Storey v. State Farm Mutual Fire Insurance

327 So. 2d 687, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 4211
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 12, 1976
DocketNo. 10549
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 327 So. 2d 687 (Storey v. State Farm Mutual Fire Insurance) 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
Storey v. State Farm Mutual Fire Insurance, 327 So. 2d 687, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 4211 (La. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

SARTAIN, Judge.

This litigation arises out of an altercation between plaintiff, Herbert R. Storey, and one Doug Skinner. Made co-defendants in the trial court were Mrs. Mickey Stone Skinner and her insurer, State Farm Mutual Fire Insurance Company, on the grounds that Mrs. Skinner aided and abetted Doug Skinner in the alleged attack on plaintiff Storey. 1

Following trial by jury, plaintiff was awarded $5,000.00, the jury finding that Doug Skinner, intentionally and unprovoked, attacked Storey and that. Skinner was aided by Mrs. Skinner in the commission of the battery, but that the injuries suffered by plaintiff in the attack were neither expected nor intended from Mrs. Skinner’s standpoint. Accordingly, the trial judge rendered judgment against Doug Skinner, Mickey Stone Skinner and her insurer, State Farm Mutual Fire Insurance Company, in the amount of $5,000.-00, said judgment being in solido as it related to Doug Skinner and Mickey Stone Skinner, and as it related to Mickey Stone Skinner and her insurer, but not as it related to Doug Skinner and the insurer of Mrs. Skinner.

Defendants Mickey Stone Skinner and State Farm Mutual Fire Insurance Company now bring this appeal alleging error in the jury’s finding that Mrs. Skinn'er aided and abetted Doug Skinner in any way in the commission of the act. Further error is urged by defendant, State Farm, in the conclusion that its policy provided coverage under the particular facts of this case. Plaintiff has answered the appeal seeking an increase in damages. Defendant, Doug Skinner, has not appealed the judgment against himself.

We reverse the judgment of the trial court insofar as it relates to appellant herein holding Mickey Stone Skinner liable with Doug Skinner and her insurer liable insofar as she was liable.

The testimony presented at trial on this matter reveals that plaintiff was employed by one Steve Perry, a private investigator, to aid and assist in surveillance upon the home of Mrs. Earl Gros (now Mickey [689]*689Stone Skinner) pending separation and divorce proceedings between she and her former husband. According to testimony by Mr. Perry and plaintiff, this surveillance was conducted at night or early evening on three different occasions sometime between August and October of 1972. During this time Mrs. Gros was observed in frequent company with Doug Skinner. Further, it seems that Mrs. Gros was working for Mr. Skinner, himself a private investigator, typing reports as she 'had done prior to her separation from her husband.

Plaintiff testified that on January 15, 1973, while walking his dog in a vacant field across from Mrs. Gros’ home and in which he frequently exercised his dog (plaintiff lived some three to five blocks from the Gros home), Doug Skinner drove up in his car, alone, exited his car with pistol in 'hand, and after a few words with plaintiff, struck him, first with the empty hand, and then once with the hand holding the pistol, breaking plaintiff’s jaw in the process. He testified further that the only contact he had had personally with Doug Skinner prior to that time was once when he was walking his dog and Mr. Skinner drove by 'him and questioned him as to whether his dog had bitten anyone, and another occasion some five days prior to the attack by Skinner when plaintiff appeared at the Family Court of East Baton Rouge to testify in Gros’ proceedings. At that time he was sequestered along with Mrs. Gros and Mr. Skinner. He was not called to testify on that date as the trial had to be continued and 'had not testified prior to the January 15th incident.

Mr. Taylor Brooks, part-time attendant at a gas station near the residency of both Mr. and Mrs. Gros, was called to testify on behalf of plaintiff and stated that on one occasion (he could not remember when) Mr. Skinner and Mrs. Gros drove up to him at the station and inquired of the plaintiff whether or not Mr. Brooks had seen a man go up the street with a red dog. He answered affirmatively and the pair left with Mr. Skinner driving. Mr. Brooks stated that no threats were made against plaintiff nor were any other statements made about him.

Mickey Stone Skinner (the former Mrs. Earl Gros) testified that she had been Doug Skinner’s secretary and had continued in that occupation after she and her husband separated. She stated that she had a desk, typewriter and stationery at home and did her work there. According to 'her testimony it was a standing joke between her and Doug Skinner that the plaintiff had them under surveillance and they knew of it.

Mrs. Skinner stated that on the day t'he incident occurred she was passing by a large window in her home and noticed plaintiff in the vacant field across from her home. She then stated on direct ex-mination:

“ . . . And I said, hey, there he is again, and I laughed. I said it every afternoon because he was always out there every afternoon. So, I went on in and we started working. And in a minute, Doug, he hadn’t said anything. He got up and he said, I think I’ll go over there and ask him to come over and sit in the yard so he can see better. And he went outside and got in the car and—
Q. Did you go with him ?
A. No, I stayed there.
Q. He had to drive over there?
A. Yes, he drove around the field. You have to go around the block to get there and he laughed—
Q. How far is that?
A. It’s one block straight across that field.
Q. How far would you say that is; can you give an estimate?
[690]*690A. About 250 yards, I’m not really sure, but that’s all that it is, one block.”
******
“ Q- What was the primary purpose of him leaving and going over there ?
A. I suppose to let Storey know that 'his cover had been blow, because we’d known it for a long time. We might as well let him know, and stop wasting his time.
Q. Did Mr. Skinner mention anything to you about going over there and getting in a fight with this man?
A. No indeed.
Q. After he left, got in the car and left the house, what did you do?
A. I went on out in the front yard to to see what was going to happen.
Q. And what did happen?
A. Well, Doug pulled his car up and he stopped and he got out and he started walking toward Storey and Storey started walking toward him. And they got together. They stood there and they talked a minute. And then Storey swung at Doug. And they grabbed each, other and fell down and that’s all I could see. I couldn’t see any more from where I was. Once they hit the ground I couldn’t see them at all.”
******
“Q. Mrs. Skinner, did you in any way entice or aid or contribute in any way to Mr. Skinner going over there that day?
A. No, I sure didn’t.”

Testifying to Mrs. Skinner’s role in the incident Doug Skinner, on direct examination, stated:

Q. What was your reason and motive for going over there to talk to him ? A. Well, like Mrs.

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Related

Lewis v. Variste
422 So. 2d 222 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1982)
Harris v. Landry
345 So. 2d 242 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1977)
Storey v. State Farm Mutual Fire Insurance
330 So. 2d 309 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1976)

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Bluebook (online)
327 So. 2d 687, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 4211, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/storey-v-state-farm-mutual-fire-insurance-lactapp-1976.