Ward v. Vizzini

695 So. 2d 1012, 1997 WL 249105
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 14, 1997
Docket94-CA-638
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 695 So. 2d 1012 (Ward v. Vizzini) 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
Ward v. Vizzini, 695 So. 2d 1012, 1997 WL 249105 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

695 So.2d 1012 (1997)

Katherine WARD
v.
Joseph VIZZINI, et als.

No. 94-CA-638.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

May 14, 1997.
Rehearing Denied July 17, 1997.

*1013 Harry D. Hoskins, III, Hoskins & Hoskins, New Orleans, for plaintiff-appellant.

James J. Hautot, Lafayette, for defendant-appellee.

Before GRISBAUM, DUFRESNE and CANNELLA, JJ.

GRISBAUM, Judge.

This appeal relates to a "claims made" insurance policy, along with the fiduciary relationship resulting therefrom and related claims. We affirm in part and set aside in part.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In 1983, the plaintiff-appellant, Ms. Katherine Ward, went to Mr. Joseph Vizzini, a certified public accountant ("CPA"), for tax *1014 advice. Mr. Vizzini recommended that plaintiff invest in various tax shelters including the Barrister Equipment Associates Series 122 limited partnership ("Barrister"). In 1984, Mr. Vizzini offered the plaintiff the opportunity to participate in a partnership known as Vizzini Arabians III ("Arabians"). The object of this partnership was to buy, breed, show and sell Arabian horses. The plaintiff accepted and participated in both investments.

In 1984, Mr. Vizzini's accounting firm, Vizzini & Dooley, purchased a "claims made" insurance policy from New England Insurance Company. The policy had a retroactive date to 8/24/79 and a term to 8/24/85. Thereafter, Mr. Vizzini purchased a three-year extended reporting period to 8/24/88.

In 1985, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") began to send plaintiff notices stating that it did not feel the Barrister tax shelter benefits were allowable. In 1989, Mr. Vizzini concluded that the cost and risk of continuing to resist the IRS challenges to the shelter were too great and advised the plaintiff to settle with the IRS, which she did. In March 1989, after the collapse of the Arabian horse market, the partners voted to liquidate the Arabian partnership and sell the horse for the best possible price. Thereafter, Mr. Vizzini continued to work as plaintiff's accountant until 1991.

On April 15, 1991, Ms. Ward filed suit against Mr. Vizzini and Vizzini & Dooley, a corporation of CPAs. The original petition alleged that Mr. Vizzini breached his duty as a CPA in connection with recommending that plaintiff purchase limited partnership interests in investments having tax benefits. The plaintiff later amended her petition to add as additional defendants the shareholders in Vizzini & Dooley: Mr. William Dooley, Mr. Vizzini, and Mr. Gary Reynolds, asserting therein that these defendants had wrongfully transferred all of the assets of Vizzini & Dooley into a new professional accounting corporation known as Dooley, Vizzini & Reynolds.

The trial court maintained an Exception of No Cause of Action in favor of Mr. Vizzini, based on a discharge in bankruptcy, which Mr. Vizzini had earlier received. In addition, the trial court maintained an Exception of Discussion in favor of Mr. Dooley, Mr. Reynolds, and Mr. Vizzini and ordered the revocatory action against them stayed pending the resolution of the remaining claims.

This matter was tried September 20-24, 1993. The only issues at trial were whether Vizzini & Dooley were liable to Ms. Ward by reason of Mr. Vizzini's recommendation that she invest in Barrister and Arabians and, if so, whether New England Insurance Company provided coverage for those claims. At the close of plaintiff's case, New England moved for a Directed Verdict, which was deferred by the trial judge until the close of all the evidence. At the close of all the evidence, New England renewed its Motion for a Directed Verdict, which the trial judge granted.

The jury responded to special interrogatories submitted to it finding that, with respect to Barrister, Mr. Vizzini had breached his fiduciary duty to the plaintiff, had recommended that she purchase an unsuitable investment, and had breached the standard of care for an accountant expert in tax shelters. The jury further found plaintiff to be 50 percent comparatively negligent with respect to the Barrister investment. With respect to the Arabians investment, the jury found that Mr. Vizzini had breached his fiduciary duty to the plaintiff and had recommended the purchase of an unsuitable investment but had not breached the standard of care for an accountant. The jury found that plaintiff's damages relating to the Arabians investment should be reduced by 25 percent due to plaintiff's failure to mitigate her damages. After reductions, the plaintiff received a judgment for $20,000.00 in damages on the Barrister investment and $221,000.00 on the Arabians investment. It is from this judgment that the plaintiff now appeals.

On November 30, 1993, Vizzini & Dooley filed for bankruptcy. The plaintiff has received permission from the bankruptcy court to proceed with this appeal as it affects Vizzini & Dooley.

ISSUES

We are called upon to determine a number of questions, to-wit:

*1015 (1) Whether "claims made" insurance policies are contrary to public policy;

(2) Whether the trial court erred in concluding that the New England Insurance Company policy provided no coverage for appellant's claims against the appellee, Vizzini & Dooley;

(3) Whether the existence of a fiduciary relationship between appellant and Mr. Vizzini prevented the appellant from being found comparatively negligent; and

(4) Whether the trial court erred in awarding interest from the date of judgment until the time paid.

ISSUE ONE

Law

The insurance policy between Vizzini & Dooley and New England Insurance Company is a "claims made" policy. In her first assignment of error, the appellant alleges that "claims made" insurance policies, as a matter of law, are contrary to public policy to the extent that notice of a claim is required to perfect coverage as to the claim. A "claims made" insurance policy is one in which coverage attaches only if the negligent harm is discovered and reported within the policy period. Case v. La. Medical Mutual Ins. Co., 624 So.2d 1285 (La.App. 3d Cir. 1993). In contrast, an "occurrence policy" merely requires the commission of the negligent act during the policy's effective period regardless of the date of discovery and reporting. Id.

There is no merit to appellant's contention that the "claims made" condition of an insurance policy is contra bonos mores. In Livingston Parish School Bd. v. Fireman's Fund Am. Ins. Co. et al, 282 So.2d 478, 481 (1973) (citations omitted), Justice Tate, speaking for the Court found:

Where a policy unambiguously and clearly limits coverage to acts discovered and reported during the policy term, such limitation of liability is not per se impermissible. This is in accordance with the general principle that, in the absence of conflict with statute or public policy, insurers may by unambiguous and clearly noticeable provisions limit their liability and impose such reasonable conditions as they wish upon the obligations they assume by their contract.

With approval, this language has been cited by this Court, as well as by other circuit courts. See, Reichert v. Bertucci, 94-1445 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1/31/95), 650 So.2d 821; Case, supra; Bank of La. v. Mmahat, Duffy, Opotowsky & Walker, 608 So.2d 218 (La.App. 5th Cir.1992); and Poirier v. Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co., 517 So.2d 225 (La.App. 1st Cir.1987).

Analysis

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Bluebook (online)
695 So. 2d 1012, 1997 WL 249105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ward-v-vizzini-lactapp-1997.