Richard v. Brasseaux

50 So. 3d 282, 10 La.App. 3 Cir. 409, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 1465, 2010 WL 4320424
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 3, 2010
Docket10-409, 10-410, 10-411
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 50 So. 3d 282 (Richard v. Brasseaux) 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
Richard v. Brasseaux, 50 So. 3d 282, 10 La.App. 3 Cir. 409, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 1465, 2010 WL 4320424 (La. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

GREMILLION, Judge.

|,In these consolidated appeals, Ashley Nero and Andrew Richard, Susan Richard, and Jenna Richard (the Richards) (collectively the plaintiffs) appeal the grant of summary judgment in favor of Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company and Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company (collectively Farm Bureau). For the following reasons, we affirm.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On the last day of school in May 2005, Jenna Richard was operating a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am. 1 Candice Brasseaux was the front-seat passenger. Ashley Nero and three others, Tiffany Mareeaux, Ryan Mat-lock, and Ryan Leger were seated in the rear. So inspired was she by the song “Swerve” that began to play on the radio, Brasseaux jerked the steering wheel causing Richard to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle subsequently flipped and landed in a ditch. As a result of this accident, multiple lawsuits were filed.

This appeal involves two insurance policies issued to Candice Brasseaux’s mother, Masel Brasseaux. Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company issued a standard automobile liability policy, Policy No. A366310, insuring a 2000 F150 Ford pickup truck (the automobile policy). Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company issued a standard homeowner’s policy, Policy No. DP 102732, to Masel, insuring a premise located in Rayne, Louisiana (the homeowner’s policy).

Farm Bureau first filed a motion for summary judgment on the automobile policy arguing that there was no coverage under the policy since | ¡.Brasseaux did not have expressed or implied permission to grab the steering wheel. Farm Bureau then filed a motion for summary judgment on the homeowner’s policy arguing that there was no coverage under the “Intentional Act” exclusion or the “Ownership Maintenance and Use” exclusion. Following a February 2009 hearing on the motions for summary judgment, the trial court granted summary judgment in Farm Bureau’s favor finding there was no genuine issue of material fact that Brasseaux did not have express or implied permission to swerve the steering wheel. It further found that there was no genuine issue of material fact that Brasseaux’s acts were intentional, excluding any coverage under the homeowner’s policy. The plaintiffs now appeal.

Nero assigns as error:

1. The trial court’s finding that a guest passenger who grabbed the steering wheel in reaction to a song constituted driving within the exclusion against an unauthorized person using the vehicle and that this act was an intentional act.
2. A genuine issue of material fact was presented whether Brasseaux had *285 implied permission to become a permissive operator of said vehicle.
3. Material fact existed as to whether Brasseaux’s actions constituted an intentional action within Farm Bureau’s policy exclusions.

The Richards, represented by separate counsel, fail to assign any errors, but present the issue for review as: Whether Farm Bureau is entitled to judgment as a matter of law according to La.Code Civ.P. art. 966, namely, that there is no genuine issue of material fact regarding whether Farm Bureau provided coverage.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

On appeal, summary judgments are reviewed do novo. Magnon v. Collins, 98-2822 (La.7/7/99), 789 So.2d 191. Thus, the appellate court asks the same questions the trial court asks to determine whether summary judgment is appropriate. Id. This inquiry seeks to determine whether any genuine issues of material fact exist and whether the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. La.Code Civ.P. art. 966(B) and (C). Judgment should be rendered in favor of the movant if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions on file, and affidavits show a lack of factual support for an essential element of the opposing party’s claim. Id. If the opposing party cannot produce any evidence to suggest that he will be able to meet his evidentiary burden at trial, no genuine issues of material fact exist. Id.

Material facts are those that determine the outcome of the legal dispute. Soileau v. D & J Tire, Inc., 97-318 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/8/97), 702 So.2d 818, writ denied, 97-2737 (La.1/16/98), 706 So.2d 979. In deciding whether certain facts are material to an action, we look to the applicable substantive law. Id. Finally, summary judgment procedure is favored and designed to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action. La.Code Civ.P. art. 966(A)(2).

The rules concerning the interpretation of insurance contracts were set forth by this court in State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Cooper, 97-1134, p.3 (La.App. 3 Cir. 2/18/98), 707 So.2d 986, 988, unit denied, 98-0713 (La.5/1/98), 718 So.2d 412, citing Crabtree v. State Farm Insurance Co., 93-0509 (La.2/28/94), 632 So.2d 736, 741 (footnotes omitted):

An insurance policy is a contract between the parties and should be construed using the general rules of interpretation of contracts set forth in the Civil Code. Louisiana Ins. Guar. Ass’n v. Interstate Fire & Casualty Co., 93-0911, P.5 (La.1/14/94), 630 So.2d 759, 763; Smith v. Matthews, 611 So.2d 1377, 1379 (La.1993); Schroeder v. Board of Supervisors of La. State Univ., 591 So.2d 342, 345 (La.1991). If the words of the policy are clear and explicit and lead to no absurd consequences, no further interpretation may be made in search of the | ¿parties’ intent and the agreement must be enforced as written. Smith, 611 So.2d at 1379; Central La. Elec. Co. v. Westinghouse Elec. Corp., 579 So.2d 981, 985(La.l991); Pareti v. Sentry Indem. Co., 536 So.2d 417, 420(La.1988); see La.Civ.Code art. 2046. An insurance policy should not be interpreted in an unreasonable or strained manner so as to enlarge or restrict its provisions beyond what is reasonably contemplated by its terms or so as to achieve an absurd conclusion. Interstate, 93-0911, p. 5. 630 So.2d at 763; Fertitta v. Palmer, 252 La. 336, 211 So.2d 282, 285 (1968). The policy should be construed as a whole and one portion thereof should not be construed separately at the expense of disregarding another. Westinghouse, 579 So.2d at *286 985; Pareti, 536 So.2d at 420; see La. Civ.Code art. 2050. If after applying the other general rules of construction an ambiguity remains, the ambiguous contractual provision is to be construed against the insurer who issued the policy and in favor of the insured. Interstate, 93-0911, p.6, 630 So.2d at 764; Smith, 611 So.2d at 1379; Pareti, 536 So.2d at 420; see La.Civ.Code art.

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Bluebook (online)
50 So. 3d 282, 10 La.App. 3 Cir. 409, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 1465, 2010 WL 4320424, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richard-v-brasseaux-lactapp-2010.