Richard v. Metro Bingo of Lafayette, Inc.

926 So. 2d 83, 2006 WL 784877
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 29, 2006
DocketCW 05-293
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 926 So. 2d 83 (Richard v. Metro Bingo of Lafayette, Inc.) 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. Metro Bingo of Lafayette, Inc., 926 So. 2d 83, 2006 WL 784877 (La. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

926 So.2d 83 (2006)

Herbert P. RICHARD and Bridget Richard
v.
METRO BINGO OF LAFAYETTE, INC., et al.

No. CW 05-293.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

March 29, 2006.

*84 Melvin A. Eiden, Rabalais, Hanna & Hebert, Lafayette, Louisiana, for Defendants/Appellants Metro Bingo of Lafayette, Inc., Western World Insurance Company.

Robert M. Kallam, Jennifer A. Wells, Jonathan L. Woods, Preis, Kraft & Roy, Lafayette, Louisiana, for Defendants/Appellees Lafayette Athletic Association of the Deaf, Inc., Alea London Limited.

Allen R. Ingram, Lafayette, Louisiana, for Plaintiffs Herbert P. Richard, Bridget Richard.

Court composed of JOHN D. SAUNDERS, MICHAEL G. SULLIVAN, and J. DAVID PAINTER, Judges.

SULLIVAN, Judge.

All Defendants in this slip-and-fall litigation filed motions for summary judgment. The motion filed by Defendants, Metro Bingo of Lafayette (Metro Bingo) and its insurer, Western World Insurance Company (Western World), was denied, while the motion for summary judgment filed by Defendants, Lafayette Athletic Association of the Deaf (LAAD) and its insurer, Alea London Limited (Alea), was granted. Metro Bingo filed a writ application, seeking reversal of the trial court's denial of its motion for summary judgment, and appealed the trial court's grant of summary judgment in favor of LAAD and Alea. The two matters were consolidated by order of this court. For the following reasons, the writ application is denied, and the judgments of the trial court are affirmed.

Facts

On Sunday, June 15, 2003, Herbert Richard drove his mother to Metro Bingo in Lafayette for her to play bingo. He escorted her into the establishment, carrying her bingo supplies, which he placed *85 upon the table where she was going to sit. While he was in the establishment, one of his feet slipped in water on the floor, and he fell, hitting the floor. Mr. Richard's back and right leg were injured in the incident. All parties agree this occurred at approximately 1:15 p.m.

Metro Bingo owns the building where Mr. Richard was injured. It leases the building to various charitable and non-profit organizations to operate bingo games; LAAD is one of its lessees. Metro Bingo prepared the lease with LAAD. It is responsible for maintenance of the leased premises, and its manager is in charge of the building at all times. The manager controls access to the building; he opens the doors which allows the public to enter the building for bingo games.

The day of Mr. Richard's accident LAAD had two leases with Metro Bingo. One lease was for the period from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. "every Tuesday of each week during the years stated." The second lease was for the period from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 15, 2003. LAAD's rent is $675.00 per bingo session. On June 15, 2003, LAAD could not begin selling tickets until 1:30 p.m., or it would have been in violation of the charitable gaming license it was issued to operate bingo games. Its bingo games for that day did not begin until 2:30 p.m.; they were the first games of the day.

Mr. Richard and his wife filed suit against Metro Bingo and LAAD and their insurers, seeking damages. Metro Bingo and Western World filed a cross claim against LAAD and Alea for defense and indemnity. Metro Bingo alleged that, pursuant to its lease agreement with LAAD and the Additional Insured endorsement of an insurance policy issued in favor of LAAD by Alea, LAAD and Alea owed it indemnity for the Richards' claims and for its own defense costs and attorney fees.

LAAD and Alea filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting that Alea's policy did not provide coverage to Metro Bingo and that LAAD was not liable for the Richards' damages. Metro Bingo and Western World then filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting that Alea owes it a defense and indemnity. The trial court granted LAAD and Alea's motion for summary judgment but denied Metro Bingo and Western World's motion for summary judgment.

Standard of Review

Appellate courts review motions for summary judgments de novo, asking the same questions the trial court asks to determine whether summary judgment is appropriate. Champagne v. Ward, 03-3211 (La.1/19/05), 893 So.2d 773. This inquiry seeks to determine whether any genuine issue of material fact exists and whether the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. La.Code Civ.P. art. 966(B). "[F]acts are material if they potentially insure or preclude recovery, affect a litigant's ultimate success, or determine the outcome of a legal dispute." Smith v. Our Lady of the Lake Hosp., Inc., 93-2512, p. 27 (La.7/5/94), 639 So.2d 730, 751, (quoting S. La. Bank v. Williams, 591 So.2d 375, 377 (La.App. 3 Cir.1991), writ denied, 596 So.2d 211 (La.1992)).

A motion for summary judgment will be granted if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. La.Code Civ.P. art. 966(B). Summary judgment is favored and shall be construed "to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action." La.Code Civ.P. art. 966(A)(2).

*86 The initial burden of proof remains with the mover to show that no genuine issue of material fact exists. However, if the mover will not bear the burden of proof at trial, he need not negate all essential elements of the adverse party's claim, but he must point out that there is an absence of factual support for one or more elements essential to the claim. La.Code Civ.P. art. 966(C)(2). Once the mover has met his initial burden of proof, the burden shifts to the non-moving party to produce factual support sufficient to establish that he will be able to satisfy his evidentiary burden at trial. Id.

Discussion

In its writ and appeal, Metro Bingo argues the trial court erred in finding that it was not entitled to additional insured status and coverage under the Alea policy for the claims of Mr. Richard and that Alea did not have a duty to defend it in this litigation. In its appeal, Metro Bingo contends the trial court erred in determining that LAAD did not have independent or concurrent tort liability and that it was not an additional insured under Alea's policy.

LAAD's Liability and Alea's Coverage

The trial court determined that LAAD had no liability herein and that Metro Bingo was not an additional insured under Alea's policy. Metro Bingo argues that, pursuant to the terms of LAAD's lease and Alea's policy, Mr. Richard's incident "arises out of" LAAD's use of the premises; therefore, LAAD has liability for the Richards' claims, and it is an Additional Insured under Alea's policy.

Metro Bingo's lease agreement obligates LAAD as follows:

Lessee has inspected the leased premises thoroughly and agrees that the bingo hall is suitably equipped and in safe and proper condition for the safe conduct of Lessee's bingo sessions and agrees to provide Lessor with certificates of insurance in an insurance company carrying Comprehensive General Liability with $500,000.00 and which names Lessor as an additional insured, and further which policy will hold Lessor harmless against any and all claims for bodily injury and/or property damage, including cost of attorney fees for defending and all claims arising out of Lessee's occupation of the Leased premises and the conduct of their bingo sessions.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
926 So. 2d 83, 2006 WL 784877, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richard-v-metro-bingo-of-lafayette-inc-lactapp-2006.