Parks v. Hall

179 So. 868, 1937 La. App. LEXIS 493
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 1, 1937
DocketNo. 5439.
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 179 So. 868 (Parks v. Hall) 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
Parks v. Hall, 179 So. 868, 1937 La. App. LEXIS 493 (La. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinions

HAMITER, Judge.

A Chevrolet sedan driven by Harvey Hall and owned by M. L. Gans collided with a Model-A Ford sedan belonging to Isom Parks and operated by Edward Parks, and also with a Ford V-8 coupé owned by Carbons Consolidated, Inc., and driven by Howard W. Montgomery. This three-car collision occurred at a curve on U. S. highway No. 80 in Ouachita parish, La., on the afternoon of August 22, 1936.

Edward Parks brought this suit against Harvey Hall, M. L. Gans, and the Phoenix Indemnity Company, the latter being the liability insurer of the Chevrolet sedan, to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by him in the accident.

A similar suit, being Hall v. Hall, 179 So. 877, on the docket of this court, was instituted by Arzellous Hall, an occupant of the Model-A Ford, against the same defendants. Injuries received by him form the basis of that suit.

The V-8 and the Model-A Fords were severely damaged in the collision and their owners also filed separate actions against said defendants to recover therefor, these being 179 So. 877, and 179 So. 878, on the docket of this court.

The allegations of the various petitions respecting the manner of the occurrence of the accident and the asserted liability of defendants are substantially identical. As is usual in suits of this nature, Harvey Hall is charged with the negligent operation of the vehicle which he was driving. All plaintiffs also allege that at the time of the collision Harvey Hall was employed by M. L. Gans as a chauffeur; that he was acting in the legal discharge of his duties and within the scope of his employment and while on business and a mission of his employer; and that the Chevrolet sedan was insured against property damage and public liability under a policy written by the Phoenix Indemnity Company. In the alternative, the petitions recite that, if defendant Harvey Hall was not acting in the scope and course of his employment, he was driving said automobile of defendant M. L. Gans at the time of the accident with the consent and permission of said owner.

Defendants Gans and the Phoenix Indemnity Company, in their answers, admitted the occurrence of the collision and that Harvey Hall was employed by the former on August 22, 1936. They deny, however, all liability for any negligent acts committed by him. An affirmative averment is made by them that “the use of the said automobile by Harvey Hall was unauthorized and in violation of the prohibitory instructions of M. L. Gans.”

No appearance was made by defendant Hall in any of the cases, and preliminary defaults were regularly entered against him.

The cases were consolidated in the district court and a trial was had on their merits. Plaintiff in each suit was granted a solidary judgment against all defendants. From these, suspensive appeals were perfected by defendants Gans and his insurer. No appeals were prosecuted by Harvey Hall. The judgments against this last-mentioned defendant are therefore not before us for review.

There was in full force and effect at the time of the accident a policy of insurance covering the Chevrolet sedan and written by defendant Phoenix Indemnity Company. The “named assured” therein was M. L. Gans and/or Bradford Norton, Inc., and/or Spiegel Brothers. Under this policy said insurer agreed: “To pay, within the limits specified in Statement Three, the loss from the liability imposed by law upon the assured for damages (including consequential damages) on account of bodily injuries, including death resulting at any time therefrom, suffered or alleged to have been suffered by any person or persons as the result of such accident.”

It further agreed: “To pay, within the limits specified in Statement 3, the loss from the liability imposed by law upon the assured for damages on account of damage to or destruction of property, including the resultant loss of use thereof, * * * resulting from such accident.”

The contract also provided: “The term ‘named assured’ shall mean only the assured specified in Statement One, but the term ‘assured’ shall include the named assured and any other person while riding in or legally operating such automobile and any other person or organization legally re *870 sponsible for its operation, provided: (a) It is being used with the permission of the named assured, * *

This last-mentioned provision is usually known as an omnibus clause.

The evidence is overwhelmingly convincing that defendant Harvey Hall was negligent in the operation of his employer’s car at the time of the accident, and that his negligence was the proximate cause of the unfortunate event. Recognition of this was given by defendants’ counsel through their failure to discuss the question of negligence either in brief or in oral argument. Also, it does not appear that there was contributory negligence on the part of any one operating of riding in the other two cars. Therefore, no further discussion will be made herein of this phase of the cases.

As we view the record, two questions are presented for consideration: (1) Was Harvey Hall acting within the scope of his employment at the time of the accident? (2) If not, was he legally operating and using the automobile with the consent of his employer, M. L. Gans, within the meaning and intendment .of the provisions of the above-quoted omnibus clause?

Defendant M. L. Gans was a traveling salesman in the employ of Bradford Norton, Inc., of Birmingham, Ala., and Spie-gel Brothers of Chicago, Ill. He resided in the City of Monroe, La. The Chevrolet sedan was used by him in the pursuit of his occupation of selling merchandise to customers in a particular trade area. For a period of about six years Harvey Hall had been engaged as his chauffeur and helper. The duties of the latter throughout each week were to drive his employer’s car and help him pack and unpack samples. When Mr. Gans returned from his route on the week ends, which was usually on Saturday mornings, it was customary for and required of the chauffeur to drive the ■car to Massey’s Main Service Station, located on the corner of Jackson and Tele-maque streets, and wash and have it greased and to return it to the owner at his home or some other designated place. Arrangements had been made by Mr. Gans with the service station operator for Harvey Hall’s use of a wash rack in his cleaning of the car. If the rack was occupied when the chauffeur arrived, he would sometimes wait there until it was available, at other times he would drive away and return later, while on two or three previous occasions he proceeded to Massey’s Service Station No. 2, situated at 2800 Desiard street, and used the rack there. This weekend washing and greasing of the car had been faithfully performed for a period of more than four years. Usually the chauffeur was paid his weekly wages at noon each Saturday.

Defendant Gans did not permit his chauffeur to use the car for the latter’s personal use. Permission • for such use had been requested several times, but it was always denied. This was because the car was employed solely for business purposes, that is, in traveling over the trade territory, and a serious damage to it would deprive the owner of a means of conveyance until repairs could be made. Repeated instructions had been given the employee that the car was to be used only in connection with the employer’s business.

On the morning of August 22, 1936, Mr.

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179 So. 868, 1937 La. App. LEXIS 493, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parks-v-hall-lactapp-1937.