Swift v. Continental Insurance Co.

453 So. 2d 271, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 8927
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 30, 1984
DocketNos. 83-CA-361, 83-CA-362 and 83-CA-363
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 453 So. 2d 271 (Swift v. Continental Insurance 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
Swift v. Continental Insurance Co., 453 So. 2d 271, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 8927 (La. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

GAUDIN, Judge.

The primary issue in this somewhat complex litigation is the possible negligence of Bernard J. Bailey, who was driving his pickup truck within the speed limit on a clearly favored roadway when confronted by another pickup truck that ran through a stop sign and was suddenly in his path. The vehicles collided.

Mr. Bailey had been proceeding on U.S. Highway 90 while the other pickup, driven by John Wisotzkey, was on Louisiana Highway 443. The accident occurred just before dawn in an area of patchy fog.

The trial judge determined that Mr. Bailey was negligent in driving too fast under existing weather conditions and that his negligence was a proximate cause of the collision. This finding, however, was not supported by the evidence and we reverse it.

There are secondary issues, dealing with awards of workmen’s compensation, and we affirm these awards.

THE ACCIDENT

At approximately 6:25 a.m. on February 6, 1980, Mr. Bailey was driving his 1979 Ford pickup in a westerly direction on U.S. 90 with Gary Wyman as a passenger.

Meanwhile, a 1975 Dodge pickup operated by Mr. Wisotzkey was on La. 433 and heading east toward the U.S. 90-La. 433 intersection. The intersection is Y-shaped, with La. 433 angling into U.S. 90 as shown here:

[[Image here]]

Mr. Wisotzkey was a dispatcher employed by Gulf Coast Contracting Services, Inc. His passengers were fellow Gulf Coast employees Curtis Ingersoll and Carl owned by Gulf Coast. Mr. Ingersoll was in the rear seat, while Mr. Swift was in the front next to Mr. Wisotzkey.

[273]*273When Mr. Wisotzkey reached U.S. 90, he ignored the stop sign. Mr. Ingersoll testified that he “... told him to slow down, he was going too fast for that kind of conditions ...” Mr. Wisotzkey, however, said, “I’m going to run it,” meaning that he was going to drive past the stop sign. Mr. Wisotzkey finally applied his brakes when he drove onto U.S. 90 and came face-to-face with Mr. Bailey’s truck.

Mr. Bailey said that he was driving at 50 miles per hour, five miles per hour under the speed limit, with his headlights and internal defroster on. He estimated that he was 60 feet from the point of impact when he first noticed Mr. Wisotzkey’s pickup, and that one and a half seconds passed between the time he first noticed the other truck and the moment of impact.

He first turned to his right, ⅛. Bailey stated, then veered left when he realized Mr. Wisotzkey’s vehicle was in the westbound lane and coming directly at him.

Mr. Wisotzkey’s pickup, once it entered U.S. 90, was never in the eastbound lane. It stayed in the westbound lane (Mr. Bailey’s proper lane) until the trucksj hit.

THE TRIAL

Three lawsuits were filed and 'were consolidated for trial. Mr. Swift’s injuries resulted in his death shortly after the accident, and a tort suit was filed by ¡his widow and children and by Mr. Ingersoll, who sustained serious personal injuries. Named defendants were Mr. Wisotzkey, Mr. Bailey, Continental Insurance Company (insurer of Mr. Wisotzkey’s pickup) and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (insurer of Mr. Bailey’s pickup).

Also filed were suits by Mr. Ingersoll and by Mr. Swift’s widow and children seeking workmen’s compensation benefits from Gulf Coast and its compensation insurer, Travelers Insurance Company.

Following a two-day trial, the district judge, finding Mr. Bailey negligent, rendered judgment, making these awards:

(1)To Mr. Ingersoll, the sum of $275,-000.00 against Mr. Bailey, State Farm and Continental, with State Farm’s liability limited to $20,000.00;

(2) To Sandra Swift Robinson, Mr. Swift’s widow, the sum of $176,000.00 against the same defendants listed in (1) above, with State Farm’s liability limited to $13,858.27;

(3) To Mr. Swift’s minor children, through their tutor, the sum of $78,000.00, against the same defendants listed in (1), above, the amount to be equally divided among the three children, with State Farm’s liability limited to $6,141.73;

(4) To Travelers, the sum of $21,208.09, against Mr. Bailey and State Farm;

(5) To Travelers, the sum of $18,026.18, against Mr. Bailey and State Farm;

(6) To the Swift children, $49.00 per week from February 6, 1980 until each child reaches the age of 18 or, if enrolled as a full time student, until that child reaches the age of 23, against Travelers, subject to a credit of $2,288.00 previously paid; and

(7) To Mr. Ingersoll, $144.00 per week from February 6, 1980, and continuing into the future, until it is shown that Mr. Inger-soll is no longer totally and permanently disabled, against Gulf Coast and Travelers, subject to a credit of $9,380.00 previously paid.

The judgment also (a) dismissed the demands of Mr. Swift’s widow against Gulf Coast and Travelers, (b) set the fees of the expert witnesses and (c) ordered Gulf Coast, Travelers, State Farm and Continental to pay court costs.

In his “Reasons for Judgment,” the trial judge noted that because Mr. Wisotzkey, Mr. Ingersoll and Mr. Swift were in the course of their employment, Mr. Ingersoll and Mr. Swift were limited to workmen’s compensation benefits as far as Mr. Wi-sotzkey and Gulf Coast were concerned. In tort, they had to proceed only against Mr. Bailey and his insurer.

The “Reasons” also stated:

“Mr. Ingersoll testified that the accident occurred in the pre-dawn hour in a heavy fog, which statement was supported by [274]*274the testimony of State Trooper Nobles

Based on this and other testimony, the trial judge found “... that Bernard Bailey was traveling at an excessive rate of speed under the existing weather conditions, and thus is guilty of negligence in regard to this accident.”

THE APPEALS

Appeals were lodged by Mr. Bailey, Continental and by Gulf Coast-Travelers.

Mr. Bailey contends that he was not negligent and that the trial judge “... misinterpreted and placed unreasonable reliance ...” on the testimony of the state trooper and Olin Dart, an expert called by plaintiffs.

Continental’s contentions:

(1) The trial court erred in finding Bernard Bailey guilty of negligence which was a proximate cause of the accident;

(2) The trial court erred in finding that the uninsured motorist provisions of the policy issued by Continental provided coverage for the damages sustained by these plaintiffs; L

(3) The trial court’s award to Sandra Swift Robinson, widow of decedent Carl Swift, was excessive;

(4) The trial court’s awards to the minor children of decedent Carl Swift are excessive;

(5) The damages awarded by the trial court to Curtis Ingersoll are excessive; and

(6) The trial court erred in awarding interest from date of judicial demand on that portion of the judgment which it decreed was covered by the uninsured motorist provisions of the policy issued by Continental Insurance Company to Gulf Coast Contracting Services, Inc.

Subsequent to the oral arguments in this case, a joint motion was filed by Mr. Swift’s widow and children, Mr. Ingersoll and Continental, stating that they have “...

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Lathrop v. Hercules Transportation
666 So. 2d 395 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
Hammer v. City of Lafayette
502 So. 2d 301 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
Swift v. Continental Insurance Co.
456 So. 2d 1391 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
453 So. 2d 271, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 8927, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/swift-v-continental-insurance-co-lactapp-1984.