Vaughan v. Hair

645 So. 2d 1177, 1994 WL 541569
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 5, 1994
Docket94-86
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 645 So. 2d 1177 (Vaughan v. Hair) 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
Vaughan v. Hair, 645 So. 2d 1177, 1994 WL 541569 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

645 So.2d 1177 (1994)

James A. VAUGHAN, Plaintiff/Appellant,
v.
Tom HAIR, Automotive Casualty Insurance Company, and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Defendants, and
Chemical Control, Inc., Boston Old Colony Insurance Company and Certain Underwriters at Lloyds' London, Defendants/Appellees.

No. 94-86.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

October 5, 1994.
Rehearing Denied December 14, 1994.

*1179 John Allen Jeansonne Jr., Michael J. Remondet Jr., Lafayette, for James A. Vaughan.

David Michael Kaufman, Lafayette, for Tom Hair et al.

St. Paul Bourgeois IV, Emile Joseph Jr., Lafayette, for Chemical Control, Inc.

James Buckner Doyle, Lake Charles, for Boston Old Colony Ins. Co.

David Michael Kaufman, Lafayette, for Automotive Cas. Ins. Co.

Jon Wesley Wise, Winston Edward Rice, New Orleans, for Orian Ins. Co., et al.

Before YELVERTON, THIBODEAUX, and COOKS, Judges.

YELVERTON, Judge.

This suit arises out of a rear-end collision allegedly caused by the negligence of an intoxicated following driver. The lead driver, James Vaughan, initially sued the following driver, Tom Hair, Hair's automobile liability insurer and his own uninsured motorist carrier. In subsequent amending petitions, Vaughan also named as defendants Hair's employer, Chemical Control, Inc., Chemical Control's automobile insurer, Boston Old Colony Insurance Co., and its general liability insurer, Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London. Vaughan appeals summary judgments rendered in favor of Chemical Control and its two insurers.

The summary judgments involve the liability of Chemical Control under two theories, respondeat superior and its independent negligence.

FACTS

Tom Hair was employed as a chemical mixer and driver for Chemical Control. He testified that on the night of the accident, September 25, 1990, he was "finishing up" his job duties between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. when his supervisor, Jeff Meche, left to buy some beer. He testified that when Meche returned, he had completed his work, and the two of them remained on the premises, consuming approximately one 12-pack of beer. The accident occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. that evening, while Hair was returning to his home in his personal vehicle from Chemical Control's offices.

Both Hair and Meche testified that employees of Chemical Control were allowed to drink alcohol on the premises when their work was completed. However, employees were not allowed to drink if they were scheduled to make deliveries. The company usually provided its employees with soft drinks, not beer, although the owner, Tony Primeaux, may have bought some beer on occasion.

Although Hair's job duties included making deliveries, he stated that he only used company vehicles for these activities. He used his personal vehicle only for travel to and from work. He did not use his personal vehicle to run business errands, and he had never driven his own car to any other job location. This testimony was corroborated by Tony Primeaux, who stated that his employees did not use their personal vehicles for business purposes.

Hair was paid a salary; he did not receive a travel allowance or other compensation for the use of his vehicle. Like the other company employees, Hair carried a beeper, but neither Meche nor Primeaux could remember a single time when an employee was called back after leaving at the end of a work day. Meche testified that if an employee was ever called, he could refuse to work if he were "beeped" after hours. Primeaux testified that the purpose and use of the beepers *1180 was to contact employees when he had to be away from the office or to contact drivers who might be on the road.

Ruling on motions for summary judgment filed by Chemical Control, Boston Old Colony and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London, the trial court determined (1) that Hair was outside the course and scope of his employment with Chemical Control at the time of the accident, and the employer was therefore not liable under the doctrine of respondeat superior; and (2) that Chemical Control was not independently liable to the plaintiff for its own negligence, under the facts presented, for furnishing liquor or allowing its employees to drink prior to their leaving the work premises.

REVIEW

Summary judgments are reviewed on appeal de novo. An appellate court thus asks the same question as does the trial court in determining whether summary judgment is appropriate: whether there is any genuine issue of material fact, and whether the mover is entitled to judgment is a matter of law. Smith v. Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, Inc., 93-C-2512 (La. 7/5/94), 639 So.2d 730.

Reviewing the record with this question in mind, we can find no disputed material fact that would permit the plaintiff to recover damages from Chemical Control and its two insurers.

COURSE AND SCOPE OF EMPLOYMENT

Every case must be judged under its own set of facts to determine if an employee is acting within the course and scope of his employment. Hebert v. Witherington, 520 So.2d 1075 (La.App. 3d Cir.1987), writ denied, 522 So.2d 566 (La.1988). The specific inquiry is whether the employee's tortious conduct was "so closely connected in time, place and causation to his employment-duties as to be regarded as a risk of harm fairly attributable to the employer's business, as compared with conduct motivated by purely personal considerations entirely extraneous to the employer's interest." LeBrane v. Lewis, 292 So.2d 216 (La.1974).

The general rule is that an employee, in going to and from work, is not considered as acting within the course and scope of his employment to such an extent as to render his employer liable to third persons for the employee's negligent acts. Gordon v. Commercial Union Ins. Co., 503 So.2d 190 (La.App. 4th Cir.), writ denied, 506 So.2d 1227 (La.1987).

The jurisprudence has outlined three exceptions to the above rule. An accident may be held to be within the course and scope of the employee's employment if (1) the employer provides the transportation the employee uses to go to and from work; (2) the employer provides expenses or wages for the time spent traveling in the vehicle; or (3) if the operation of the motor vehicle is incidental to or is actually the performance of some employment responsibility. See Castille v. All American Insurance Company, 550 So.2d 334 (La.App. 3d Cir.1989), writ denied, 556 So.2d 1261 (La.1990); Castille v. Sibille, 342 So.2d 279 (La.App. 3d Cir.1977).

Undisputedly, the first two exceptions do not apply in the instant case. Chemical Control did not provide Hair with transportation to or from work, and Hair was not compensated for use of his personal vehicle. However, plaintiff makes two arguments that Hair's use of his personal vehicle on the night in question was incidental to his employment responsibility. First, plaintiff contends that Hair was still under his employer's control at the time of the accident because he was wearing a beeper. Second, he argues that Chemical Control derived some benefit from Hair's driving home that evening because Hair's ability to drive was essential to his job responsibilities.

We find neither argument persuasive. From the testimony of Meche and Primeaux regarding Chemical Control's use of the beepers, it is clear that the company employees were not on 24-hour call. Neither Meche nor Primeaux could remember a single incident when an employee was called back to work after he had left.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
645 So. 2d 1177, 1994 WL 541569, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vaughan-v-hair-lactapp-1994.