Robertson v. LaPlace Concrete, Inc.

560 So. 2d 561, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 960, 1990 WL 48736
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 11, 1990
DocketNo. 89-CA-711
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 560 So. 2d 561 (Robertson v. LaPlace Concrete, 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
Robertson v. LaPlace Concrete, Inc., 560 So. 2d 561, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 960, 1990 WL 48736 (La. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

CHEHARDY, Chief Judge.

Defendant, LaPlace Concrete, Inc. (La-Place) appeals from a judgment rendered in favor of plaintiff Edward Robertson in a suit based on the intentional tort exclusion of the worker’s compensation act, LSA-R.S. 23:1032. Robertson was injured when he fell over a bathtub located on company premises during an argument with the company’s president, Wayne Kimball.

On appeal defendant asserts it was error for the trial judge to find that defendant Wayne Kimball pushed plaintiff causing him to fall over the bathtub and, further, that the trial judge erred in failing to apply the exclusivity provision of the worker’s compensation act barring plaintiff's suit. In addition, defendant claims LaPlace cannot be held liable because the trial judge failed to include the alleged tort-feasor Kimball in its judgment. Defendant lastly asserts the damages awarded by the trial court are excessive.

Plaintiff filed an answer to the appeal in this case. For his part, he asserts Wayne Kimball should have been found liable along with LaPlace in the trial court judgment.

Plaintiff was employed by LaPlace as a driver of a cement mixing truck in November 1985. On the day of the incident in question, November 14, 1985, Robertson reported as usual for work. Since he and his truck were not needed that day, his supervisor, Kimball, ordered plaintiff to clean out the truck’s cement mixer, a procedure that was generally followed on slow days.

At some point between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., plaintiff entered the dispatcher’s office where Kimball was working. An argument ensued regarding plaintiff’s failure to clean his mixer. During the argument, Kimball grabbed Robertson’s arm to remove him from the office. Robertson pulled away and Kimball pushed him.

Both men then went outside the dispatcher’s office where they continued “fussing”. As the dispute continued, plaintiff backed up and fell into a four-legged porcelain bathtub. The bathtub was placed in the yard to block vehicular traffic from traversing the area in order to protect cables located there. In the fall plaintiff injured his head, side and leg. He then left the company’s premises and did not return except to pick up his paycheck the following day.

As a result of the accident, plaintiff went to see Dr. Christy Montegut, a specialist in family practice. Dr. Montegut treated plaintiff from November 21, 1985 until February 1986 for tenderness in his right knee, [563]*563his scalp, muscle spasms and tenderness in his neck and tenderness in his right posteri- or rib cage. She released him to return to work in late February 1986.

Plaintiff filed suit against defendants La-Place and Kimball in February 1986 alleging the intentional tort exception to the Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Act. Trial was held December 12, 1988 and a judgment was rendered in January 1989 in plaintiffs favor. The judgment, however, erroneously awarded worker’s compensation benefits instead of tort damages. Consequently, a motion for new trial was filed, argued and granted resulting in a judgment for general damages in the amount of $3,750.00; medical expenses totalling $858.71, and $3,915.00 in lost wages.

LaPlace first asserts the trial judge could only have found it liable if he determined Kimball intentionally pushed or shoved plaintiff so that he was forced to fall over the bathtub. He contends the evidence as a whole fails to show by a preponderance that Kimball touched plaintiff at all at this stage of the dispute. LaPlace cites Kimball’s denials in his testimony and Robertson’s inconsistent statements in his testimony to support its contention in this regard.

A review of the evidence reveals both parties, for the most part, agree as to the events leading to plaintiff’s fall. They agree that Kimball grabbed and pushed plaintiff while they were in the office. They agree Kimball was upset and “fussing” with plaintiff and that plaintiff was arguing in response to Kimball’s accusations that he was not doing his job. The testimony, however, diverges on the point of whether Kimball pushed plaintiff over the bathtub. There is also some question as to whether the incident occurred at 7:30 a.m. (30 minutes after plaintiff punched in for work) or 9:30 (2 hours following plaintiff’s arrival).

Robertson testified Kimball was in a “bad mood” when he arrived at work that day. He stated he was told to clean the mixer, but washed his truck first. Before beginning the cleaning job he went into the office, where Kimball was engaged in dispatching, to retrieve a “part or “tool”. Plaintiff testified that while he was there Kimball questioned him as to why he was not cleaning the mixer. He stated Kimball was angry despite plaintiff’s response that he was getting ready to start the job and that Kimball shoved him twice before leaving the office. Once outside, plaintiff said the argument continued and Kimball pushed him again causing him to back up. When asked why he was shoving plaintiff, plaintiff testified Kimball asked him what he was going to do about it and shoved him once more. This time, plaintiff said, he fell backward into the bathtub which was behind him during the quarrel in the yard.

Kimball testified plaintiff had not cleaned his mixer as ordered and that when plaintiff came into the office it “upset" him. While there, he stated he grabbed plaintiff’s arm to propel or guide him outside. He also admitted he pushed plaintiff, but said he did so in order to “get distance” so that he could leave the office, and because plaintiff had a hand in his pocket, and, as many of the workers did for work purposes, plaintiff was known to carry a knife. While he stated plaintiff often “showed off” his ability to “quick draw” the knife, he admitted plaintiff had never used it in a hostile or threatening manner, nor had he ever been violent to his knowledge.

Kimball stated that once the two left the office they continued “fussing”. He acknowledged the fact that plaintiff was backing away from him during the altercation, but denied touching plaintiff. He asserted he did not know why plaintiff moved backwards, but testified he, Kimball, might have been moving toward plaintiff. At any rate, Kimball said, plaintiff did not fall, but sort of leaned over the tub. Kimball also stated he did not see any cuts or bruises on plaintiff, who left the premises immediately after the incident.

The trial judge herein found as a matter of fact that Kimball was the aggressor in a battery which caused plaintiff’s injuries. While the findings were initially made part of a judgment awarding plaintiff worker’s compensation benefits, the later corrected [564]*564judgment awarding tort damages indicates the trial judge had implicitly reaffirmed his factual finding.'

Because the testimony as to the fall was contradictory and there were no witnesses to the event, the trial judge had to make a credibility determination in this case. While we recognize plaintiffs testimony had some inconsistencies, we also note they were minor, and Kimball’s testimony was equally inconsistent regarding, in particular, the time the event occurred. (He asserted it happened at 9:30 a.m., but on cross-examination and in his statement made after the incident, stated it occurred at 7:30 a.m.).

The facts as found by the trial judge must be given great weight by the appellate court and are not to be disturbed absent a finding of manifest error. Arceneaux v. Domingue, 365 So.2d 1330 (La.1978).

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Bluebook (online)
560 So. 2d 561, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 960, 1990 WL 48736, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robertson-v-laplace-concrete-inc-lactapp-1990.