Quest v. Joseph

392 So. 2d 256
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJanuary 7, 1981
Docket78-2090
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 392 So. 2d 256 (Quest v. Joseph) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Quest v. Joseph, 392 So. 2d 256 (Fla. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

392 So.2d 256 (1980)

Edward S. QUEST et al., Appellants,
v.
Leon JOSEPH, Etc. et al., Appellees.

No. 78-2090.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.

May 20, 1980.
On Rehearing January 7, 1981.

Magill, Sevier & Reid and Kevin P. O'Connor, Miami, for appellants.

Horton, Perse & Ginsberg, Hawkesworth & Schmick, Miami, for appellees.

Before HAVERFIELD, C.J., and BARKDULL and HENDRY, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Defendant, Edward Quest, appeals an adverse final judgment and the withholding of execution of judgment on his third party claim for contribution in an action for damages arising out of a motor vehicle pedestrian accident.

On the day in question, plaintiff Daren Joseph, a minor, was riding a tricycle (known as a Big Wheel) down a slight incline of the driveway at his home and into the street, at which time he was struck by a vehicle owned by Edward Quest and driven by his wife, Marion. Leon Joseph, individually and on behalf of Daren, sued Quest, his wife, and their liability insurer for damages as a result of the accident. Eyewitness testimony was conflicting as to whether Daren darted out of the driveway into the path of the oncoming Quest vehicle or whether he had been in the street for a number of seconds before the accident. Nevertheless, it was uncontroverted that Daren's mother knew he was riding his Big Wheel down the driveway and into the street. Quest alleged that Daren's mother was negligent in her supervision and filed a third party complaint for contribution against her. The cause was tried by jury which apportioned the negligence amongst the parties as follows:

*257
      Leon Joseph      10%
      Daren Joseph     10%
      Marion Quest     55%
      Ellen Joseph     25%

In addition, the jury assessed Daren Joseph's total damages at $150,000 and those of his father, Leon, at $17,000. The trial court entered final judgment[1] accordingly awarding Daren the net sum of $135,000, his father, Leon, $13,600 and Quest, on his third party complaint, $37,150. However, execution on the $37,150 judgment was stayed until Quest paid the $135,000 and $13,600 judgments. Quest appeals and alleges that the court (1) improperly apportioned the jury verdict, and (2) should have permitted a reduction or set-off of the award against him in the main claim by that amount he recovered on his third party claim against Ellen Joseph. Leon Joseph cross-appeals and urges as error the entry of judgment against his wife, Ellen, for contribution.

The dispositive issue in the case at bar is that presented on cross-appeal, whether or not a right of contribution existed from Ellen Joseph, the mother of the minor child Daren.

Joseph argues that his wife Ellen is immune from liability by virtue of the family immunity doctrine and therefore cannot be considered a joint tortfeasor from whom Quest is entitled to contribution. See 3-M Elec. Corp. v. Vigoa, 369 So.2d 405 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979). Nevertheless, our Supreme Court in Shor v. Paoli, 353 So.2d 825 (Fla. 1978), held that the common law doctrine of interspousal immunity does not prevent a tortfeasor from seeking contribution from another tortfeasor under the Uniform Contribution Among Joint Tortfeasors' Act (Section 768.31, Florida Statutes [1975]) even though the other tortfeasor is the spouse of the successful plaintiff. The court in Shor, supra, reasoned as follows:

"The doctrine of family or interspousal immunity is based on the desirability of the preservation of the family unit. The law of contribution of joint tortfeasors is meant to apportion the responsibility to pay innocent injured third parties between or among those causing the injury. "In the case at bar it was determined that both Paoli and Shor caused the injury. Shor's husband collected 100% of his damages from Paoli. To say that Shor doesn't have to contribute and account for her wrongdoing would be unfair to Paoli and a windfall to Shor. This is not a case where the husband sued the wife on account of her negligence so we are not doing any real damage to the doctrine. This is a case where the joint tortfeasor sued the joint tortfeasor and we are ruling in support of that statute." ... 353 So.2d at 826

Likewise, the instant case does not present a situation where the minor Daren Joseph is suing his mother Ellen for negligence or Leon is suing Ellen as his wife. She as well as Quest was found by the jury to have been negligent, thus having caused Daren's injuries. To hold that Ellen does not have to contribute and account for her wrongdoing would be unfair to Quest and a windfall to Ellen. Under the facts of this case we find that Quest is entitled to contribution and judgment was properly entered in his favor on his third party complaint. To the extent that 3-M Elec. Corp. v. Vigoa, 369 So.2d 405 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979), supra, (which we believe is distinguishable on the facts) is inconsistent with the present holding, we hereby recede from the holding in 3-M *258 Elec. Corp. We further note that the 3-M Elec. Corp. case relied upon Mieure v. Moore, 330 So.2d 546 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976) which was overruled by Shor v. Paoli, 353 So.2d 825 (Fla. 1978), supra, insofar as the holdings were inconsistent. Thus, we find no reversible error has been presented by Josephs on cross-appeal.

We next considered Quest's arguments on appeal that the trial court improperly apportioned the jury verdict and erred in failing to permit a reduction in the judgment against him.[2]

Quest having admitted that the above arguments have been decided adversely to his position, we find no merit therein. See Metropolitan Dade County v. Asusta, 359 So.2d 58 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978); Moore v. St. Cloud Utilities, 337 So.2d 982 (Fla. 4th DCA 1976).

For the reasons stated, the judgments on the complaint and cross-complaint are affirmed.

Affirmed.

ON REHEARING EN BANC

Before HUBBART, C.J., and BARKDULL, HENDRY, SCHWARTZ, NESBITT, BASKIN and PEARSON, JJ.

SCHWARTZ, Judge.

Based on the fact that the panel opinion conflicts with and specifically recedes from our prior decision in 3-M Electric Corp. v. Vigoa, 369 So.2d 405 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979), upon our own motion we ordered and have heard reargument en banc. Fla.R.App.P. 9.331(c)(1). We now adhere to the conclusion that an action for contribution may be maintained against the parent of an injured minor child-plaintiff, notwithstanding the child's inability to sue the parent directly and even when the parent's liability involves the negligent supervision of the child. Thus, we confirm the consignment of 3-M to oblivion.

As the panel opinion indicates, our holding to this effect is founded upon the determination in Shor v. Paoli, 353 So.2d 825 (Fla. 1977), that the doctrine of interspousal immunity does not include or preclude a contribution action by a defendant-tort-feasor against the spouse of the injured plaintiff. In Florida Farm Bureau Ins. Co. v. Government Employees Ins. Co., 387 So.2d 932 (Fla. 1980), the supreme court emphatically reiterated this principle in a decision which was significantly rendered after it had similarly readhered to the immunity rule itself. Raisen v. Raisen, 379 So.2d 352 (Fla. 1979).

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Bluebook (online)
392 So. 2d 256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/quest-v-joseph-fladistctapp-1981.