Timothy D. Koehl Versus Rli Insurance Company, Geico General Insurance Company, Packard Truck Lines, L.L.C., and Robert T. Salassi

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 24, 2023
Docket22-CA-370
StatusUnknown

This text of Timothy D. Koehl Versus Rli Insurance Company, Geico General Insurance Company, Packard Truck Lines, L.L.C., and Robert T. Salassi (Timothy D. Koehl Versus Rli Insurance Company, Geico General Insurance Company, Packard Truck Lines, L.L.C., and Robert T. Salassi) 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
Timothy D. Koehl Versus Rli Insurance Company, Geico General Insurance Company, Packard Truck Lines, L.L.C., and Robert T. Salassi, (La. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

TIMOTHY D. KOEHL NO. 22-CA-370

VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT

RLI INSURANCE COMPANY, GEICO COURT OF APPEAL GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY, PACKARD TRUCK LINES, L.L.C., AND STATE OF LOUISIANA ROBERT T. SALASSI

ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 758-658, DIVISION "E" HONORABLE FRANK A. BRINDISI, JUDGE PRESIDING

May 24, 2023

MARC E. JOHNSON JUDGE

Panel composed of Judges Fredericka Homberg Wicker, Marc E. Johnson, and Robert A. Chaisson

REVERSED IN PART; AFFIRMED IN PART MEJ FHW RAC COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT, TIMOTHY D. KOEHL Darla L. D'Amico Michael J. Almerico

COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLEE, RLI INSURANCE COMPANY Matthew D. Moghis William Peter Connick Michael S. Futrell

COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLEE, AXIS SURPLUS INSURANCE COMPANY Sarah Smith Jessica Z. Barger Michael Adams-Hurta JOHNSON, J.

Appellant, Timothy D. Koehl, appeals the 24th Judicial District Court’s

April 20, 2022 judgment dismissing his claims against Defendants, RLI Insurance

Company (“RLI”) and Axis Surplus Insurance Company (“Axis”), and granting

three summary judgments and a peremptory exception of no right of action in

Defendants’ favor. For the following reasons, we reverse in part and affirm in part

the district court’s judgment and remand the case for further proceedings.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On the morning of Saturday, March 14, 2015, Robert Salassi was driving his

personally owned vehicle when he struck Koehl’s vehicle while turning into the

Lowe's parking lot off of Veterans Blvd. in Metairie. Salassi produced an insurance

card indicating that his vehicle was insured by RLI Insurance Company (“RLI”).

Additional discovery revealed that the RLI policy was a commercial policy issued

to Packard Truck Lines, LLC (“Packard”), a heavy-equipment transport company

that carries equipment used in the oil industry. Until he passed away in November

2015 from causes unrelated to the accident, Salassi was one of three

members/owners of Packard. Salassi’s vehicle was listed as a “covered auto”

under the commercial auto liability policy that RLI issued to Packard. In addition

to the Commercial Auto Liability policy, RLI, as Packard's primary insurer, and

AXIS Surplus Insurance Company, as Packard's excess insurer, insured Packard

for Trucker's Liability coverage and Commercial General Liability coverage.

On April 13, 2015, Koehl’s attorney received an email from a claims

adjuster representing RLI stating, “We have accepted liability…” Following this

admission, RLI promptly paid for the property damage to Koehl’s vehicle.

On March 11, 2016, plaintiff Koehl filed a petition for damages against

Salassi, Packard, and RLI. By subsequent amendment to the petition, Axis was

named an additional defendant, as was a representative for Robert Salassi’s

22-CA-370 1 succession.1 Defendants filed answers to plaintiff’s petition denying Koehl’s

claims.

Multiple motions for summary judgment were filed by the parties seeking

determinations on issues of insurance coverage, waiver of affirmative defenses,

and vicarious liability. Defendant Packard filed a motion for summary judgment

arguing that Koehl could not meet his burden of proving at trial that Salassi was in

the course and scope of his employment at the time of the accident, and thus

Packard could not be held vicariously liable. The trial court denied all of the

parties’ motions, and multiple applications for supervisory review were

subsequently filed.

On May 12, 2021, this Court granted Packard’s writ application, and, upon

finding that Salassi was not in the course and scope of his employment at the time

of the accident, reversed the trial court's ruling, granted summary judgment in

favor of Packard, and dismissed Koehl’s vicarious liability claims against Packard

with prejudice. Koehl v. RLI Ins. Co., 21-68 (La. App. 5 Cir. 5/12/21), 325 So.3d

1110, 1115. This Court denied relators, RLI, Koehl, and AXIS’s applications

seeking review of the district court’s denials of their respective motions for

summary judgment on the issue of insurance coverage and waiver, finding

“genuine issues of material fact remain at this time regarding whether RLI waived

its coverage defenses.”2 Koehl v. RLI Ins. Co., et al., 20-C-69 C/W 20-C-70 and

20-C-74 (La. App. 5 Cir. 3/29/2021) (unpublished writ disposition). We also

declined to exercise our supervisory jurisdiction to review the district court’s ruling

denying Axis’s motion for summary judgment on the basis that Salassi was not

1 Robert Salassi’s widow, the late Jamie Fontenot Salassi, was initially named as executrix of her deceased husband’s succession. Mrs. Salassi filed an answer to Koehl’s first amending and supplemental petition on October 1, 2019 to protect the Succession from default judgment. On August 2, 2021 the district court granted the succession’s attorney’s Motion to Withdraw as Counsel of Record. 2 The disposition referenced Breazeale v. T.T., 12-1703 (La. App. 1 Cir. 4/26/13), 117 So.3d 192, 197.

22-CA-370 2 insured under the primary policy, finding no reason to disturb the trial court’s

ruling at that time.3 Id.

On February 14, 2022, RLI filed the following: 1) a Peremptory Exception

of No Right of Action alleging that Koehl had no right of action under the Direct

Action Statute in its capacity as the alleged insurer of Packard, as this Court found

that Packard was not vicariously liable for Salassi’s actions, and RLI could not be

held liable in its capacity as Packard’s insurer, if Packard had no liability; 2) a

Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on No Waiver [of Affirmative Defenses];

and 3) a Motion for Summary Judgment on Coverage. Axis also filed a Renewed

Motion for Summary Judgment seeking dismissal from the suit.

After a hearing on the peremptory exception and the motions for summary

judgment on March 24, 2022, the district court took the matter under advisement.

On April 19, 2022, the district court issued judgment in favor of RLI and Axis

dismissing Koehl’s claims against them with prejudice. Koehl timely appealed the

judgment of the district court.4

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

On appeal, Koehl raises three assignments of error: 1) the trial court erred as

a matter of law in granting summary judgment in favor of RLI and Axis on the

issues of coverage and waiver, where RLI and Axis made “repeating multiple

admissions [ . . .] against their interests[.]” and because there is coverage for the

Salassi’s vehicle, and none of the policy exclusions, which must be strictly

construed, are applicable; 2) alternatively, the trial court erred in granting motions

3 In its Reasons for Judgment, requested by Axis, the district court found: Issues precluding summary judgment for any party on the issues raised herein include: Salassi had a proof of insurance card for his vehicle, RLI accepted liability, defended the claim and adjusted the claim and offered payments of some damages, that Salassi was not an insured, was not driving the vehicle in the course and scope of his employment which excluded coverage. RLI did not timely urge the defense of lack of coverage, premiums had been paid and accepted. 4 An Amended and Supplemental Judgment was entered on October 18, 2022 upon RLI’s motion, per this Court’s direction to include the proper decretal language to be a valid, final judgment per La. C.C.P. arts. 1918 and 1951. See 22-C-276 (La. App. 5 Cir.

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

Related

Samaha v. Rau
977 So. 2d 880 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2008)
3218 Magazine, L.L.C. v. Lloyds of London
10 So. 3d 242 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009)
Tate v. Charles Aguillard Ins. & Real Est.
508 So. 2d 1371 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1987)
Magnon v. Collins
739 So. 2d 191 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1999)
Champagne v. Ward
893 So. 2d 773 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2005)
Cassey v. Stewart
727 So. 2d 655 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
Carrier v. Reliance Ins. Co.
759 So. 2d 37 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2000)
Etienne v. National Auto. Ins. Co.
759 So. 2d 51 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2000)
Steptore v. Masco Const. Co., Inc.
643 So. 2d 1213 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1994)
Duncan v. USAA Ins. Co.
950 So. 2d 544 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2007)
Ledoux v. Old Republic Life Insurance Company
233 So. 2d 731 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1970)
Arceneaux v. Amstar Corp.
66 So. 3d 438 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2011)
Brandon Forvendel v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
251 So. 3d 362 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2018)
Breazeale v. T.T.
117 So. 3d 192 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013)
Simon v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.
201 So. 3d 1007 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016)
Burke v. Thibodeaux
726 So. 2d 65 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Timothy D. Koehl Versus Rli Insurance Company, Geico General Insurance Company, Packard Truck Lines, L.L.C., and Robert T. Salassi, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/timothy-d-koehl-versus-rli-insurance-company-geico-general-insurance-lactapp-2023.