Schroeder v. BOARD OF SUP'RS

577 So. 2d 1074
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 14, 1991
DocketCA 89 2018, CA 89 2019
StatusPublished

This text of 577 So. 2d 1074 (Schroeder v. BOARD OF SUP'RS) 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
Schroeder v. BOARD OF SUP'RS, 577 So. 2d 1074 (La. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

577 So.2d 1074 (1991)

Rolf R. SCHROEDER
v.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY, et al.
Consolidated With
Rolf R. SCHROEDER, Individually and as Administrator of the Minor Andrew E. Schroeder, Andrew E. Schroeder, Continental Casualty Company, Safeco Insurance Company,
v.
The CONTINENTAL INSURANCE COMPANY, the Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York and Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University.

Nos. CA 89 2018, CA 89 2019.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

March 28, 1991.
Writ Granted June 14, 1991.

*1075 Boris Navratil, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellee Rolf Schroeder.

Frank Fertitta, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee Safeco Ins. Co.

Dermot McGlinchey, New Orleans, for defendant-appellant Board of Sup'rs, LSU Fidelity & Cas. Co. of New York Continental Ins.

Ramon G. Jones, New Orleans, for defendant-appellee Continental Cas. Co.

Before LOTTINGER, SHORTESS and CARTER, JJ.

LOTTINGER, Judge.

This is an appeal by defendants, the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University (LSU), Continental Insurance Company (Continental), and Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York (Fidelity), from the granting of summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs, Rolf and Andrew E. "Eric" Schroeder, and plaintiffs in intervention, Safeco Insurance Company (Safeco), and Continental Casualty Company (CNA). In granting summary judgment the trial court held that Andrew E. "Eric" Schroeder was an additional insured under the policies of insurance issued by the defendant insurers to LSU, and that those policies provided coverage to the Schroeders for any liability incurred by them as a result of the auto accident which is at the crux of these proceedings.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The instant consolidated proceedings are the offspring of litigation which arose out of an automobile accident in which a young woman was seriously injured. Following the accident the young woman, Ms. Lee, and her parents (the Lees) sued the driver *1076 of the other vehicle involved, Eric Schroeder, and his parents,[1] together with the Schroeder's liability insurer and their own (the Lee's) underinsured motorist carriers, Safeco and CNA.

After a trial on the merits, a judgment in excess of one and a half million dollars was rendered in favor of the Lees and against the Schroeders and their liability insurer, and Safeco and CNA as the Lee's underinsured motorist carriers. Safeco and CNA ultimately paid the lion's share of this judgment and obtained a third party judgment against the Schroeders in that amount. We modified and affirmed these judgments on appeal. Lee v. USAA Casualty Insurance Company, 540 So.2d 1083 (La.App. 1st Cir.), writ denied, 542 So.2d 514, 515 (La.1989), reconsideration denied, 544 So.2d 384, 385 (La.1989).[2]

The Schroeders then filed the first of the instant consolidated proceedings against LSU, Continental and Fidelity, alleging that LSU was vicariously liable through Eric Schroeder for Ms. Lee's injuries. Safeco and CNA intervened to recoup from LSU the amounts they paid to the Lees.

The Schroeders then brought a separate declaratory judgment action against Continental, Fidelity, and LSU seeking to have Eric Schroeder declared an additional insured under the business auto policies issued to LSU by Continental and Fidelity. Safeco and CNA again intervened asserting that if Eric Schroeder is covered under Continental's and Fidelity's policies for his liability to the Lees, then he is not underinsured, and therefore, since their (Safeco and CNA) liability is only as underinsured motorist carriers, they should not have been held liable to the Lees and are entitled to reimbursement from LSU's insurers. The vicarious liability and declaratory judgment actions were then consolidated.

The Schroeders, Safeco, and CNA then filed a joint motion for summary judgment, seeking to have Eric Schroeder declared an additional insured and covered for his liability stemming from the accident under the Continental and Fidelity policies issued to LSU.[3] LSU, Continental, and Fidelity responded with a cross motion for summary judgment, seeking a declaration that Eric Schroeder is not covered under their policies. These cross motions for summary judgment were decided in favor of the Schroeders, Safeco, and CNA and against Continental, Fidelity, and LSU, who then perfected the instant appeal.

FACTS

On Saturday, October 29, 1983, Eric Schroeder drove his father's car to "Sadie Hawkins Day" at the University Laboratory School (U. High) on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.[4] On the way to the event he picked up Bradley Aucoin, a classmate. Eric then purchased a six pack of beer and two hamburgers before proceeding to school. When the boys, who were both seniors at U. High, arrived at the school at approximately 12:30 p.m., they remained in the parking lot while Eric drank several of the beers and ate the hamburgers. The *1077 boys then participated in the "Sadie Hawkins Day" events.

"Sadie Hawkins Day" is an annual fund raising event for the senior class at U. High. It is an official school sponsored event. U. High teachers supervise and act as chaperons, and all of the school's rules and regulations apply and are enforced by the teachers present. "Sadie Hawkins Day" consists of two separate events: a carnival from approximately 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., and a dance from 8:00 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Students from grades 6 through 12 can participate in the carnival activities during the day, and students in grades 9 through 12 can participate in the dance.

Since the purpose of these events is to raise funds for the senior class, all of the senior class members are required to participate and are assessed a fine for not doing so. The senior class is responsible for most of the planning, setting up, decorating, and other "legwork" necessary for the event, but all plans and assignments are first approved by U. High faculty member "sponsors," of which there were four for this particular "Sadie Hawkins Day".

Near the end of the carnival part of the event, Ms. Gayle Ater, a teacher at U. High, senior class sponsor, and LSU employee, asked Bradley Aucoin if he knew which student was supposed to get the ice for the dance that evening. Bradley did not know, but volunteered to go and get it. Ms. Ater gave him money from the event funds to buy the ice and directed him to get the ice from an ice house several miles away.[5] Ms. Ater assumed that Bradley would use a vehicle to get the ice, but did not know what vehicle he would use.

Bradley then asked Eric to take him to get the ice. Ms. Ater did not know that Eric was going with Bradley to get the ice or that they were going in Eric's father's car. However, Ms. Ater stated that she would not have had any objection to Eric going with Bradley if she had known of it. Ms. Ater did not know that Eric drank beer prior to the day's events.

On the way back to school after picking up the ice, Eric and Bradley stopped and bought another six pack of beer. As they were returning to school with the ice, the accident which forms the basis of liability in this suit occurred.

THE INSURANCE POLICIES AT ISSUE

Continental's business auto policy issued to LSU and in effect at the time of the accident here at issue provides that Continental will pay all damages the insured is legally liable for arising from an accident resulting from the ownership, maintenance, or use of a covered auto.

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Bluebook (online)
577 So. 2d 1074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schroeder-v-board-of-suprs-lactapp-1991.