Peter Adams v. Entergy New Orleans, Inc. Entergy Louisiana, L.L.C. and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans

Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided March 10, 2026·No. 2025-CA-0444·Published·Judge Nakisha Ervin-Knott

Opinion

PETER ADAMS, ET AL * NO. 2025-CA-0444

VERSUS * COURT OF APPEAL

ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, * INC. ENTERGY LOUISIANA, FOURTH CIRCUIT L.L.C. AND SEWERAGE AND * WATER BOARD OF NEW STATE OF LOUISIANA ORLEANS *******

CONSOLIDATED WITH: CONSOLIDATED WITH: PETER ADAMS, ET AL NO. 2025-CA-0611 VERSUS

ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, INC., ENTERGY LOUISIANA, L.L.C. AND SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD OF NEW ORLEANS

APPEAL FROM

CIVIL DISTRICT COURT, ORLEANS PARISH NO. 2015-09035, DIVISION “J”

Honorable D. Nicole Sheppard ******

Judge Nakisha Ervin-Knott ******

(Court composed of Judge Rosemary Ledet, Judge Dale N. Atkins, Judge Nakisha Ervin-Knott)

Darleen M. Jacobs Hunter Harris Rene D. Lovelace THE LAW OFFICES OF DARLENE M JACOBS 823 St. Louis Street New Orleans, LA 70112-3415

COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPELLEES

Kim M. Boyle Allen C. Miller Ashley J. Heilprin Stephanie M. Poucher PHELPS DUNBAR LLP 365 Canal Street, Suite 2000

New Orleans, LA 70130 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

REVERSED AND RENDERED

MARCH 10, 2026

NEK Defendant-Appellant, Entergy New Orleans, LLC (“Entergy”), appeals the RML trial court’s March 31, 2025 and July 2, 2025 judgments rendered in favor of DNA Plaintiffs-Appellees, Peter Adams, et al.1 (collectively, “Plaintiffs”). The trial court

found Entergy liable for negligence following a natural gas leak on October 10, 2014, and awarded general damages for alleged personal injuries. For the reasons that follow, we reverse the trial court’s judgments in favor of Plaintiffs and render judgment in favor of Entergy dismissing Plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY On September 16, 2014, Entergy was performing a gas leak detection patrol and identified a potential natural gas leak in the 1700 block of Painters Street, in New Orleans, Louisiana. An Entergy repair crew was dispatched to the area and pinpointed a cracked two-inch PE high volume cap on the main natural gas line. The repair crew replaced the cracked cap that same day.

In a nearby area, on October 3, 2014, a drunk driver collided with an 18-

wheeler loaded with gasoline triggering a fire to erupt in the cab of the 18-wheeler.

According to New Orleans Fire Department Captain Michael Calamari (“Captain 1 There are over 100 individuals listed as Plaintiffs in this lawsuit.

Calamari”), the fire melted the 18-wheeler’s aluminum tank trailer causing gasoline to spill onto the street and into storm drains and grass along the side of the road, and fumes and smoke from the fire to move into the neighborhood. The tanker explosion was so severe that the driver of the 18-wheeler succumbed to injuries sustained in the fire.

On October 10, 2014, exactly one week after the tanker explosion – another natural gas leak was reported at the intersection of Painters Street and North Derbigny Street, which is just one block away from the location of the tanker explosion. Upon investigation, Entergy technicians identified a leak in a plastic gas main. The failure was subsequently attributed to a failure in the two-inch sidewall T fusion in the main gas line. Entergy personnel repaired the natural gas leak on the same day it was reported.

Plaintiffs, who were residents of the neighborhood where the October 10, 2014 gas leak occurred, filed a claim for damages on September 18, 2015, and a first supplemental and amending petition on September 22, 2015. Entergy New Orleans, Inc., Entergy Louisiana, L.L.C., and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans were named as Defendants. Plaintiffs alleged that the leaking natural gas caused them to suffer a variety of symptoms, including headaches, nausea, dizziness, and aggravation of pre-existing lung, asthma, and sinus conditions. Plaintiffs contended that Entergy was negligent in its maintenance and inspection of the gas line.

A bench trial was conducted between May 6, 2024, and August 26, 2024. At trial, seventy-nine Plaintiffs testified regarding their personal experiences during the October 10, 2014 natural gas leak, specifically describing the smell of natural gas in the air throughout the neighborhood and the physical symptoms they attributed to the natural gas exposure. Plaintiffs’ testimony included reports of headaches,

congestion, runny noses, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and asthma (or asthma exacerbations). Additionally, Plaintiffs’ certified medical records related to their purported injuries were admitted into evidence. Notably, Plaintiffs did not present any expert testimony regarding medical causation.

On the other hand, Entergy presented the expert testimony of Dr. Christopher Spaeth (“Dr. Spaeth”), a toxicologist, to opine on the effects of natural gas exposure to human health. Additionally, Entergy’s gas engineering superior, Stephen Mirambell (“Mr. Mirambell”) and Entergy employee, Daniel Murray (“Mr. Murray”) testified about the September 16, 2014 and October 10, 2014 incidents and Entergy standard protocol. Entergy work reporting forms and DIMP leak forms from the September 16, 2014 and October 10, 2014 incidents were also admitted into evidence.

At the conclusion of trial, the trial court took the matter under advisement. On March 31, 2025, the trial court rendered judgment in favor of the Plaintiffs finding “through several hours of the [P]laintiff’s testimony, it is evident that the symptoms were caused or aggravated by the [n]atural [g]as leak.” The court awarded general damages to each Plaintiff in various amounts ranging from $0 - $5,000.00.

On April 17, 2025, Entergy filed a petition for suspensive appeal, and the order granting the appeal was signed on April 28, 2025. Two Plaintiffs were not included in the March 31, 2025 judgment; therefore, on July 2, 2025, the trial court issued a subsequent judgment to include these two Plaintiffs. Again, on July 11, 2025, Entergy filed a petition of suspensive appeal regarding the July 2, 2025 judgment, and the order granting the appeal was signed on July 11, 2025. On October 1, 2025, Entergy filed an unopposed motion to consolidate with this Court, and we

issued an order consolidating the two appeals on the next day. This timely consolidated appeal follows.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

“A trial court’s factual determinations made after a bench trial are reviewed with the manifest error/clearly wrong standard of review.” Reaver v. Degas House, LLC, 2022-0464, p. 3 (La. App. 4 Cir. 3/13/23), 359 So. 3d 570, 573 (citing Hall v. Folger Coffee Co., 2003-1734, p. 9 (La. 4/14/04), 874 So. 2d 90, 98). “This standard ‘precludes the setting aside of a district court's finding of fact unless that finding is clearly wrong in light of the record reviewed in its entirety.’” Id.

Conversely, “[l]egal questions are reviewed utilizing the de novo standard of review.” Id. at p. 3, 359 So. 3d at 574 (quoting Robert v. Robert Mgmt. Co., LLC, 2011-0406, p. 3 (La. App. 4 Cir. 12/7/11), 82 So. 3d 396, 398).

DISCUSSION

On appeal, Entergy asserts three assignments of error – (1) Plaintiffs failed to establish Entergy’s liability under Civil Code articles 2315, 2317, and 2317.1; (2) Plaintiffs failed to meet their burden of demonstrating that the October 10, 2014 natural gas leak caused their injuries; and (3) Plaintiffs failed to establish their entitlement to the general damages the trial court awarded, such that assuming that Entergy was liable, the damages awarded must be drastically reduced.

First, Entergy contends the trial court erred in finding it liable under La. C.C.

arts. 23152, 23173, and 2317.14. Specifically, Entergy asserts that the trial court manifestly erred in presumably finding that it had actual or constructive knowledge of the conditions that caused the October 10, 2014 natural gas leak and that it could have prevented the leak through the exercise of reasonable care.

This Court previously observed:

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Peter Adams v. Entergy New Orleans, Inc. Entergy Louisiana, L.L.C. and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, (La. Ct. App. 2026).

Peter Adams v. Entergy New Orleans, Inc. Entergy Louisiana, L.L.C. and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (Peter Adams v. Entergy New Orleans, Inc. Entergy Louisiana, L.L.C. and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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