Case Name: Darrell Stephon FAIRLEY v. OCEAN DRILLING AND EXPLORATION COMPANY
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1997-02-19
Citations: 689 So. 2d 736
Docket Number: No. 95-CA-1542
Parties: Darrell Stephon FAIRLEY v. OCEAN DRILLING AND EXPLORATION COMPANY.
Judges: Before BYRNES, LOBRANO and MURRAY, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 689
Pages: 736–739

Head Matter:
Darrell Stephon FAIRLEY v. OCEAN DRILLING AND EXPLORATION COMPANY.
No. 95-CA-1542.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.
Feb. 19, 1997.
Lawrence D. Wiedemann, Brian G. Shear-man, Wiedemann & Wiedemann, New Orleans, for Plaintiff-Appellant.
James R. Silverstein, Frilot, Partridge, Kohnke & Clements, New Orleans, for Defendant-Appellee.
Before BYRNES, LOBRANO and MURRAY, JJ.

Opinion:
JjBYRNES, Judge.
Plaintiff, Darryl Stephon Fairley, sued defendant, Ocean Drilling and Exploration Company ("ODECO"), seeking damages pursuant to the Jones Act and the general maritime law for personal injuries sustained while employed by ODECO on or about September 7,1989. Plaintiff seeks punitive damages for ODECO's alleged wrongful failure to pay maintenance and cure. The trial court granted ODECO's motion for partial summary judgment dismissing that portion of plaintiffs suit claiming punitive damages for wrongful failure to pay maintenance and cure. Plaintiff appealed. We affirm.
A claim for punitive damages for wrongful failure to pay maintenance and cure arises under the general maritime law. Punitive damages are not recoverable under the general maritime law. Bridgett v. Odeco, Inc., 93-1536 (La.App. 4 Cir. 12/15/94); 646 So.2d 1249, writ denied, 95-0381 (La.3/30/95); 651 So.2d 840; Guevara v. Maritime Overseas Corp., 59 F.3d 1496 (5 Cir.1995), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 116 S.Ct. 706, 133 L.Ed.2d 662 (1996).
Punitive damages are contrary to Louisiana legal philosophy and are only permitted where specifically provided for by statute:
12[U]nder Louisiana substantive law, absent express authorization by statute (i.e. LSA-C.C. art. 2315.3 and 2315.4), punitive damages are not allowed in Louisiana. Edmonds v. Boh Bros. Construction Company, 522 So.2d 1166 (La.App. 4 Cir.1988.)
Price v. Louisiana Dept. of Transp. and Development, 608 So.2d 203 (La.App. 4 Cir. 1992).
This Court does not condone the wrongful failure to pay maintenance and cure. But the fact that this Court may disapprove of certain conduct does not give us the authority to create a punitive damage remedy. In the absence of a clear directive either by statute or in the general maritime law it is not the province of this Court to provide a punitive damage remedy for the wrongful failure to pay maintenance and cure. We find no such authority in statute or in the general maritime law.
For the foregoing reasons the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
MURRAY, J., dissents with reasons.