Case Name: Wilma M. BILLIOT, Individually and as natural tutrix of her minor son, Joseph J. Billiot, Jr., and as Administratrix of the estates of Joseph J. Billiot, Sr. and Charlotte Marie Billiot v. Mr. Lyes BOURG d/b/a Lyes Bourg Truck Lines et al.
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1976-02-23
Citations: 338 So. 2d 1148
Docket Number: No. 56920
Parties: Wilma M. BILLIOT, Individually and as natural tutrix of her minor son, Joseph J. Billiot, Jr., and as Administratrix of the estates of Joseph J. Billiot, Sr. and Charlotte Marie Billiot v. Mr. Lyes BOURG d/b/a Lyes Bourg Truck Lines et al.
Judges: SUMMERS, J., concurs with reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 338
Pages: 1148–1154

Head Matter:
Wilma M. BILLIOT, Individually and as natural tutrix of her minor son, Joseph J. Billiot, Jr., and as Administratrix of the estates of Joseph J. Billiot, Sr. and Charlotte Marie Billiot v. Mr. Lyes BOURG d/b/a Lyes Bourg Truck Lines et al.
No. 56920.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Feb. 23, 1976.
On Rehearing Oct. 6, 1976.
Dissenting Opinion Nov. 12, 1976.
Henry L. Klein, Windhorst, Heisler, De Laup, Wysocki & Klein, New Orleans, Ralph Hillman, Thibodaux, for plaintiffs-applicants.
Philip E. Henderson, Henderson, Hane-mann & Morris, Houma, for defendants-respondents.

Opinion:
SANDERS, Chief Justice.
This suit for damages for personal injuries and wrongful death arose out of an automobile accident which happened on Louisiana Highway 27 at about 9:30 p. m., on September 8, 1972. A cane truck, owned by Lyes Bourg Truck Lines, operated by William Jasper, and leased to South Coast Corporation, which was being driven south, ran out of gas and stopped at the west edge of the southbound lane of the highway. Later, an automobile owned and operated by Joseph J. Billiot, Sr., also travelling south and approaching the truck from the rear, swerved into the northbound lane of traffic in an effort to avoid striking the truck. The right rear of the Bil-liot vehicle struck the left rear of the truck, causing the automobile to spin into the northbound lane, where it was struck by an oncoming car. As a result of the accident, Mr. Billiot and his young daughter, Charlotte Marie, were killed; his wife, Wilma M. Billiot, and son, Joseph J. Bil-liot, Jr., were injured.
Mrs. Billiot filed suit, individually, as natural tutrix of Joseph, Jr., and as admin-istratrix of the estates of her deceased husband and daughter, seeking damages for the wrongful death of Mr. Billiot and Charlotte Marie, and for the personal injuries suffered by herself and her son.
Defendants in the suit were Lyes Bourg, doing business as Lyes Bourg Truck Lines, William Jasper, South Coast Corporation, Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, and Jim Walter Homes, Inc. Answer was filed denying negligence and pleading the negligence and contributory negligence of Mr. Billiot. Defendants also third partied the plaintiff in her various capacities for contribution of one-half of any damages for which they might be cast because of the negligence of Joseph J. Billiot, Sr. The suit was later voluntarily dismissed as to South Coast Corporation and Jim Walter Homes, Inc.
After trial before a jury, verdict was rendered, finding that both William Jasper and Joseph J. Billiot, Sr. were negligent, but that the negligence of Billiot was not a proximate cause of the accident. Damages of $100,000 were awarded to Mrs. Billiot, individually, and $17,500 was awarded to Joseph J. Billiot, Jr. Judgment, in solido, was signed against Bourg, Jasper and Aet-na, and they appealed. The Court of Appeal reversed the district court and rendered judgment in favor of the defendants . and against plaintiff, dismissing plaintiff's suit at her cost. La.App., 317 So.2d 684. On the application of plaintiff, we granted writs to review the judgment of the Court of Appeal. La., 320 So.2d 910 (1975).
In this Court, plaintiff contends that the Court of Appeal erred: in reversing the lower court in the absence of manifest error; in adopting a "preponderance of the evidence" rule at the appellate level; in substituting its judgment in an area particularly insusceptible to appellate review, credibility of witnesses; and in absolving the defendant of negligence when there was a violation of the highway safety act.
Generally, the findings of fact by the trier of fact are entitled to great weight and will not be disturbed on appeal. Canter v. Koehring Company, La., 283 So.2d 716 (1973). However, the Court of Appeal's jurisdiction extends to the law and the facts. LSA-Const. (1974) Art. 5, § 10(B). In the present case, the Court of Appeal was required, as we are, to review both the law and the facts. LSA-Const. (1974) Art. 5, § 5(C).
Having reviewed the evidence, we find that the driver of the truck was negligent in failing to remove his vehicle from the traveled portion of the highway when it was practical to do so.
LSA-R.S. 32:141 (A) provides:
"Upon any highway outside of a business or residence district, no person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon the paved or main traveled part of the highway when it is practicable to stop, park or so leave such vehicle off such part of said highway, but in every event an unobstructed width of the highway opposite a standing vehicle shall be left for the free passage of other vehicles and a clear view of such stopped vehicles shall be available from a distance of two hundred feet in each direction upon such highway."
Mr. Jasper testified that, prior to stopping on the highway, he heard a familiar "popping" noise which indicated that a tank was out of gas. He attempted to switch over to another tank, and the noise continued. After the motor died, he coasted for some distance, attempting to start the motor. The record discloses that he could have cleared the traveled portion of the highway; he chose, however, to remain on the traveled portion of the highway and obstruct traffic. On today's highways, such an obstruction, expecially at night, is a real hazard to approaching motorists.
The statute was designed to prevent the type of collision that occurred here. That collision, in our opinion, would not have occurred had not the disabled truck been obstructing the highway. Hence, the truck driver's negligence was causally related to the ensuing harm and is actionable. See Dixie Drive It Yourself Sys. v. American Beverage Co., 242 La. 471, 137 So.2d 298 (1962).
Likewise, we find the driver of the automobile guilty of contributory negligence. Mrs. Billiot's testimony was that her husband was driving between 55 and 60 miles per hour. The applicable speed limit was 35 miles per hour. Although the testimony is conflicting, the record reflects that some lights were burning on the truck. Had Mr. Billiot been driving within the speed limit, it is more probable than not that he could have stopped without injury to himself and his family. Hence, his negligence was contributory.
The deceased husband's contributory negligence bars recovery of his damages. The defendants cast are also entitled to contribution of one-half the damages from his estate. See Smith v. Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Ins. Co., 247 La. 695, 174 So.2d 122 (1965). The plaintiff, Wilma M. Billiot, is entitled to judgment for her own damages and those due her children.
For the reasons assigned, the judgment of the Court of Appeal is reversed, and judgment is rendered in favor of plaintiff, Wilma M. Billiot, individually and in her representative capacity, against Lyes Bourg doing business as Lyes Bourg Truck Lines, William Jasper and Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, in solido, in such sums as may hereafter be fixed by the Court of Appeal, subject to the right of contribution asserted in the third party demand. The case is remanded to the Court of Appeal for the fixing of the damages according to law and the amount of contribution on the third party demand. All court costs are assessed against the defendants, in solido.
SUMMERS, J., concurs with reasons.
CALOGERO, J., concurs in part, dissents in part and assigns reasons.