Schulker v. Roberson

676 So. 2d 684, 91 La.App. 3 Cir. 1228, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 1241
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 5, 1996
DocketNo. 91-1228
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 676 So. 2d 684 (Schulker v. Roberson) 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
Schulker v. Roberson, 676 So. 2d 684, 91 La.App. 3 Cir. 1228, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 1241 (La. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

JiDOUCET, Chief Judge.

The plaintiff, Elizabeth Schulker, appeals the judgment of the trial court denying her claims against New Start Corporation d/b/a the Lighthouse.

The trial judge, in written reasons for judgment, outlined the underlying facts of the case as follows:

On November 13, 1988, the plaintiff, Elizabeth Schulker, was traveling south on Louisiana Highway 3054 in Rapides Parish. The defendant, James K. Roberson, was also on Louisiana Highway 3054, headed in a northerly direction when, for reasons presumably related to his impaired and intoxicated condition, he crossed the center line into the oncoming lane of travel and struck the Schulker vehicle head-on. Ms. Schulker, who was approximately one month pregnant at the time of the accident, was nearly killed. As a result of the head-on collision, Ms. Schulker sustained a severe closed head injury with resultant brain damage, fractures of both the left and right thighs, a | ¿fractured pelvis, a fractured elbow, a broken jaw with the loss of numerous teeth, multiple lacerations with resultant scarring and numerous contusions. The evidence established that, in fact, Ms. Schulker was in a comatose state approximately two (2) weeks following the accident. In addition to the devastating personal injuries, Ms. Schulker lost her unborn child.

Ms. Schulker filed suit against Roberson, his insurer, Champion Insurance Company and her own uninsured/underinsured motorist insurer, Old Hickory Casualty Insurance Company. Later, she amended her petition to add the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association (LIGA), in place of Champion, and New Start Corporation. New Start Corporation operated a bar, the Lighthouse, where Mr. Roberson was allegedly drinking immediately prior to the accident. Ms. Schulker settled with LIGA prior to trial. She also settled with her parents’ uninsured/underinsured motorist insurer.

After a trial on the merits, the trial judge rendered judgment in favor of the plaintiff in connection with her claims against Roberson and Old Hickory. However, the judge denied her claims against New Start Corporation. Ms. Schulker appeals.

CONSTITUTIONALITY OF LA.R.S. 9:2800.1

La.R.S. 9:2800.1 provides in pertinent part:

A. The legislature finds and declares that the consumption of intoxicating beverages, rather than the sale or serving or furnishing of such beverages, is the proximate cause of any injury, including death and property damage, inflicted by an intox[687]*687icated person upon himself or upon another person.
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D. The insurer of the intoxicated person shall be primarily liable with respect to injuries suffered by third persons.

Ms. Schulker first argues that La. R.S. 9:2800.1 is unconstitutional.

Statutes are presumed constitutional, and the party challenging a statute’s validity must articulate a particular constitutional provision that limits the legislature’s powers. When a constitutional challenge is made, the question is not whether the ^constitution empowers, but whether the constitution limits the legislature, either expressly or impliedly, from enacting the statute at issue. Chamberlain v. State Through DOTD, 624 So.2d 874 (La.1993). In an attack upon a legislative act as falling within an exception to the legislature’s otherwise plenary power, an opponent must establish clearly and convincingly that the constitutional aim was to deny to the legislature the power to enact the legislation. Polk v. Edwards, 626 So.2d 1128, (La.1993).

State v. Clark, 94-598, p. 2 (La.App. 3 Cir. 2/21/96); 670 So.2d 493, 496.

Ms. Schulker argues that the statute creates a privileged class and deprives a class of equal protection for no valid state purpose. The Louisiana Supreme Court has outlined the appropriate method for determining claims that a statute denies equal protection.

The basic framework of analysis of such a claim is well settled. We must decide, first, whether the legislation operates to the disadvantage of some suspect class or impinges on a fundamental right explicitly or implicitly protected by the constitution, thereby requiring strict judicial scrutiny. If not, the legislative scheme must still be examined to determine whether it rationally furthers some legitimate, articulated state purpose and therefore does not constitute an invidious discrimination.

Bazley v. Tortorich, 397 So.2d 475, 483 (La.1981). (Citations omitted.)

This ease involves no suspect class. Persons seeking to recover in tort suits do not come within the extremely limited category of disadvantaged classes recognized by the Supreme Court. Further, “[t]he statute does not classify persons on the basis of race, alienage, national origin, or discriminate against discrete and insular minorities.” Id.

Additionally, the statute does not limit the exercise of a fundamental constitutional right.

The list of rights which have been found to be fundamental may be divided as follows: Freedom of expression and association, NAACP v. Alabama ex rel Patterson, 357 U.S. 449, 78 S.Ct. 1163, 2 L.Ed.2d 1488 (1958); Right to vote and participate in the Uelectoral process, Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, 383 U.S. 663, 86 S.Ct. 1079, 16 L.Ed.2d 169 (1966); Right to interstate travel, Shapiro v. Thompson, 394 U.S. 618, 89 S.Ct. 1322, 22 L.Ed.2d 600 (1969); Right to fairness in the criminal process, e.g., Mayer v. Chicago, 404 U.S. 189, 92 S.Ct. 410, 30 L.Ed.2d 372 (1971); Douglas v. California, 372 U.S. 353, 83 S.Ct. 814, 9 L.Ed.2d 811 (1963); Right to fairness in procedures concerning governmental deprivations of life, liberty or property, e.g., Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254, 90 S.Ct. 1011, 25 L.Ed.2d 287 (1970); Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319, 96 S.Ct. 893, 47 L.Ed.2d 18 (1976); Right to privacy, e.g., Boddie v. Connecticut, 401 U.S. 371, 91 S.Ct. 780, 28 L.Ed.2d 113 (1971); Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 45 S.Ct. 571, 69 L.Ed. 1070 (1925). See generally, Nowak, Rotunda & Young, Constitutional Law, 418 (1978).

Id. The right to sue in tort for the recovery of damages due to personal injury is not a fundamental right for purposes of an equal protection challenge to a statute limiting that right. Stuart v. City of Morgan City, 504 So.2d 934 (La.App. 1 Cir.1987).

Therefore, strict scrutiny of the legislation is not required. We must, however, examine the legislative scheme to determine whether it rationally furthers a legitimate state purpose and does not constitute an invidious discrimination.

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Related

Schulker v. Roberson
676 So. 2d 684 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1996)

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Bluebook (online)
676 So. 2d 684, 91 La.App. 3 Cir. 1228, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 1241, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schulker-v-roberson-lactapp-1996.