Tidwell v. Premier Staffing, Inc.

127 So. 3d 41, 13 La.App. 3 Cir. 185, 2013 WL 5813256, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 2224
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 30, 2013
DocketNo. 13-185
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 127 So. 3d 41 (Tidwell v. Premier Staffing, 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
Tidwell v. Premier Staffing, Inc., 127 So. 3d 41, 13 La.App. 3 Cir. 185, 2013 WL 5813256, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 2224 (La. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

COOKS, Judge.

_jjFACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In Tidwell v. Premier Staffing, Inc. 05-500 (La.App. 3 Cir. 2/1/06), 921 So.2d 1194, this court affirmed the Workers’ Compensation Judge’s (WCJ) finding that Katie Tidwell (Tidwell) suffered a compensable on-the-job injury while employed by Pré-mier Staffing, Inc. (Premier). No writs were taken on the matter and it has long been a final judgment. Despite the finality of that judgment, Premier in its brief to this court in the present matter refers to “an alleged accident” and a “disputed claim” for “injuries allegedly” sustained by Tidwell. This misstatement of the case is indicative of Premier’s behavior since judgment was rendered. After this court’s ruling, affirming the WCJ’s award of benefits to Tidwell, Premier made no payment on the judgment, requiring Tidwell to file a Motion for Penalties and Attorney Fees for the failure to pay the workers’ compensation judgment. The WCJ awarded penalties and attorney fees to Tidwell assessing a penalty of 24% on all amounts due Tidwell under the original judgment.

Tidwell filed a second Motion for Penalties and Attorney Fees. The WCJ ordered Premier to pay $40,000.00 in penalties. Subsequently, Tidwell filed a third Motion and Order for Penalties and Attorney Fees because Premier stopped making benefit payments to Tidwell for a period of four weeks and allegedly failed to properly pay ten separate mileage reimbursement requests related to her ongoing medical treatment. The WCJ ordered Premier to pay penalties under the provisions of La. R.S. 23:1201(F) in the capped amount of $8,000.00 for multiple infractions. The WCJ believed it was limited to a maximum penalty of $8,000.00. The WCJ |2also awarded a $3,000.00 penalty under La.R.S. [43]*4323:1201(F), for Premier’s discontinuance of court ordered weekly benefits.

Tidwell appeals asserting (1) the WCJ erred as a matter of law in failing to apply the uncalled witness rule raising an adverse presumption against Premier; (2) the WCJ erred as a matter of law in failing to apply the provisions of La.R.S. 23:1201(1) regarding Premier’s discontinuance of weekly compensation benefits; and (3) the WCJ erred in awarding too low a sum as penalties for Premier’s failure to pay Tidwell’s mileage requests on ten separate occasions. Tidwell seeks attorney fees for this appeal.

Premier also appeals asserting three assignments of error maintaining (1) some of Tidwell’s claims regarding Premier’s failure to pay mileage benefits are prescribed; (2) Tidwell’s testimony without supporting evidence is insufficient to prove Premier is obligated to pay the requested travel expenses as medically necessary; and (3) the WCJ acted improperly in applying La.R.S. 23:1201(F) in effect at the time of its alleged conduct rather than applying the statute in effect at the time of Tidwell’s accident.

LAW AND ANALYSIS

Because a finding of prescription would pretermit consideration of other issues presented by both parties we will address this issue first. Premier asserts several of Tidwell’s alleged claims for mileage reimbursement for medical treatment were filed more than a year “following the conduct giving rise to claimant’s cause of actions for penalties and attorney fees.” In support of its argument that La. Civ. Code art. 3492 applies, which provides for a one year prescriptive period for delictual actions, Premier relies on the holdings in Craig v. Bantek West, Inc. 885 So.2d 1234 (La.App. 1 Cir. 9/17/04), writ denied, 04-2995 (La.3/18/05), 896 So.2d 1004, and St. Tammany Parish Hospital v. Trinity Marine Products, Inc., 10-1481 (La.App. 1 Cir. 2/16/12), 91 So.3d 985. We first rejected the rationale of Craig in our decision in Rave v. Wampold Companies, 06-978 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/6/06), 944 So.2d 847, and we reiterated the correctness of that decision in Trahan v. City of Crowley, 07-266, pp. 3-4 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/3/07), 967 So.2d 557, 560, writs denied, 07-2462, 07-2471 (La.2/15/08), 976 So.2d 185, 187, wherein we stated:

In granting the City’s exception of prescription, the WCJ relied on the first circuit decision of Craig v. Bantek West, Inc., 03-2757 (La.App. 1 Cir. 9/17/04), 885 So.2d 1234, writ denied, 04-2995 (La.3/18/05), 896 So.2d 1004, which held that the one-year prescriptive period set forth in La.Civ.Code art. 3492 applied to a penalties and attorney fees claim under the provisions of the workers’ compensation act. However, when subsequently presented with the same issue, this court in Rave v. Wampold Companies, 06-978 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/6/06), 944 So.2d 847, reached a different result. This court held in Rave that “[i]t is clear from a reading of the jurisprudence that when claims for penalties and attorney fees accompany the claims for benefits, if the underlying claims have not prescribed, neither have the claims for attorney fees and penalties.” Id. at 855.

We again reject the argument put forth by Premier in this appeal that Tidwell’s claims for attorney fees and penalties are prescribed. They have not. See also Touro Infirmary v. Wm. B. Reily & Co., Inc., 10-74 (La.App. 4 Cir. 7/28/10), 44 So.3d 867, in which the fourth circuit cites our decision in Rave agreeing with the rationale stated therein.

We continue our analysis with Tidwell’s first assignment of error. We agree with Tidwell’s assertion that the [44]*44WCJ legally erred in failing to apply the uncalled witness rule. The rule has often been cited by the state supreme court and this court. In Horacek v. Watson, 11-1345, p. 5 (La.App. 3 Cir. 3/7/12), 86 So.3d 766, 769-70, we stated:

14With regard to the uncalled witness rule, the supreme court discussed its application in Driscoll v. Stucker, 04-589, pp. 18-19 (La.1/19/05), 893 So.2d 32, 47, stating: “An adverse presumption exists when a party having control of a favorable witness fails to call him or her to testify, even though the presumption is rebuttable and is tempered by the fact that a party need only put on enough evidence to prove the case.” Safety Ass’n of Timbermen Self Insurers Fund v. Malone Lumber, Inc., 34,646 (La.App. 2 Cir. 6/20/01), 793 So.2d 218, writ denied, 2001-2557 (La.12/07/01), 803 So.2d 973. Explaining that adverse presumption, the Fourth Circuit recently noted “ ‘[w]hen a defendant in a civil case can by his own testimony throw light upon matters at issue, necessary to his defense and particularly within his own knowledge, and fails to go upon the witness stand, the presumption is raised and will be given effect, that the facts, as he would have them do not exist.’ ” Taylor v. Entergy Corp., 2001-0805 (La. App. 4 Cir. 4/17/02), 816 So.2d 933 (quoting Davis v. Myers, 427 So.2d 648, 649 (La.App. 5 Cir.1983)). This adverse presumption is referred to as the “uncalled witness” rule and applies “when ‘a party has the power to produce witnesses whose testimony would elucidate the transaction or occurrence’ and fails to call such witness.” Id. (quoting 19 FRANK L. MARAIST, LOUISIANA CIVIL LAW TREATISE: EVIDENCE AND PROOF, § 4.3 (1999)). Despite the advent of modern, liberal discovery rules, this rule remains vital, especially in cases, such as this one, in which a witness with peculiar knowledge of the material fact is not called to testify at trial.

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Bluebook (online)
127 So. 3d 41, 13 La.App. 3 Cir. 185, 2013 WL 5813256, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 2224, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tidwell-v-premier-staffing-inc-lactapp-2013.