Rogers v. Commercial Union Ins. Co.

796 So. 2d 862, 1 La.App. 3 Cir. 0443, 2001 La. App. LEXIS 2139, 2001 WL 1161351
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 3, 2001
Docket01-443
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 796 So. 2d 862 (Rogers v. Commercial Union Ins. Co.) 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
Rogers v. Commercial Union Ins. Co., 796 So. 2d 862, 1 La.App. 3 Cir. 0443, 2001 La. App. LEXIS 2139, 2001 WL 1161351 (La. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

796 So.2d 862 (2001)

Tanya ROGERS
v.
COMMERCIAL UNION INSURANCE COMPANY, et al.

No. 01-443.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

October 3, 2001.

*863 William M. Ford, Attorney at Law, Alexandria LA, Counsel for: Tanya Rogers.

Samuel Newman Poole Jr., Gold, Weems, Bruser, Sues, Alexandria, LA, Counsel for: Continental Insurance Company Brian Michener.

*864 Court composed of ULYSSES GENE THIBODEAUX, SYLVIA R. COOKS, and JOHN D. SAUNDERS, Judges.

SAUNDERS, Judge.

On appeal, Continental Insurance Company (Continental) and Brian Michener assert that the trial court erred in granting a judgment in favor of Tanya Rogers for $1,179.36 in damages and $5,000.00 in penalties. For the following reasons, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

FACTS

This suit arose out of an accident which happened on November 11, 1999. On that day, Tanya Rogers' automobile was parked in a private parking lot near her apartment, and Brian Michener was repairing his truck. Michener removed the drive shaft from his pickup truck which caused his truck to roll downhill and land on the hood of Rogers' car. At the time of the accident, Tanya Rogers was uninsured.

Ms. Rogers reported the accident to Continental Insurance Company, Michener's insurer, on the same day the accident occurred. Continental immediately advised Rogers of the "No Pay, No Play" statute explaining that her recovery may be barred because she was uninsured. Continental then took a statement from Michener, the insured. Four days later, Continental informed Rogers that her claim was being denied under the statute. As a result, Ms. Roger sued Michener and Continental for damages, penalties and attorney's fees.

PROCEDURAL FACTS

A trial was held in this matter on August 24, 2000, in Pineville City Court. On October 5, 2000, the trial court issued its Written Reasons for Judgment. The court ruled that Roger was entitled to damages despite her lack of insurance, that Continental was "arbitrary and capricious", that Continental "did not timely adjust the claim", and that Continental "failed to make a tender within the period required by Louisiana law." The trial court judge awarded Ms. Rogers $1,179.36 in damages to her vehicle, plus a $5,000.00 penalty and $3,500.00 in attorney's fees under the statute.

On October 6, 2000, the defendants filed Motion for New Trial. After hearing the arguments, the trial court rendered a revised judgment on February 1, 2001, in which the $3,500.00 attorney's fee award was vacated; however, the trial court maintained the $1,179.36 in damages and the $5,000.000 penalty. Continental then filed this appeal.

LAW AND ANALYSIS

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

On appeal, Michener and Continental assert the following three assignments of error:

1. The trial court committed legal error in awarding damages to the uninsured owner of a vehicle whose recovery was prohibited by Louisiana's "no pay, no play" statute (La.R.S.32:866).
2. The trial court committed legal error in using the estimated cost of repair as the measure of damages for a vehicle whose value was less than the cost to repair it.
3. The trial court committed legal error in finding that a failure to pay a disputed insurance claim within 14 days constituted a failure to adjust a claim as required by La.R.S. 22:658(A)(3).

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The reviewing court must give great weight to the factual conclusions of the trial court. Darbonne v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2000-551 (La.App. 3 Cir. *865 11/14/00), 774 So.2d 1022, 1025. Manifest error is the standard used by appellate courts to resolve conflicting factual evidence. Ambrose v. New Orleans Police Department Ambulance Service, 93-3099 (La.7/5/94), 639 So.2d 216. For the reviewing court, the issue to be resolved is not whether the trier of fact was wrong but whether the factfinder's conclusions were reasonable. Stobart v. State, Through DOTD, 617 So.2d 880, (La.1993).

CONTINENTAL AND MICHENER

FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

In their first assignment of error, Continental and Michener assert that the trial court erred in awarding damages to Rogers, an uninsured motorist, because it was prohibited by Louisiana's "no pay, no play" statute, La.R.S. 32:866.

At the time of the accident, La.R.S. 32:866 provided in pertinent part:

A(1) There shall be no recovery for the first ten thousand dollars of bodily injury and no recovery for the first ten thousand dollars of property damage based on any cause or right of action arising out of a motor vehicle accident, for such injury or damages occasioned by an owner of operator of a motor vehicle in such accident who fails to own or maintain compulsory motor vehicle liability security....
A(3) The limitation of recovery provisions of this Subsection does not apply if the driver of the other vehicle: (a) is cited for a violation of R.S. 14:98 as a result of the accident and is subsequently convicted of or pleads nolo contendere to such offences; (b) intentionally causes the accident; (c) flees from the scene of the accident; and, (d) at the time of the accident, is in furtherance of the commission of a felony offense under the law.

The appellants argue that the accident occurred when La.R.S. 32:866 barred recovery for damages sustained by an uninsured except in the above four exceptions. They argue that the statute did apply to parked vehicles because such a situation was not specifically enumerated in one of the exceptions.

We find that this argument is without merit for two reasons. First, according to Louisiana jurisprudence at the time of the accident, the statute does not apply to legally parked vehicles. Gibbs v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, 99-1242 (La.App. 4 Cir. 10/13/99) 746 So.2d 685, writ denied XXXX-XXXX (La.1/14/00) 753 So.2d 220. The purpose of LSA-R.S. 32:866 is to discourage the operation of uninsured vehicles. To apply the law to parked vehicles would not accomplish the purpose. Likewise, the statute is not intended to deprive owners of parked vehicles of the right to recover property damage. Id. at 686.

Second, in 1999, the Legislature amended La.R.S. 32:866(H) to state, "[t]he provisions of this Part shall not apply to any vehicle which is legally parked at the time of the accident." Because the provision was added in 1999 and became effective two months after the accident on January 1, 2000, the appellants argue that the amendment of the statute did not apply to this case. Further, they assert that the amendment to the statute indicated a legislative intent to change the law and create a new exemption that did not previously exist. As such, the law did not apply retroactively.

In determining whether laws may apply retroactively, LSA-C.C. Art. 6 provides:

In absence of contrary legislative expression, substantive laws apply prospectively only. Procedural and *866 interpretative laws apply both prospectively and retroactively, unless there is a legislative expression to the contrary.

In interpreting this article, the Supreme Court has created a two-fold inquiry. First, we must determine whether in the enactment the legislature expressed its intent regarding retrospective or prospective application. If the legislature did so, our inquiry ends. If not, we must classify the enactment as substantive, procedural, or interpretative. Cole v.

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Bluebook (online)
796 So. 2d 862, 1 La.App. 3 Cir. 0443, 2001 La. App. LEXIS 2139, 2001 WL 1161351, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rogers-v-commercial-union-ins-co-lactapp-2001.