Peters v. American Alternative Insurance Co.

976 So. 2d 813, 7 La.App. 3 Cir. 972, 2008 La. App. LEXIS 207, 2008 WL 375920
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided February 13, 2008·No. No. CA 07-972·Published

Opinion

SAUNDERS, Judge.

_LjThis is an automobile accident case. The accident took place between a vehicle allegedly stopped at an intersection and a school bus making a left turn from the intersecting lane onto the street occupied by the first vehicle. There were no witnesses to the accident other than the driver and occupants in the first vehicle and the school bus driver. Both vehicles were moved prior to the investigating officer’s arrival.

The plaintiffs were granted a Partial Summary Judgment on the issue of liability. The defendant insurance company appealed alleging, inter alia, that the trial court erred in stating that liability had been stipulated to by the parties and erred in granting the plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment because there were genuine issues of material fact in relation to liability.

We find that it is clear from the record that the parties did not stipulate to liability. We also reverse the trial court’s ruling that granted the plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on the issue of liability and remand the case for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion. All other assignments raised by the defendant insurance company are pre-termitted.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY:

On November 3, 2004, Sylvester Dotson (hereinafter “Dotson”), a school bus driver employed by the Rapides Parish School Board, was in an automobile accident with a vehicle driven by Mrs. Jamaka Williams (hereinafter- “Williams”). Dotson’s school bus was insured by American Alternative Insurance Company (hereinafter “American Alternative”). Dotson was attempting to make a left turn from Lee Street onto Felker Street. The Williams vehicle was located at or near a stop sign on Felker Street facing the opposite direction that Dotson’s bus would have been traveling, had he made a left turn.

| ¡Williams, Roy Peters, the owner of the vehicle driven by Williams, and the occu[815]*815pants of the Williams driven vehicle, Jat-teries Williams, Jasmine Williams, and Jalen Peters (hereinafter collectively “the plaintiffs”), claimed that as Dotson was making the left turn onto Felker Street, he crossed the center of the street and impacted the plaintiffs’ vehicle. Dotson and American Alternative contend that Dotson properly executed his left turn and at all times remained to the right of the center of Felker Street. At the time of the accident, Felker Street had no painted center line.

Prior to trial, plaintiffs filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on the issue of liability. At the initial hearing on April 2, 2007, plaintiffs introduced as evidence American Alternative and Dotson’s discovery responses. These responses included photographs and information from the adjuster who went to the scene of the accident, Stephen Evans. To counter this evidence, American Alternative submitted an affidavit signed by Dotson wherein he stated, in essence, that he did nothing to cause the accident. At that time, the trial court indicated that additional information was needed in order to fully adjudicate the motion. The trial court continued the hearing and directed the plaintiffs to take the deposition of the adjuster that took the pictures contained in American Alternative and Dotson’s discovery responses.

On May 7, 2007, at the second hearing on plaintiffs’ motion, the depositions of the adjuster, Evans, and the officer who investigated the accident, Officer Len Hall, were introduced as evidence by the plaintiffs. The trial court then granted the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. American Alternative suspensively appealed this ruling.

While American Alternative’s appeal was pending, a trial on the damages was | sheld on May 22, 2007. During oral reasons for judgment rendered on the day of trial, the court noted that liability was stipulated to by the parties. The trial resulted in a judgment awarding the plaintiffs, in addition to legal interest from the date of judgment and costs associated with the proceedings, the following amounts for general and special damages:

Jamaka Williams, general damages of $45,000.00 and special damages of $8,902.13;
Jatteries Williams, general damages of $8,500.00 and special damages of $1,060.00;
Jasmine Williams, general damages of $4,500.00 and special damages of $458.00;
Jalen Peters, general damages of $6,500.00 and special damages of $570.00; and
Roy Peters, automobile repairs and rental $2,500.00.

American Alternative appealed, alleging that the trial court’s statement regarding stipulation to damages was incorrect. It also appealed the damages awarded in the judgment reached after the damages trial. American Alternative’s appeal of the Partial Summary Judgment and its appeal of the damages awarded in judgment after trial were combined into one appeal before this court. In that combined appeal, American Alternative alleges five assignments of error.

In its first assignment of error, American Alternative alleges that the trial court erred in stating that stipulation was made by the parties regarding liability. In its second assignment of error American Alternative alleges that the trial court erred in granting the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on the issue of liability as it alleges that genuine issues of material fact exist that would make such a judgment improper.

[816]*816ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR:

1. Did the trial court err in finding that the parties stipulated to liability?

|42. Did the trial court err in granting the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on the issue of liability as genuine issues of material fact existed?

3. Did the trial court err in continuing the Motion for Summary Judgment heard on April 2, 2007, and requesting additional evidence regarding the summary judgment?

4. Did the trial court err in awarding excessive general damages to the plaintiffs?

5. Did the trial court err in awarding damages to plaintiff, Roy Peters, as the damages awarded related to property damage which were predicated on the finding of liability against the defendants/ appellants?

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR # 1:

American Alternative contends that the trial court erred in finding that the parties stipulated to liability. We agree.

In the trial court’s oral reasons for judgment rendered on the day of the damages trial on May 22, 2007, the court noted that liability was stipulated to by the parties. This statement is not supported by the record. Liability was determined by the court on summary judgment by oral ruling on May 7, 2007. A written judgment was signed by the court on May 11, 2007, and a suspensive appeal was filed by American Alternative alleging that ruling was improper. The stipulation entered into by the parties regarding liability was that Dotson was in the course and scope of his employment with the Rapides Parish School Board at the time of the accident, not that Dotson was in any way liable for the accident.

While this is likely a misstatement made by the court, we note that the record is clear that the parties did not stipulate liability in the case at bar. Moreover, the trial court had already ruled on liability in the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment filed by the plaintiffs and that ruling had been properly appealed.

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Peters v. American Alternative Insurance Co., 976 So. 2d 813, 7 La.App. 3 Cir. 972, 2008 La. App. LEXIS 207, 2008 WL 375920 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

976 So. 2d 813 (Peters v. American Alternative Insurance Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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