnier was awarded the sum of $464 being the amount of repair to his truck and the demands of Charles Chatagnier were rejected. The matter is now before us on an appeal taken by the plaintiff. Neither of the defendants has appealed or answered the appeal.

The testimony of Louis Olivier, the plaintiff, is substantially as follows:

He owned the 1936 model Ford in the month of January, 1955 and on the night of January 29th he was on the highway going toward Lake Dauterive. About 4 acres after he crossed “the track” he “seen a car was coming and when he got about 40 or 50 feet from me, he just ducked right into me.” It was a Saturday night, the weather was clear and the road was a blacktop road. He and his daughter, who was with him, were both injured and were taken to the Loreauville Hospital where he stayed for a period of four days. The accident happened so quickly that lié could not get out of the way. He tried, “but it happened so quick. He just run into me like that and hit me. It was about thirty, forty or fifty feet when he turned in; he left his side and come on mine.” He stated that he had no chance whatsoever of getting out of the way and that he never had his automobile repaired because “everything was broken up” and that it “was no more good.” He said that the truck was damaged more on the left side.

On cross examination he stated that at the time of the accident there were three people in the automobile and they were going to a club at Marsha’s. Previous to the accident, he had been at George Andrus’ saloon where he had had two drinks, one of whiskey and one of beer. He stated that he had been at that place from about 5 o’clock until about 11 or 11:30 P.M. He said that at the place of the accident the shoulder is wide, about 6 or 7 feet, with plenty of room to park a vehicle on the shoulder on either side. He stated further that there were two big ditches, one on either side of the road. His speed was from 25 to 30 miles per hour at the time of the accident and he did not know how fast the other vehicle was going. It cut sharply in front of him at a distance of from 45 to 50 feet. He had no time to put on his brakes. The other occupant of the car was a man from Texas whom he had picked up at Loreauville and who he was taking to the club with him. He denied that the pickup truck was parked on the side of the road. He stated that after the accident the truck was backed up about 20 feet, whereas his car stayed right in the same place. The truck lights were on but he did not know how many people were inside it.

The third party, on redirect examination, he identified as the boy from Texas whom he had telephoned and tried to get to come to testify but who did not show up.

The testimony of George Andrus is as follows:

He is a saloon operator in Loreauville, knows the plaintiff and his daughter, Mary Dell, and saw them in his saloon quite often. The plaintiff, Louis Olivier, was not a hard drinker. When questions as to whether he had ever seen him drunk in his place were asked, he answered, “Well, not what you call drunk, I have seen him drink but when he gets to a certain extent, he don’t drink anymore because I notice they offer him a drink and he has enough. They either go home or he sets down there at the bench.” On cross examination he said he had never seen him when he had even “a little too much.” He saw him the night of the accident and did not think that he was intoxicated.

Madison Viltz testified that he knew the plaintiff and that he was proceeding in the rear of him when the wreck occurred. The accident happened, he said, as Olivier was going one way and the truck, which was going in the other direction, came across onto Olivier’s side of the road. At this time he was about 100 feet or better behind [900]*900Olivier and driving at about 25 miles per hour. The two vehicles were almost meeting each other when the truck crossed over. He stated positively that he saw that, and after the accident the car was in the center and the truck was knocked “off the pave” about 20 feet away. He stated that the truck had not parked, because he saw the truck coming; that it was coming on its side of the road and suddenly turned into Olivier’s side of the road. The weather, he said, was cold, very cold, and he was riding together with one June Ransom. On cross examination he said that he did not know how fast the truck was moving but that he did not think it would have been faster than he was. He did not know if there was enough room on the shoulders for the truck to park.

June Ransom testified as follows:

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Related

Olivier v. Fidelity & Casualty Co. of New York
91 So. 2d 902 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1957)

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91 So. 2d 897, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 571, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/olivier-v-fidelity-casualty-co-of-new-york-lactapp-1957.