Redding v. Essex Crane Rental Corp.

500 So. 2d 880
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 23, 1986
DocketCA 85 1442
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 500 So. 2d 880 (Redding v. Essex Crane Rental Corp.) 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
Redding v. Essex Crane Rental Corp., 500 So. 2d 880 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

500 So.2d 880 (1986)

Kenneth REDDING and Rhonda G. Redding, Individually and His Wife For Themselves and On Behalf Of Their Minor Children
v.
ESSEX CRANE RENTAL CORPORATION OF ALABAMA, et al.

No. CA 85 1442.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

December 23, 1986.
Writ Denied February 13, 1987.

*881 Richard Talaheim, Jr., Thibodaux, for plaintiffs and appellants.

Robert Picou, Houma, for defendant and appellee — Hope Contractors and Reliance Ins. Co.

W. Keith Hurtt, Jr., Metairie, for defendant and appellee — Mayer-Hammant Equipment.

Before SAVOIE, CRAIN and JOHN S. COVINGTON, JJ.

JOHN S. COVINGTON, Judge.

This is an appeal of a judgment by the trial court sustaining a motion for summary judgment and dismissing plaintiffs' claims against certain defendants.

Plaintiffs, Kenneth Redding (Redding) and his wife Rhonda, both individually and on behalf of their minor children, brought this tort action seeking damages for injuries sustained by Redding in a work-related accident against Redding's employer, Hope Contractors, Inc., and its executive officers Jim McDaniels, Buddy Matherne and Phillip Hebert. Also named as defendants in plaintiffs' original petition are Essex Crane Rental Corporation of Alabama (Essex) and its executive officers; ODECO[1] and its executive officers; J.P. and Sons, Inc.; and the various insurers of the named defendants, identified only as "ABC, DEF, GHI, and JKL Insurance Companies". Mayer-Hammant Equipment, Inc. (Mayer-Hammant) was added as a defendant by plaintiffs' amended petition.

A peremptory exception, pleading the objections of no cause of action and no right of action, was filed on behalf of Hope Contractors, Inc. (Hope) and its executive officers. After a hearing on the exception it was overruled by the trial court. J.P. and Sons, Inc. also filed a peremptory exception pleading the objection of no cause of action. There is nothing in the record to indicate what action, if any, has been taken by the trial court with reference to this exception.

Additionally Hope and its executive officers filed a motion for summary judgment on the grounds that workman's compensation provides the exclusive remedy available to plaintiffs against these defendants. A motion for summary judgment was also filed on behalf of Mayer-Hammant. After a hearing on these motions, the trial court rendered judgment in favor of Hope and its executive officers and then took the motion filed by Mayer-Hammant under advisement. The motion for summary judgment filed by Mayer-Hammant was subsequently denied by the trial court.

On August 20, 1985, written judgment was signed granting the motion for summary judgment filed on behalf of Hope and dismissing plaintiffs' claims against Hope Contractors, Inc., its executive officers — Jim McDaniels, Buddy Matherne and Phillip Hebert, and its insurer, Reliance Insurance Company. It is from this adverse judgment that plaintiffs are appealing devolutively.

FACTS

Redding was employed as a pipe-fitter/welder by Hope. Hope's business premises or "yard" is located in Dulac, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. For several days prior to his accident, Redding was involved in the assembling of a crane and its boom. On the date of the accident, October 17, 1983, Redding was one of several Hope employees engaged in the process of spreading a cable through the crane's boom. Among the Hope employees thus engaged were those defendants alleged to be Hope's executive officers. *882 Spreading of the cable was accomplished by the men walking out from the base of the crane, up along the length of the boom, towards the end of the boom. On the day of the accident, Redding had been at work from 7:00 a.m. until approximately 10:45 p.m. when the accident occurred. Redding either slipped or was knocked off of the boom and fell, landing back first on the base of the crane's boom.

The crane involved in the accident was owned by Essex and leased to ODECO. The crane had been delivered to and placed in position in Hope's yard by J.P. and Sons, Inc. The lighting plant and equipment used to illuminate the yard at the time of the accident was owned and supplied by Mayer-Mannant to Essex.

As a result of the accident, Redding has received and continues to receive medical benefits and workman's compensation payments from Hope's compensation insurer, Reliance Insurance Company.

In their petition, plaintiffs allege that the accident was caused by unsafe and hazardous work conditions, in particular the absence of a walkway along the length of the boom and insufficient lighting of the work area. In their petition, plaintiffs claim that Hope was "negligent, at fault, strictly liable, and responsible" in failing to provide a safe work environment and in requiring or permitting the work to continue in spite of these hazardous conditions. It is plaintiffs' contention that Hope's refusal to stop the job or Hope's allowing the job to continue was an intentional tort because Hope was aware of the dangerous work conditions and the likelihood that an accident would occur as a result of such conditions.

The trial court found that there was no intentional act on the part of Hope and/or its executive officers within the meaning of LSA-R.S. 23:1032, thus plaintiffs' only action and remedy against Hope would be a claim for workman's compensation benefits pursuant to Louisiana's Workman's Compensation Law, LSA-R.S. 23:1021 et seq.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Plaintiffs-appellants contend that the trial court erred in sustaining the motion for summary judgment and dismissing their claims against Hope and its executive officers because:

1. plaintiffs are entitled to bring a tort action against Hope and its executive officers under the principles of Bazley v. Tortorich, 397 So.2d 475 (La.1981);

2. the immunity provision of LSA-R.S. 23:1032 should not be applicable to or binding on the spouse and children of an injured employee because they have an independent claim for their damages; and

3. if LSA-R.S. 23:1032 is applied to the spouse and children of an injured employee, it violates the Louisiana Constitution because it deprives the spouse and children of property without due process of law, it fails to provide equal protection of the laws, and it denies them access to the courts.

The issues thus presented for review may be summarized as follows:

1. What is the legal meaning of the exception from the exclusivity of the workers' compensation remedy for the "intentional act" of a co-employee. Under the proper meaning and interpretation, do the facts presented support plaintiffs' allegation that an intentional act was committed by Hope and/or its executive officers.

2. Does the immunity from tort liability in the Louisiana Workman's Compensation Law, LSA-R.S. 23:1021 et seq., bar a consortium suit against the employer by the spouse and children of an employee injured under circumstances entitling him to medical and compensation benefits under LSA-R.S. 23:1021 et seq.

3. Does LSA-R.S. 23:1032 deny the spouse and children of an injured employee, covered under the Louisiana Workman's Compensation Law, property rights without due process of law or violate the constitutional rights of equal protection of the law and access to the courts.

THE INTENTIONAL ACT EXCLUSION

(ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1)

LSA-R.S. 23:1032 provides:

*883

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
500 So. 2d 880, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/redding-v-essex-crane-rental-corp-lactapp-1986.