Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 , the court has determined that this opinion should not * be publishe d an d is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

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a t rai n a ta c r o s s i ng o n N o ve m be r3 0, 2 00 5. H i s e s t at e s ue d t he r ailc o m pa ny a n do p e r a t o r s fo rw r o n g fu l d e a t h . T h e d is t r ic tc o u r tg r a n t e dth e r a il r o a d ’s
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or su m m a ryj u d gm en t. United States Court of App eals Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D September

3, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 08- 40796

Both parties a gre ed th at Louisiana law i s controlling inthis diversityca se. 1 2 Vanz and t w o r ke d f

o r Robb i ns M o t o r Tr ans po r t m ak i ng de l ive r i e s . On t he da y i n q ue s t i o n, Vanz and tw as t r av e l i ng t o t he M ar t c o fac i l i t y w he r e he m ad e da i l y del iveri es. A ccor di n g t o t h e u n di spu t ed t est i m on y of t h e t rai n ’ s engi n eer, t he e ngi ne e rb l ew the w hi s t l e a nd r angt he b e l l1 90 0 fe e tf r o m t he c r o s s i ng
w h e r e t h e a c c i d e n t o c c u r r e d

. Va n z a n d t m a d e a s l o w r i g h t t u r n t o w ar d t he i nt e r s e c t i o n. Att hi s poi nt , t he cr e w of t he t r ai n s aw V anz and ta ppr o ac hi ng t he i n t ersec t i on an d assu m ed h e w as g oi n g t o stop. A pp roxi m ately 400 t o 500 feet f r o m t he i nt e r s e c t i o n, t he t r ai n’ s eng i ne e rre al i z e d t hatVanz and tw as no tg o i ng t o st op. A tapp roxi m ately 150 t o 200 feetf rom t h e i n t ersec t i on , t h e eng i n eer th rew on the f

u l l em erg en cybra k es o n the 3,70 0 + ton f reigh t t ra i n . O n i m p a ct, t he t r ai n w as t r aveli n g 3 8 m i l es perhour

. Van zandtw as pr onounce d dead at th e s c e n e . Appe l l ant s a r gue o n a ppe alt hatt he t rai n d el ay e d i n a pplyi ng t he
em er genc y br ake and t hatt hi s del ay c ause d t he t r ai n t o hi tt he t r uck’ s c ab i nst ead o f

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. T h i s cou rt re view s a d i stri ct cou rt’ s gra n t of su m m a ryj u d gm en t de no vo . Se eMe ndo z a v . Mur

phy , 53 2 F. 3d 34 2, 34 7 ( 5t h Ci r . 2 00 8)

. Sum m ar y j udg m e nt i s pr o pe r “ i f t he pl e ad i ngs , de po s i t i o ns , ans w e r s t o i nt e r r o ga t o r i e s , a nd ad m i s s i o ns o n fi l e , t o ge t he rw i t h t he a f f i da vit s , i f

a ny, s ho w t hatt he r e i s no ge n u i n e i ssu e as to a n y m a terialfa ct. ” Hat haway v . Baz any , 507 F. 3d 312, 319 (5 th C ir. 2 0 0 7 ) (quo t i ngF e d . R . C iv . P . 5 6 (c )). U nde rLo ui s i anal aw, i ti s w e l le s t ab li s he d that“ a t r ai n c r e w c an pr e s um e 1 t h a tv e h i c l e s a p p r o a c h i n gr a i l r o a d c r o s s i n g s w i l l o b e y t h e l a w a n ds t o p i n t i me to av oid a n accid en t. ” Le Je u n ev . Uni o n Pa c . R. R. , 712 So. 2d 491 , 495 (La. 1998)N o. 08- 40796

3 (f i n d i n g n o fau l t on the pa rt of the rail roa dw h ere an am b u l a n ce w i th i ts l i gh ts fl a sh i n g fail ed to yiel d ). O n l y w h en “t h e v eh i cl es’ s ap p roa ch i s so u n u su a las to pl ace an ordi n ari l y pru den tm an on n ot i ce t h e veh i cl e cann otbe broug h tt o a s t o p i n t i m e to a vo i d ac o l l i s i o n” do e s t he t r ai n c r e w ha ve adut y t o do “ev ery th i n gin i ts po w er to a ve rt t h e coll i sion

. ” I d. ( quot i ng T

hi bode aux v. Carlock , 3 9 2 S o . 2 d1 0 8 4 , 1 0 8 6 (L a . A p p . 1 9 8 0 ). A p p e lla n ts h a v e p r o d u c e dn o e v id e n c e th a t t h e r e w a s a n y th i n gin V a n z a n d t’s a p p r o a c h th a t s h o u ldh a v e p u t t h e tr a in ’ s cr e w o n n o tic e th a t h e d id
n o th e a ro rs e e t h e t r a i n a p p r o a c h i n g . T h e r e f o r e , t h e o n l yi s s u e i s t h e t i me be t w e e n when t he trai n ’ s cre w r e al i z e d, w hi l e 4 00 t o 5 00 fe e ta w ay , t hatt he tr u c k w a s n o t g o in gto s to p a n dth e tim e w h e n t h e cr e w a p p lie dth e fu ll
e m e r ge nc y br ak e , 1 50 t o 20 0 fe e t away f r o m t he t r uc k. Appe l l ant s s ubm i t t e d no
e vi de nc e t hatt he c r e w b r e ac he d it s dut y bya c t i ng unr easo nab l y unde rt he
c ir c u m s t a n c e s . A p p e ll a n t s a ls o o f fe r e dn o e v id e n c e to c o n t r a d ic tA p p e ll e e ’s expe r tw ho s t at ed t hatt he 1. 5 s ec ond r eac t i on t i m e b y t he t r ai n’ s engi neerw as
r e a s o n a b le

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l i ab i l i t y o n t he pa rtof t h e A pp el l ees. Th e j u dg m en ti s A F F I RMED.