Spillers v. ABH Trucking Co., Inc.

713 So. 2d 505, 1998 WL 166510
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 8, 1998
Docket30332-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 713 So. 2d 505 (Spillers v. ABH Trucking Co., 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
Spillers v. ABH Trucking Co., Inc., 713 So. 2d 505, 1998 WL 166510 (La. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

713 So.2d 505 (1998)

Diane SPILLERS, et al., Plaintiff/Appellee/Appellant,
v.
ABH TRUCKING COMPANY, INC., et al., Defendant/Appellant/Appellee.

No. 30332-CA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

April 13, 1998.
Order Granting Rehearing May 8, 1998.

*507 Jack Wright, Jr., Monroe, for Plaintiff/Appellee/Appellant.

Cotton, Bolton, Hoychick & Doughty by John Hoychick, Jr., Rayville, for Defendant/Appellant/Appellee ABH Trucking Company.

Theus, Grisham, Davis & Leigh by Charles H. Heck and George M. Snellings IV, Monroe, for Defendant/Appellant Colonia Insurance Company.

Guglielmo, Lopez, Tuttle, Hunter & Jarrell by James T. Guglielmo, Opelousas, for Intervenor/Appellee Bituminous Casualty Corporation.

Before BROWN, WILLIAMS and STEWART, JJ.

Order Granting Rehearing on Limited Basis May 8, 1998.

WILLIAMS, Judge.

In this personal injury case, plaintiffs[1] appeal the jury's verdict finding that the medical treatment that Dr. Bruce Razza provided to Diane Spillers was unrelated to the accident, and consequently, defendant, ABH Trucking Company ("ABH"), was not required to pay for the treatment. Plaintiffs also appeal the trial court's allocation of expert witness fees and court costs. ABH's commercial liability insurer, Colonia Insurance Company ("Colonia"), appeals the trial court's grant of summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs, finding that at the time of the accident, Jason Slane's vehicle was insured under the policy issued by Colonia. For the following reasons, we affirm the jury's finding and the trial court's assessment of costs and expert witness fees against the plaintiffs and ABH. However, we reverse the summary judgment granted in favor of the plaintiffs on the issue of insurance coverage and render judgment in favor of Colonia dismissing it from this lawsuit. The assessment of costs against Colonia is also reversed.

FACTS

On February 25, 1992, plaintiff, Diane Spillers, was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Forsythe Avenue and Highway 165 in Monroe, Louisiana, when her vehicle, a 1986 F-150 Ford pick-up truck, was struck from behind by a 1990 Ford Ranger pick-up truck, owned and driven by Jason Slane. At the time of the accident, Slane was employed as a mechanic by ABH Trucking Company, Inc. ("ABH") of West Helena, Arkansas. Slane and a co-employee, Jimmy Patterson, were traveling from West Helena to Leesville, Louisiana to repair an eighteen-wheel truck owned by ABH.

Officer Mitchell Doyle Hobbs of the Monroe Police Department investigated the accident. Officer Hobbs testified that neither Slane nor Patterson were injured in the accident, but that Spillers complained of neck pain. According to Officer Hobbs' accident report, Spillers suffered a minor injury, but an ambulance was not called to the scene. After the accident, Slane and Patterson continued to Leesville and Spillers went to North Monroe Hospital for treatment.

Dr. Louis V. Crook, Jr. treated Spillers at the emergency room of the North Monroe Hospital. Dr. Crook examined plaintiff and ordered x-rays of the skull and the cervical spine and a MRI. The x-rays were negative for acute injuries and the results of the MRI were negative for any ruptured discs. Dr. Crook prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug, a muscle relaxer and pain medicine. Plaintiff was released and referred to Dr. Thomas Gulick, a neurologist who had treated plaintiff on a prior occasion.

According to plaintiff, she unsuccessfully attempted to make appointments to see Dr. Gulick and Dr. Russ Greer on the day after the accident. Eventually, plaintiff contacted Dr. Warren Daniel, who advised her to report to Glenwood Hospital. On the afternoon of February 26, 1992, plaintiff was admitted to Glenwood Hospital for further treatment of injuries allegedly sustained as a result of the accident. Plaintiff complained of pain in her neck and lower back and numbness in her right arm. Dr. Daniel testified that he examined plaintiff on February 27, 1992 and concluded that she was suffering *508 from musculoligamentous strains of the neck and shoulder. He ordered physical therapy consisting of heat and massage to the left shoulder and neck area. Plaintiff remained in Glenwood Hospital until March 16, 1992. Dr. Daniel stated that at the time of plaintiff's discharge from Glenwood, he felt that she had suffered a severe case of whiplash. He opined that with continued conservative treatment, plaintiff would recover.

On October 1, 1992, plaintiff consulted Dr. Bruce Razza because of pain resulting from injuries allegedly sustained as a result of the accident. At the time of her initial visit, plaintiff was pregnant with her ninth child. Consequently, Dr. Razza suggested that she wait until after the birth of her child before beginning treatment. Plaintiff's child was born December 1, 1992. Plaintiff underwent tests on December 7-8, 1992 to determine the source of her pain.

On December 10, 1992, Dr. Razza performed a bilateral decompression along with a lumbar fusion (lower back), the first of three surgeries to be performed on the plaintiff. On December 16, 1992, plaintiff underwent cervical (neck) surgery and in October 1993, Dr. Razza performed cervical surgery to remove discs. According to Dr. Razza, the necessity of the first two surgeries was related to pain from injuries that plaintiff alleges resulted from the accident. The third surgery was the result of a "domino effect" that added stress to the spinal segment below where he had initially operated. He also performed carpal tunnel surgery to relieve pressure from the nerve in the regions of the neck and the carpal tunnel. Subsequent to the December 16, 1992 surgery and prior to the surgery performed in October 1993, plaintiff underwent oral surgery for temporomandibular joint ("TMJ") dysfunction which was performed by Dr. Geist. Her last visit with Dr. Razza was on September 21, 1995.

Plaintiffs filed suit against Jason Slane and his automobile liability insurer, State Farm Insurance, Company ("State Farm") and ABH and its commercial liability insurer, Colonia. Plaintiffs' claim against Jason Slane and State Farm was settled prior to trial. Plaintiffs also sued Bituminous Casualty Corporation ("Bituminous"), their uninsured/underinsured motorist ("UM") insurer. Plaintiffs settled their claim against Bituminous. However, Bituminous intervened seeking to recover those sums paid to plaintiffs pursuant to the terms and provisions of the UM policy issued to Pacific & Atlantic Oil Co., Inc., the corporation owned by James Spillers[2].

Plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment alleging that, at the time of the accident, Jason Slane's vehicle was being used as a "temporary substitute auto," and therefore, his vehicle was insured under the policy that Colonia issued to ABH. Colonia filed an opposition to plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment along with its own motion for summary judgment asserting that Jason Slane was not operating a "temporary substitute auto," and therefore, he was not covered under the policy issued to ABH. The trial court granted the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment on the issue of insurance coverage, and denied Colonia's motion.

After a trial, the jury concluded that the medical treatment provided by Dr. Razza was not related to the injuries that Spillers sustained as a result of the accident in question. The jury found ABH liable for Spillers' injuries, but limited the award to the time that she spent in Glenwood Hospital.

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Bluebook (online)
713 So. 2d 505, 1998 WL 166510, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spillers-v-abh-trucking-co-inc-lactapp-1998.