Case Name: Harvey A. KING, Plaintiff-Appellee-Appellant, v. C. N. MASON, doing business as C. N. Mason Company, et al., Defendants-Appellants
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1957-01-07
Citations: 95 So. 2d 705
Docket Number: No. 8605
Parties: Harvey A. KING, Plaintiff-Appellee-Appellant, v. C. N. MASON, doing business as C. N. Mason Company, et al., Defendants-Appellants.
Judges: 
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 95
Pages: 705–720

Head Matter:
Harvey A. KING, Plaintiff-Appellee-Appellant, v. C. N. MASON, doing business as C. N. Mason Company, et al., Defendants-Appellants.
No. 8605.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana. Second Circuit.
Jan. 7, 1957.
On Rehearing May 27, 1957.
Writ of Certiorari Granted June 28, 1957.
Provosty, Sadler & Scott, Stafford & Pitts, Alexandria, for appellants.
Parker & Parker, Jena, for appellee-ap-pellant.
Martin S. Sanders, Jr., Olla, for appellee Town of Jena.

Opinion:
AYRES, Judge.
Plaintiff instituted this action to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by him in a natural gas explosion at the residence of one T. J. Kendrick, situated in the Town of Jena, Louisiana, where he was engaged as a plumber's helper in resetting a commode in a bathroom of said residence on January 27, 1955. The explosion demolished one of the bathroom walls and the gas became ignited, severely burning plaintiff and setting fire to the residence, which was destroyed in the fire.
Made defendants were the Town of Jena, which owned the gas distribution system; C. N. Mason, doing business as C. N. Mason Company, who had only recently completed the installation of a sewer system in and for the Town pursuant to a contract with the aforesaid municipality; United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Mason's insurer, and F. P. Joseph Associated Engineers, a partnership, and the individual members thereof.
All defendants filed and urged in the court below exceptions of no cause and of no right of action, which were sustained only as to the defendants, F. P. Joseph Associated Engineers, and its individual partners. Plaintiff did not appeal from this ruling. They are, therefore, not presently before the court. The defendants as to whom the exceptions were overruled have not urged the exceptions on appeal and the exceptions, therefore, may be considered as abandoned.
After trial on the merits, there was judgment in plaintiff's favor against the defendants, C. N. Mason and the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, in solido, for $4,653-, with legal interest thereon from judicial demand until paid, and for all costs, and maintaining the attachment levied on the property and funds of C. N. Mason and recognizing plaintiff's lien and privilege resulting therefrom. Plaintiff's demands as to the Town of Jena were rejected.
From this judgment, C. N. Mason and the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company appealed suspensively and devol-utively to this court. Plaintiff, asserting that the award was inadequate, likewise appealed from the judgment in that respect, as well as from that portion rejecting his demands as against the Town of Jena.
There is no serious dispute as to the material facts. A brief summary, however, appears in order for a proper understanding of the issues as they will be discussed. As heretofore stated, the Town of Jena owns and operates the natural gas distribution system in the municipality. On September 25, 1953, C. N. Mason, doing business as C. N. Mason Company, signed a contract with the Town to construct and install a sewerage collection system for the municipality. The work under this contract began November 1, 1953. On December 13, 1954, Mason met with the Mayor and Board of Aldermen in a meeting held relative to the elimination from the contract of the resurfacing and graveling of the streets. This being accomplished, the work of Mason under the contract was accepted by the municipality the following day, December 14, 1954, upon the filing of the final approval of the engineers employed by the Town.
The sewer system in the part of town where the Kendrick residence was located was completed during August, 1954. The residence, however, was not connected to the system until five or six days preceding the explosion of January 27, 1955. After the explosion a damaged gas pipe was located some 500 or 600 feet from the Kendrick residence, from which the gas escaped and seeped into the sewer line leading to the Kendrick home. The evidence establishes this gas line was cut and severed in the process of the installation of the sewer system, in the construction of which it was necessary that ditches be dug, the sewer pipe laid and the ditches back-filled with dirt. This particular gas line was cut, never repaired, and left freely flowing gas and covered over with dirt in back-filling the ditch. There were numerous other instances where the gas lines were cut during the course of the aforesaid construction, some of which were not repaired at the time but were left open and covered with dirt in the backfilling operations, and were only discovered after the explosion in the Kendrick residence. The backfill in the ditches was of comparatively loose dirt, through which the gas could easily seep and find its way into the sewer lines. One other particular instance was where gas was detected by sight as it came out of the vent pipe to the bath in the residence of a Mr. Baker.
On the late afternoon preceding the date of the explosion, A. L. McDonald, a plumber, was called to the Kendrick home to adjust a leaking faucet in the kitchen. Plaintiff King accompanied McDonald. While in the Kendrick home their attention was directed to an unusual or foul odor in the bathroom. Both McDonald and plaintiff made an inspection, from which it was determined that the odor, thought to be sewer gas, was coming from underneath the commode, most probably due to its being improperly sealed. McDonald characterized this odor as "a pungent sewer smell". Plaintiff returned the next morning to replace the seal. In the performance of this task, King removed the commode and stuffed rags tightly in the opening to prevent odors escaping into the house. After installing a new seal and while he was replacing the commode, tightening the bolts holding it to the floor, there was a sudden yellow flash, an explosion, then a blue flame. The commode was burst in the explosion, the wall to the bathroom was blown down, the other walls and wall paper caught fire and plaintiff was dazed and knocked over to the floor — afire, which was only extinguished by his rushing to the yard and rolling on the ground. After the house was completely consumed by flames, there continued a blue flame of burning natural gas as the gas escaped from the sewer connection. This flame was subsequently extinguished by employees of the Town. While plaintiff was making the aforesaid repairs, there were no fires or lights in the bathroom nor did he strike a match. There were, however, lights or fires in other sections of thn residence.
The facts disclosed by the record establish without cause for serious doubt that it was the explosion of natural gas (and its subsequent ignition), which found its way into the Kendrick home through seepage into the sewer lines from a severed unrepaired gas line, that caused the damage, and that the cutting and severance of this line was done by Mason and/or his employees, for whom he is responsible, during the course of the performance of his contract with the Town for the installation of the.sewer system. That damage would likely result from such negligence could have reasonably been foreseen, and should have been foreseen, by Mason and his employees.
While denying liability, Mason contends that his contract with the municipality was performed in accordance with plans and specifications and under constant supervision and direction of the engineers employed by the Town; that the work, that is, the installation of the sewer system, was accepted by the Town of Jena and the accident occurred more than a month after such acceptance, and that thereby whatever liability existed on his part was shifted to and assumed by the municipality. In the alternative, he alleged that, if the accident occurred as claimed, it was due to contributory negligence of plaintiff and his employer in failing to take proper precautions against the ignition of gas, and that such negligence was the proximate cause of the injury. In the further alternative, Mason plead that, in the event he was found liable in any way, he was at all times protected under a policy of insurance with the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, and, consequently, in such event, prayed for judgment in his favor against his insurer.
The insurer's position is that the policy issued to Mason covered any liability arising out of an accident occurring during the progress of the work listed on the declarations, particularly during the progress of the work contracted for the installation of the Jena sewerage project, but that it did not cover any accident occurring after the completion of said work. In this connection, it was contended that such liability would have been covered had Mason procured insurance under the "Aggregate Products" provisions, which he did not do. Too, if the insured should be relieved of liability upon any of the grounds urged by him, there would be no liability on the part of the insurer.
Plaintiff contended that the municipality was negligent for its failure to cause to be made necessary inspections of the gas system to determine whether the gas lines had been cut and concealed by the contractor, and, further, in allowing residents to connect to said sewer system before it was finally completed. The Town denied any negligence on its part and plead contributory negligence on the part of plaintiff.
The record is convincing that the acts of Mason and/or his employees, in cutting and severing the gas lines, leaving them unrepaired, and permitting the gas to flow freely therefrom and covering them over in the backfill of the sewer ditches, constituted gross negligence and the proximate cause of the accident and the injuries and damages caused thereby. It is well known that natural gas by its nature seeks the line of least resistance in coming to the surface if an outlet is available, or, as in this case, by entering into a sewer line, in which it would naturally and normally flow upgrade and enter through sewer connections the houses connected with such system; that natural gas is highly explosive and dangerous, and that under such conditions an explosion might result as did occur. The Kendricks took the normal and prudent course of having their commode checked by a plumber after odors were discovered emanating therefrom. Both McDonald and King testified they used every precaution; that they had no knowledge that natural gas had entered the sewer lines or, in fact, that natural gas was escaping from its lines and accumulating in the sewer system. There was no conduct upon their part such as would constitute an efficient intervening cause so as to absolve Mason from liability. There have not been established any facts that would justify a conclusion that King, his employer, McDonald, or Kendrick were guilty of any conduct constituting a proximate cause or a proximate contributing cause of the accident. From the evident promiscuous cutting of the gas lines, Mason should have been alert and taken extra precautions commensurate with the danger and inherent dangerous quality of escaping gas, the consequences of which, under the circumstances, could, and should, have been anticipated; however, the consequences attendant upon the injury to the gas line need not necessarily have been anticipated. For instance, "Restatement of the Law" under the subject of "Torts", § 435, says:
"If the actor's conduct is a substantial factor in bringing about harm to another, the fact that the actor neither foresaw nor should have foreseen the extent of the harm or the manner in which it occurred does not prevent him from being liable."
Mason relies principally upon the proposition that the acceptance by the municipality of the sewer system on December 14, 1954, prior to the explosion and demolition of the Kendrick home, when and where plaintiff sustained his aforesaid injuries, operates to absolve him from all liability. This contention is predicated upon the proposition that if plaintiff sustained injuries as alleged by reason of the breaking and severing of a gas line by the contractor, such injuries and damage resulted from the contractor's failure to properly carry out his contract. In this connection, he relies upon a rule of law cited in 14 R.C.L., § 42, reading as follows:
"The general rule is well established that an independent contractor is not liable for injuries to a third person, occurring after the contractor has completed the work and turned it over to the owner or employer and the same has been accepted by him, though the injury result from the contractor's failure to properly carry out his contract."
The Court of Appeal for the First Circuit in Ortego v. Caldwell, 77 So.2d 151, and the Orleans Court of Appeal in Schott v. Ingargolia, 180 So. 462, 463, quoted with approval the aforesaid rule from Ruling Case Law. Judge McCaleb, now Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, in further quoting from the aforesaid authority in the latter case, stated:
" 'When the work is finished by the contractor and accepted by the employer, the latter is substituted as the responsible party for existing defects, and the same rule is applied to subcontractors so as to relieve them from liability to.the original employer where their work has been finished and accepted by the original contractor. The reason for the substitution of liability is found in the general doctrine that an action for negligence will not lie unless the defendant was under some duty to the injured party at the time and place where the injury occurred which he has omitted to perform.' (Italics ours.)"
The Supreme Court, under writs of certiorari, reviewed the Ortego case and, based upon the facts, distinguished it from Schott v. Ingargolia, supra, and held a contractor liable for damages for the flooding of crops on lands adjacent to the highway repaired by him under contract with the Department of Highways, which contract included the construction of a levee to prevent such overflowing by water from highway ditches, notwithstanding the Department of Highways had accepted the contractor's work. 229 La. 907, 87 So.2d 124.
That the contractor and his surety are liable for damages resulting from the negligent act of the contractor is consistent with the basic law of this State as contained in LSA-C.C. arts. 2315 and 2316, and any departure from the rules of liability therein prescribed would appear illogical and unsound. How could it be contended that a tort feasor is relieved from the consequences of his acts to a third person by any sort of an agreement between only the tort feasor and another third person under the plain language of these Codal provisions? The contention, under the facts of this case, is untenable.
We fail to find, however, as did the trial court, that the principle contended could have application in the instant case. No fault is charged to the sewer system per se; there is no evidence indicating that it was not a workable and efficient system; neither is there any indication before or after its acceptance the system was not in proper order and properly functioning.
According to _the testimony of B. C. Jordan, a graduate and practicing civil engineer, any modem sewer system, under such circumstances as established herein, would collect and carry natural gas to the homes with which it was connected.
The tort committed by the contractor was a mere incident in the performance of his contract with the municipality. It was a mere incident so far as pertains to the installation of the sewer system. Such could have occurred as easily, and the result would have been the same, as well as the legal effect, had Mason been engaged in excavating for a private individual in the Town of Jena, say, for instance, in excavating for the location of a filling station and the burying of its fuel tanks underneath the surface, or, in fact, had he been excavating on his own account and on his own premises. As was clearly indicated in the Schott case, supra, the principle contended for by Mason finds application only in those instances where the injuries or damages result from some fault in the construction contracted to be made by the independent contractor, or from the contractor's failure to properly carry out his contract. As stated, no fault is shown in the construction of the sewer system or that it is not in order and is not properly functioning as an efficient system. Liability attaches to the defendant, Mason, on account of a tort committed by him or his agents causing damage to the gas distribution system and not in anywise to any fault or imperfection in the sewer system which he contracted to install. By the acceptance of the work under the contract, defendant Mason was not relieved nor absolved from liability for an independent tort committed by those for whose acts he is responsible. Neither by such acceptance did the municipality assume responsibility.
For identical reasons hereinabove recited that defendant Mason was not relieved of liability by the completion of the contract and the acceptance of the work by the municipality, the contention of the defendant, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, as to the applicability of the policy provisions pertaining to "Aggregate Products" or "Products Hazards" is inap-posite. Neither the accident nor the injuries resulting therefrom were produced or brought about from the finished product, that is, the sewer system, but they resulted from a tort committed during the term of the policy, for which premiums were paid, and the conclusion is inescapable that the insurer is therefore liable.
The event upon which this action is predicated, that is, the cutting of the gas line and the explosion of the gas which had escaped therefrom, occurred during the term of the policy. Therefore, within such term, extending from April 28, 1954, to April 28, 1955, and within its limits of $50,000 for each person and $100,000 for each accident, the coverage designated "A. Bodily Injury Liability" applies. Under this provision the defendant, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, obligated itself "to pay on behalf of the Insured all sums which the Insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death at any time resulting therefrom, sustained by any person and caused by accident." Therefore, the insurer and its insured, Mason, are liable, in solido, to plaintiff for the injuries sustained by him. However, pursuant to the provisions of the policy, wherein the insured is condemned within the term and under the provisions of the policy, the insurer becomes directly obligated to him in the sum in which he is condemned. The insured is amply protected when the insurer is cast in solido with the insured.
We find no error in the judgment appealed relieving the Town of Jena of responsibility in the occurrence of the accident in which plaintiff was injured. It was neither a party to nor had any notice or knowledge of the tort committed by Mason and his employees. Neither, for the reasons hereinabove set' forth, did its acceptance of the sewer system, a properly functioning finished product, render it liable in damages.
Lastly for consideration is the question of quantum. The plaintiff claims the award of $4,000 for personal injuries is inadequate, whereas defendants contend the amount is excessive. Following the accident, plaintiff was hospitalized for approximately 12 days, during which time and for several weeks thereafter he was treated by Dr. B. E. Doughty. On admission to the hospital the Doctor found plaintiff suffering with 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns about the face, neck, ears, both arms, and one or two places on his hip. The 3rd degree burns were on the back of his left hand. Plaintiff suffered intense pain and was given morphine, blood transfusions and glucose solutions while in the hospital. He became edematous, particularly in the face and about the eyes, as well as at the base of his neck. The swelling was so great as to close his eyes. A form of pressure dressing was applied during the treatment, which was very painful and required continued sedation in the form of codeine. Plaintiff suffered emotional shock and after recovery his face and hands were still tender, so that in sunshine and heat they turn red and become irritated.
At the trial, more than a year following the accident, the Doctor testified that plaintiff's skin was even then subject to easy trauma and there was a possibility that he would develop ulcers, particularly on his left hand. The burning of his hands, with 3rd degree burns on his left hand, together with a tenderness evidenced at the time of the trial and a likelihood of the development of ulcers, causes plaintiff to experience a handicap and considerable inconvenience since in his trade and occupation as a plumber he must be adept in the use of his hands with various tools. Plaintiff's eyebrows and lashes were burned, as was also the hair on his head. Burns as severe as afflicted plaintiff produce, without doubt, excruciating pain. We think the award for the physical injuries, pain and suffering sustained by plaintiff, in consideration of the probability of some considerable permanent effects therefrom, should be increased by the sum of $1,000. The trial court made an additional allowance of $400 for loss of wages during two months following the accident and for medical and hospital expenses in the sum of $253. We find no error in the allowance of these items.
For the reasons assigned, the judgment appealed is amended by increasing the award in plaintiff's favor to $5,653, and, as amended, is affirmed.
Amended and affirmed.