Case Name: Katherine SHORT v. PLANTATION MANAGEMENT CORPORATION d/b/a Golden Age Nursing Home
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 2000-12-27
Citations: 781 So. 2d 46
Docket Number: No. 99 CA 0899
Parties: Katherine SHORT v. PLANTATION MANAGEMENT CORPORATION d/b/a Golden Age Nursing Home.
Judges: Before: GONZALES, FITZSIMMONS, KUHN, GUIDRY, and WEIMER, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 781
Pages: 46–73

Head Matter:
Katherine SHORT v. PLANTATION MANAGEMENT CORPORATION d/b/a Golden Age Nursing Home.
No. 99 CA 0899.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.
Dec. 27, 2000.
Thomas R. Juneau, Lafayette, Counsel for Defendant/Appellant, Plantation Management Corporation d/b/a Golden Age Nursing Home.
Timothy E. Pujol, Gonzales, James C. Percy, Baton Rouge, Jay J. Harris, Den-ham Springs, Counsel for Plaintiff/Appel-lee, Barbara Bullock.
Before: GONZALES, FITZSIMMONS, KUHN, GUIDRY, and WEIMER, JJ.

Opinion:
J^FITZSIMMONS, J.
Plantation Management Corporation d/b/a Golden Age Nursing Home (Planta tion Management) challenges a judgment finding it liable for damages sustained by a nursing home resident.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
On June 15, 1995, Mrs. Katherine Short, 69 years of age, was admitted to Golden Age Nursing Home (Golden Age) in Den-ham Springs, Louisiana, after having undergone hip replacement surgery. When admitted to Golden Age, Mrs. Short also had a history of rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, cataracts, peptic ulcer disease, and osteoporosis. While at Golden Age, Mrs. Short frequently complained of pain all over her body and suffered from depression.
On October 29, 1995, nursing staff at Golden Age noted Mrs. Short's lower right leg was swollen and shiny. Mrs. Short's leg problem continued to worsen over the next two weeks. Nurses' notes indicate her feet were dark in color, her great right toe became "purplish," and Mrs. Short complained of much pain. On November 12, 1995, Mrs. Short's daughter, Barbara Bullock, and her granddaughter, Vickie Burton, visited Mrs. Short. After hearing Mrs. Short's complaints of pain, and seeing the extent of discoloration of her right foot, Ms. Bullock requested that an ambulance be called to take Mrs. Short to the hospital.
Mrs. Short was taken to the Medical Center of Baton Rouge where it was determined she had acute, chronic ischemia of the right foot and an arterial occlusion (blockage) of all three tibial vessels above her right ankle. On November 13, 1995, Mrs. Short underwent a right popliteal to posterior tibialis artery bypass surgery to try to save her right foot. This procedure was unsuccessful, and on November 14, 1995, Mrs. Short's right leg was amputated below the knee. Mrs. Short was readmitted to the Medical Center of Baton Rouge on November 23, 1995, with complaints of chest pain. |3It was determined she had suffered a recent heart attack. Mrs. Short remained bedridden for the remainder of her life. She died on March 3,1997.
On May 7, 1996, before her death, Mrs. Short filed suit against Plantation Management, seeking damages for the negligence and/or strict liability of Golden Age employees, who she alleged failed to properly provide her with adequate care, failed to properly investigate her complaints, and failed to timely seek medical advice regarding her complaints. She also alleged Plantation Management was negligent for failing to provide her with adequate care, failing to hire properly trained employees, and failing to provide proper training and adequate supervision for its employees.
After Mrs. Short's death, Ms. Bullock, in her capacity as administratrix of her mother's estate, filed a motion to be substituted as the proper party plaintiff in the suit. The order substituting Ms. Bullock as such was signed on June 10, 1997. On August 15, 1997, Ms. Bullock filed an amended petition, alleging that since Mrs. Short's death, it had been learned that Plantation Management's actions constituted violations of La. R.S. 40:2010.8, legislation enacted to protect the rights of nursing home residents (Residents' Bill of Rights Law).
On October 6, 1998, a bench trial was held, and on December 4, 1998, the trial court signed a judgment, in favor of Ms. Bullock, in her capacity as the administra-trix of Mrs. Short's estate, and against Plantation Management, for $955,256.49, plus legal interest and costs. The judgment consisted of $650,000.00 in general damages, $66,442.55 in medical expenses, and $238,813.94 in attorney fees.
Plantation Management appeals from this adverse judgment, contending: (1) the plaintiff failed to prove Mrs. Short's injuries were caused by Golden Age's negligence; (2) the trial court abused its discretion in awarding attorney fees of $238,813.94; (3) the trial court abused its discretion in awarding general damages of $650,000.00; and (4) the trial court erred in awarding interest on attorney fees since such interest was not specifically requested by the plaintiff. Additionally, on appeal, Plantation Management has filed peremptory exceptions of no right of action and no cause of action.
I ¿EXCEPTIONS
Improper Party Plaintiff
Plantation Management filed an exception of no right of action in this court, challenging Ms. Bullock's substitution as the proper party plaintiff in Mrs. -Short's suit. Plantation Management also filed an exception of no cause of action, challenging Ms. Bullock's amendment of the petition to assert a cause of action under the Residents' Bill of Rights Law. The arguments raised in support of both exceptions address whether Ms. Bullock has a right of action in the present suit; therefore, because we have the power to note the absence of a right of a party on our own motion, we will address Plantation Management's exception of no cause of action as though it were filed as an exception of no right of action. La. C.C.P. art. 927; see Thompson v. Harrington, 99-571 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/13/99), 746 So.2d 652, 656.
The objection of no right of action tests whether the plaintiff has a "real and actual interest" in the suit. Layne v. City of Mandeville, 98-2271 (La.App. 1 Cir. 11/5/99), 743 So.2d 1263, 1267, writ denied, 1999-3432 (La.2/18/00), 754 So.2d 966. Stated another way, an exception of no right of action determines whether the plaintiff belongs to the particular class to which the law grants a remedy for the particular harm alleged. Sivils v. Mitchell, 96-2528 (La.App. 1 Cir. 11/7/97), 704 So.2d 25, 27. The exception is appropriate when the plaintiff does not have an interest in the subject matter of the suit or legal capacity to proceed with a suit in a particular case. Layne, 743 So.2d at 1267.
Plantation Management first argues Ms. Bullock's substitution as the ad-ministratrix of Mrs. Short's succession was improper because Mrs. Short was survived by children who are in a category of legal successors, who take precedence over succession representatives when substitution of parties occurs.
According to La. C.C.P. art. 801, when a party dies during the pendency of an action which is not extinguished by his death, his legal successor may have himself substituted for the deceased party. As used in La. C.C.P. art. 801, "legal successor" means: "(1) [t]he survivors designated in [La. C.C. art.] 2315.1, if the action survives | sin their favor; and (2) [o]therwise, it means the succession representative of the deceased appointed by a court of this state, if the succession is under administration therein, or the heirs and legatees of the deceased, if the deceased's succession is not under administration therein." The survivors designated in La. C.C. art. 2315.1 as those qualified to recover damages for injury to a deceased person are: (1) the surviving spouse and/or children of the deceased; (2) the surviving father and/or mother of the deceased, if he left no surviving spouse or children; (3) the surviving brothers and sisters of the deceased, or any of them, if the deceased left no surviving spouse, child, or parent; (4) the surviving grandfathers or grandmothers of the deceased, or any of them, if the deceased left no surviving spouse, children, parent, or sibling; (5) the deceased's succession representative, in the absence of any class of beneficiary set forth in the first four listed categories.
In this case, it is undisputed that Ms. Bullock is Mrs. Short's daughter. Thus, it is clear she is Mrs. Short's legal successor, in addition to being the administratrix of her mother's estate. Cf. Carl v. Naquin, 93-1725 (La.App. 1 Cir. 5/20/94), 637 So.2d 736 (succession administrator, who was not a La. C.C. art. 2315.1 legal successor, dismissed as party plaintiff because deceased was survived by a brother, who was a La. C.C. art. 2315.1 legal successor, and who is given higher preference as party plaintiff). We decline to vacate the judgment in this case solely because Ms. Bullock was substituted in the case as the administratrix of Mrs. Short's estate, rather than as Mrs. Short's legal successor. Clearly, Ms. Bullock, as Mrs. Short's daughter, is a legal successor who is entitled to pursue her mother's negligence/strict liability action against Plantation Management.
Heritability of Residents' Bill of Rights Law
The petition filed by Mrs. Short, before her death, asserted negligence and strict liability claims against Plantation Management. The claim under the Residents' Bill of Rights Law was first asserted by Ms. Bullock when she filed the amended petition after her mother's death. Therefore, a pivotal issue to be decided is whether the cause of action provided in La. R.S. 40:2010.9 is a heritable obligation. Additionally, can it be Rasserted by a legal successor of Mrs. Short, or is it a strictly personal obligation which ceased to exist when Mrs. Short died?
Louisiana Revised Statute 40:2010.6 et seq., was enacted in 1985. The law is based on the legislature's finding that persons residing in nursing homes are isolated from the community and often lack the means to assert their rights as individual citizens. La. R.S. 40:2010.6. The legislation requires all nursing homes to adopt and make a public statement of the rights and responsibilities of their residents and to treat the residents in accordance with the provisions of the statement. La. R.S. 40:2010.8(A). The statement must assure each resident of several rights, for example: the right to civil and religious liberties; the right to private and uncensored communications; the right to flexible visiting hours; the right to present grievances on behalf of himself or others; the right to manage his own financial affairs; the right to be fully informed of services not covered by the Social Security Act or the nursing home policy; the right to be adequately informed of his medical condition and proposed treatment and to participate in the planning of his medical treatment; the right to receive adequate and appropriate health care; the right to privacy in treatment and in caring for personal needs; the right to be treated courteously, fairly, and with the fullest measure of dignity; the right to be free from mental and physical abuse and from physical and chemical restraints; the right to be transferred or discharged only if necessary for his welfare and if his needs cannot be met by the facility; the right to select a personal physician; the right to retain and use personal clothing and possessions as space permits; the right to copies of nursing home rules and regulations; the right to receive a prompt response to all reasonable requests and inquiries; the right to use tobacco and to consume reasonable amounts of alcohol at his own expense; the right to retire and rise in accordance with his reasonable requests; and, the right to have any significant change in his health status immediately reported to him and his legal representative or interested family member. La. R.S. 40:2010.8(A).
Any resident whose rights, as specified in La. R.S. 40:2010.8, are deprived or infringed upon shall have a cause of action against any nursing home responsible for |7the violation. The action may be brought by the resident, or his curator, including a curator ad hoc. La. R.S. 40:2010.9(A). In addition to the recovery of actual damages, any plaintiff who prevails in such an action shall generally be entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees and costs of the action. La. R.S. 40:2010.9(A).
Although there has been scant judicial attention focused on this particular topic, the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal has addressed the issue. In Gibson v. Monroe Manor Nursing Home, 32,806 (La.App. 2 Cir. 3/3/00), 756 So.2d 583, the court deemed the cause of action provided by La. R.S. 40:2010.9 to be a heritable obligation, which could be brought by a successor of the resident. The second circuit opined that the underpinnings of a nursing home's obligation not to violate the Residents' Bill of Rights Law are not an obligation intended for the exclusive benefit of any one obligee, but rather, constitute an obligation owed to each and all such residents to further the legislative goals of preserving the dignity and personal integrity of the residents and safeguarding against encroachments upon the residents' right to self-determination. Gibson, 756 So.2d at 586.
Due to the lack of statutory expression that would provide for the heritability of the Residents' Bill of Rights Law, we look to the provisions of the civil code for guidance. An obligation is heritable when its performance may be enforced by a successor of the obligee or against a successor of the obligor. Furthermore, every obligation is deemed heritable as to all parties, except when the contrary results from the terms or from the nature of the contract. La. C.C. art. 1765. Thus, the presumption is that an obligation is heritable, unless it is strictly personal.
An obligation is strictly personal when its performance can be enforced only by the obligee, or only against the obligor due to "special skill or qualification of the |sobligor[.]" La. C.C. art. 1766. Additionally, when the performance is intended for the benefit of the obligee exclusively, the obligation is strictly personal on the part of the obligee. Id. The Comments to La. C.C. art. 1766 explain that a particular skill, social status or professional standing are features that render an obligation strictly personal. Examples of these exceptions to the general rule of transferability of an obligation or right include: fulfillment of a marriage engagement and the attendant obligation to respond in damages for nonperformance, Johnson v. Levy, 118 La. 447, 43 So. 46 (1907); the obligation of a musician under a contract to record music, Fletcher v. Rachou, 323 So.2d 163 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1975); and a contract for dancing lessons, Richardson v. Cole, 173 So.2d 336 (La.App. 2nd Cir.1965).
Applying the distinctive characterizations of obligations to the facts at hand, the duty to provide nursing home services represents a strictly personal obligation that was extinguished at the time of Mrs. Short's death. The strictly personal obligation to provide nursing home services to Mrs. Short is, however, differentiated from the instant causes of action involving breaches of nursing home obligations that resulted in damages to Mrs. Short pursuant to La. R.S. 40:2010.6 et seq. In this regard, violations of the provisions of the Residents' Bill of Rights Law, relating to medical treatment, constitute an "offense or quasi-offense." As such they give rise to the application of La. C.C. art 2315.1, and the right of a survival action.
We thus conclude that the causes of action advanced pursuant to the Residents' Bill of Rights Law constitute heritable actions that can be asserted by a party's successor. Ms. Bullock belongs to the class of persons to which the law grants a remedy for the particular harm alleged. Accordingly, the exceptions of no right of action and no cause of action are denied.
CAUSATION
In assignment of error number two, Plantation Management argues that Ms. Bullock failed to prove that the amputation of Mrs. Short's right leg and her subsequent heart attack were caused by the negligence of Golden Age.
Un an action to recover damages for injuries allegedly caused by another's negligence, the plaintiff has the burden of proving the defendant's negligence by a preponderance of the evidence. Cangelosi v. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, 564 So.2d 654, 664 (La. 1989). Proof is sufficient to constitute a preponderance when the entirety of the evidence, both direct and circumstantial, shows the fact or causation sought to be proved is more probable than not. Boudreaux v. American Insurance Company, 262 La. 721, 264 So.2d 621, 626 (1972). To carry his burden of proof, the plaintiff must produce evidence from which the factfinder can reasonably conclude that his injuries, more probably than not, were caused by the negligence of the particular defendant. The plaintiff, however, does not have to conclusively exclude all other possible explanations for his injuries, because the standard is not proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Cangelosi, 564 So.2d at 664.
In this case, the trial court determined the staff of Golden Age was negligent for failing to present Mrs. Short for evaluation by a doctor before November 12, 1995. With regard to whether this negligence caused Mrs. Short's subsequent injuries, the trial court stated:
Based on the most credible evidence[,] this court finds[ ] the symptoms exhibited by Mrs. Short on October 29, 1995, were caused by an arterial occlusion and should have been reported to a medical doctor immediately. During the fourteen day delay before Mrs. Short was presented to a physician, the occlusion became progressively worse and gangrene set in prior to November 12, 1995. The failure of the first surgery, the "fem pop[,]" was attributable to the dead tissue, which was more probably than not caused by the gangrene. The amputation was necessary because of the failure of the first corrective surgery. The stress of the two surgeries caused Mrs. Short to suffer her heart attack. Mrs. Short was making progress toward becoming fully ambulatory after her hip surgery and the sole reason for her drastic decline was the failure to present her timely to a physician at the onset of her arterial occlusion. Golden Age was negligent and their fault was the sole cause for the damages suffered by Mrs. Short.
A trial court's finding regarding causation is a factual determination which is reviewed under the manifest error standard of review. Shows v. Shoney's, Inc., 98-1254 (La.App. 1 Cir. 7/29/99), 738 So.2d 724, 732. As an appellate court, we cannot set aside the trial court's factual findings unless we determine there is no reasonable factual basis for the findings and the findings are clearly wrong. Stobart v. State, department of Transportation and Development, 617 So.2d 880, 882 (La.1993). Thus, if the findings are reasonable in light of the record reviewed in its' entirety, an appellate court may not reverse even though convinced that had it been sitting as the trier of fact, it would have weighed the evidence differently. Rosell v. ESCO, 549 So.2d 840, 844 (La. 1989).
Amputation of Leg
We first consider whether the plaintiff proved by a preponderance of the evidence that Golden Age's negligence caused the amputation of Mrs. Short's right leg. After a thorough review of the evidence on this issue, we conclude there is a reasonable basis for the trial court's determination on this issue.
Dr. Durwin D. Walker, Golden Age's medical director, who is certified in general practice and geriatrics, was on call on November 12, 1995, when Mrs. Short was admitted to the emergency room. At that time, Dr. Walker examined Mrs. Short and confirmed she had an arterial occlusion in her lower right extremity. In his deposition, Dr. Walker reviewed the Golden Age nurses' notes which documented Mrs. Short's symptoms from October 29, 1995, through November 12,1995. According to Dr. Walker, the failure to consult a doctor regarding Mrs. Short's symptoms, given the findings that began as early as October 29, 1995, resulted in a delay in her treatment. However, when asked whether earlier reporting of Mrs. Short's symptoms could have prevented the amputation of her leg, Dr. Walker was unable to testify that it was probable Mrs. Short's leg could have been saved. He stated, "I think that the failure to report those things led to a delay in her treatment. I can't really say that it led to an amputation that would not have otherwise occurred, but it's certainly true that the longer an ischemic limb goes untreated, the less likely it is to be salvageable." He noted it was "a whole lot more likely" that Mrs. Short's leg could have been saved had her symptoms been reported five days earlier, but admitted that "it may not have been salvageable even then[.]" Dr. Walker was unable to determine when the complete occlusion occurred in Mrs. Short's leg. However, he did state that, if the occlusion occurred on November 12, the day before Mrs. Short's first surgery, it could have In damaged tissue in her leg, but probably would not have led to gangrene, which was evident when the second surgery was performed. Dr. Walker opined that the bypass surgery failed because the tissue in Mrs. Short's leg "was already too damaged from lack of blood flow for that period of time that she had had symptoms for the operation to revitalize the tissue."
Dr. Andrew Olinde, the vascular surgeon who performed the right popliteal tibial bypass surgery and the amputation of Mrs. Short's right lower leg, also testified by deposition. According to Dr. Olinde, a doctor should have been consulted by the Golden Age nursing staff regarding Mrs. Short's symptoms at least by November 9, 1995, when it was noted that her feet were dark in color. According to Dr. Olinde, if Mrs. Short would have been brought to the hospital on November 9, the success of the bypass surgery "might" have been 50 percent, but the delay until November 12 decreased the success rate of the surgery to "maybe" 30 percent. Dr. Olinde opined that the bypass surgery failed because the "collection" or "outflow" bed of blood vessels to which the bypass was connected was inadequate to support blood flow to Mrs. Short's foot. An arteri-ogram conducted prior to the surgery indicated Mrs. Short had a blockage in the calf area and that the blood vessels in her right ankle and 'foot were "not great." When specifically asked whether the collection bed would have been any better had he operated on Mrs. Short three days earlier than November 12, Dr. Olinde could not say that it would have been; however, he indicated her outflow problem did worsen because of the three or four day delay. Dr. Olinde agreed with Dr. Walker's opinion that gangrene probably would not have resulted if the occlusion had only occurred the day before Mrs. Short's first surgery. According to Dr. Olinde, Mrs. Short's blockage was "pretty advanced" when she arrived at the hospital on November 12, 1995, and looked as though it "had been there for a while" and had not just happened.
An overall review of the above medical evidence demonstrates the trial court had a reasonable basis upon which to determine that the failure of the bypass surgery and necessity of the amputation surgery were caused by Golden Age's failure to timely | i ¡¿report Mrs. Short's medical condition to a doctor. The existence of gangrene indicated to the trial court that the occlusion in Mrs. Short's lower right leg existed for several days prior to her presentation at the hospital on November 12, 1995. The trial court reasoned the bypass surgery failed because of dead tissue through which blood could not flow. These determinations are supported by the testimony of Dr. Walker, as well as Dr. Olinde. Although neither specifically indicated exactly when the occlusion occurred, their testimony demonstrates the occlusion probably existed for several days prior to Mrs. Short's presentation to the hospital. The trial court's factual findings on this issue are reasonable in light of the evidence in the record and are not clearly wrong. This assignment of error is without merit.
Heart Attack
We next address the existence vel non of a reasonable basis for the trial court's determination that Golden Age's (and thereby Plantation Management's) negligence caused Mrs. Short's heart attack. According to the medical evidence, Mrs. Short was admitted to the hospital eight days after the amputation surgery on November 23, 1995, with complaints of chest pain. An electrocardiogram was performed, which revealed Mrs. Short had suffered a recent heart attack. At his deposition, Dr. Walker was questioned regarding Mrs. Short's heart attack. He explained that a heart attack was not "an extremely unusual complication" following surgery. Although he declined to state that Mrs. Short's amputation surgery "caused" her heart attack, Dr. Walker testified that the stress of the surgery "clearly could put her at an increased risk for having an acute event like a heart attack, and I believe that is what happened."
Dr. Andrew P. Rees was the cardiologist who diagnosed Mrs. Short's heart attack following the amputation surgery, and the physician who treated her heart condition. He was unable to determine exactly when the heart attack occurred, but he testified that his best evaluation was that the heart attack might have occurred at or around the time of Mrs. Short's leg amputation surgery. He stated that either bypass surgery or amputation surgery can induce enough stress to cause a heart attack.
|1sDr. Rees associated Mrs. Short's heart attack with the amputation as follows: "It would be my best estimation that given the presence of Ms. Short's cardiopulmonary decompensation, meaning signs of congestive heart failure, and the timing of what I felt to be pericarditis, which was following her myocardial infarction, in my opinion, I would estimate that her myocardial infarction may have occurred at or around the time of her surgery.... In effect, this surgery proved a stress test that Ms. Short failed in the worst of circumstances . I felt that the clinical information would most likely indicate a recent myocardial infarction, which is well documented to be a cause of pericarditis."
When asked if he thought that "it is likely that this heart attack occurred during or after the amputation surgery," Dr. Rees responded: "That single fact would, alone, but, particularly, when viewed in light of the other conditions such as the timing of the onset of the pericarditis— would incriminate that time period." Finally, Dr. Rees agreed that the surgery was a contributing cause to her heart attack "in this particular instance in [his] medical opinion."
The aforenoted evidence does not support the existence of manifest error on the part of the trial court's determination of causation. Accordingly, this assignment is without merit.
GENERAL DAMAGES
In assignment of error number four, Plantation Management contends the trial court abused its discretion in awarding general damages of $650,000.00. The trier of fact has much discretion in the assessment of damages. La. C.C. art. 2324.1. A reviewing court should not set aside an award of general damages, unless an analysis of the facts and circumstances reveals an abuse of the factfinder's discretion in setting the award. Smith v. Goetzman, 97-0968 (La.App. 1 Cir. 9/25/98), 720 So.2d 39, 47. The discretion vested in the trier of fact is great, and even vast, so that an appellate |14court should rarely disturb an award of general damages. It is only when the award is, in either direction, beyond that which a reasonable trier of fact could assess for the effects of the particular injury, to the particular plaintiff, under the particular circumstances, that the appellate court should increase or reduce the award. Youn v. Maritime Overseas Corporation, 623 So.2d 1257, 1261 (La.1993), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 1114, 114 S.Ct. 1059, 127 L.Ed.2d 379 (1994). However, when the factfinder abuses its discretion by rendering an excessive or inadequate quantum decision, the appellate court merely raises the factfinder's inadequate award to the lowest reasonable amount or reduces the factfinder's excessive award to the highest reasonable amount. Andrus v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, 95-0801 (La.3/22/96), 670 So.2d 1206, 1211.
It is evident that Mrs. Short suffered considerable pain as a result of Golden Age's failure to timely present her to a doctor for medical attention. Ms. Bullock, Mrs. Short's daughter, testified that, when she arrived at Golden Age on November 12, 1995, for a visit, her mother was crying because of pain in her right foot. Upon examining Mrs. Short when she was ad mitted to the hospital on November 12, 1995, Dr. Walker and Dr. Olinde both noted that she appeared to be in much "distress" and was complaining of pain in her right foot. Dr. Olinde testified that extremely poor circulation to a foot is a very painful condition. Mrs. Short then endured the bypass surgery on November 13, 1995, followed by more pain when the bypass surgery proved to be unsuccessful, and finally, the lower right leg amputation surgery on November 14,1995. According to Ms. Bullock, following the amputation surgery, Mrs. Short was very depressed, experienced much phantom pain, would not eat, and "steadily went down." After her amputation surgery, Mrs. Short remained bedridden until her death in March of 1997.
We note Mrs. Short was not a well person before problems with her right leg began. Upon her admission to Golden Age, Mrs. Short was 69 years old and had recently undergone hip replacement surgery. When admitted, Mrs. Short also suffered from numerous ailments unrelated to her vascular problems, including rheumatoid [^arthritis, anemia, cataracts, peptic ulcer disease, and osteoporosis. Mrs. Short also suffered from confusion, depression, and sleep problems while at Golden Age. Golden Age contests Ms. Bullock's contention that Mrs. Short was not one to complain and was well on her way to becoming ambulatory again when her leg problem began.
Notwithstanding Mrs. Short's preexisting health, Golden Age's violation of several sections of the Residents' Bill of Rights and its precipitation of Mrs. Short's ultimate demise, including a heart attack, bypass and leg amputation surgeries, all of which involved considerable pain, augur for a substantial award in general damages. After reviewing the evidence, we do not find the award of $650,000.00 in general damages to be an abuse of the court's discretion.
INTEREST
Finally, we address the assignment of error contesting the court's award of interest on the award of attorney fees. Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure article 1921 provides: "The court shall award interest in the judgment as prayed for or as provided by law." Legal interest on attorney fees cannot be awarded unless the party seeking its recovery has specifically requested it. Southern Siding Company, Inc. v. Raymond, 96-2168, p.9 (La.App. 1 Cir. 9/19/97), 703 So.2d 44, 49, writ denied, 97-3206 (La.2/20/98), 709 So.2d 782. Ms. Bullock's petition sought legal interest on the judgment and reasonable attorney fees. However, due to the fact that legal interest on attorney fees was not expressly included in the prayer, the trial court's award of interest was erroneous. It is reversed.
DECREE
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment is affirmed, except as to the interest on attorney fees which is reversed. Costs of the appeal are assessed to Plantation Management Corporation d/b/a Golden Age Nursing Home.
AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART.
. In his deposition, Dr. Durwin Walker, Golden Age's Medical Director, described ischemia as decreased blood flow.
. The Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, without specifically addressing the issue, has also assumed the heritability of the causes of action provided in La. R.S. 40:2010.9. Overpeck v. Christ Episcopal Church, 577 So.2d 364 (La.App. 1st Cir.), writ denied, 580 So.2d 925 (La. 1991), involved the analogous Louisiana Civil Rights for Handicapped Persons Act. Comparing the cause of action presented in Overpeck, involving La. R.S. 46:2251, to the statutes under review sub judice, neither La. R.S. 46:2251 nor La. R.S. 40:2010.6, et seq. specifically provide that the action may be brought by a successor of a handicapped person. In Overpeck, this court applied the survivorship precepts of La. C.C. art. 2315.1 to bestow survivorship of the statutorily enabled actions.
. Pericarditis was defined by Dr. Rees as "a condition of the sac which surrounds the heart and provides the purpose of positioning the heart and lubricating the outer portions of the heart so that it can contract smoothly and be mobile in the chest wall."
. Myocardial infarction is a heart attack.