Case Name: Antoine BUSHNELL, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. SOUTHERN FARM BUREAU CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant and Appellee
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1972-12-13
Citations: 271 So. 2d 267
Docket Number: No. 3994
Parties: Antoine BUSHNELL, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. SOUTHERN FARM BUREAU CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant and Appellee.
Judges: Before FRUGÉ, CULPEPPER and DOMENGEAUX, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 271
Pages: 267–274

Head Matter:
Antoine BUSHNELL, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. SOUTHERN FARM BUREAU CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant and Appellee.
No. 3994.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
Dec. 13, 1972.
Rehearing Denied Jan. 24, 1973.
Bass & Lawes by Fred C. Selby, Lake Charles, for plaintiff-appellant.
Plauché, Smith & Hebert by Allen Smith, Jr., Lake Charles, for defendant-appellee. .
Before FRUGÉ, CULPEPPER and DOMENGEAUX, JJ.

Opinion:
DOMENGEAUX, Judge.
Plaintiff, Antoine Bushnell, had been working as a farm laborer for Allen Mar-cantel for some twenty-three years. In January, 1970, he underwent a surgical procedure wherein.the lower pole of his left kidney was removed. Approximately three months later he returned to work, with the approval of his physician, in a more or less supervisory capacity and with the understanding that he would do no heavy labor. On June 3, 1970, plaintiff single-handedly lifted a water pump weighing between one and two hundred pounds into a pickup truck, and he alleges that in so doing he injured his back. He was discharged by his employer, Allen Marcan-tel, two or three days later.
Plaintiff was paid no workmen's compensation benefits of any kind and on August 31, 1970, he filed suit against Marcantel's workmen's compensation insurer, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, alleging his total and permanent disability as the result of the aforementioned incident and asking for penalties and attorney's fees. The trial judge found that plaintiff did in fact sustain a disabling accident as he alleged, but that his disability was only temporary and did not last beyond January 28, 1971. Accordingly, judgment was rendered in favor of plaintiff for workmen's compensation benefits from June 3, 1970, through January 28, 1971, at the rate of $44.10 per week and for his medical expenses to that date. Because the trial judge opined that plaintiff had failed to prove that defendant was arbitrary or capricious in withholding benefits, he denied the claim for penalties and attorney's fees. Plaintiff appealed that judgment to this court seeking benefits for total permanent disability plus penalties and attorney's fees and seven percent interest on each past due installment until paid. Defendant neither appealed nor answered plaintiff's appeal, but in its brief it concedes that interest should be computed at the rate of seven percent (7%) should we find that there are compensation payments past due and owing. We therefore treat only the first two of plaintiff's demands.
The evidence shows that for more than twenty years plaintiff had performed heavy farm labor for Allen Marcantel in Allen Parish, Louisiana. In that position he earned $35.00 per week and in addition he was given a quantity of gasoline for his vehicle each week and a bonus of $1,500.00 at Christmas of each year. He owned his own home, which was situated on a piece of land, belonging to Marcantel, that the latter had promised to give to plaintiff. He had never before been seriously injured or filed a workmen's compensation claim.
On June 3, 1970, plaintiff had not yet returned to heavy labor, or been released by his physician as being able to do so, but rather was supposed to be performing only light duties. Nevertheless, he had operated a tractor, a task that subjected him to considerable vibrations, and on the day in question he had lowered a heavy water pump from his truck with the assistance of Marlin Marcantel, a nephew of Allen Marcan-tel, who owned and farmed the lands adjoining those of his uncle. Around 11:00 o'clock that morning plaintiff went to the site of the pump and lifted it onto his truck without assistance. In doing so he strained his lower back.
He felt pain immediately and informed a relative, Robert Bushnell, who was working nearby, of the accident. Robert Bushnell, an employee of Marlin Marcantel, offered to transport plaintiff to a physician but the latter declined, saying that he would "... wait a while". Plaintiff testified that soon after that Allen Marcantel drove up to the scene and that he then informed him of the accident. This was denied by Marcantel, but Robert Bushnell testified that although he could not hear what was said, he did see plaintiff and Allen Marcan-tel conversing at that time. Plaintiff went home, informed his wife of the injury, ate his noontime meal, and returned to his duties, which that afternoon consisted of checking the tractors.
There is a dispute regarding the number of additional days that plaintiff was in Marcantel's employment but they numbered no more than three. Plaintiff stated that he saw Allen Marcantel the following day but was unable to speak to him as he drove away. On the next day he said he again told his employer of his injury and asked for medical attention, but Marcantel told him that he was no longer the man that he used to be and discharged him. Allen Mar-cantel, on the other hand, testified that plaintiff left work to attend a relative's funeral without permission and that he was discharged for that reason. He denied that plaintiff had ever informed him of any accident or injury.
On June 9, 1970, plaintiff consulted Dr. William D. Streete of Lake Charles, Louisiana, in connection with his back injury, and gave him a history of the accident. The doctor's examination revealed spasm of the lumbar erector spinae muscle groups, as well as positive findings on both straight leg and cross leg examination. He accordingly formed a diagnosis of acute lum-bosacral strain and began treating plaintiff with analgesics and muscle relaxants. Dr. Streete saw plaintiff a total of fourteen times, the last being on January 26, 1971. As of that date he opined that plaintiff was still disabled from heavy manual labor and he did not think that plaintiff would return to heavy farm work, although on November 17, 1970, he had told plaintiff that he could return to light duty. There was some question regarding whether this physician found any objective symptoms after the first examination of plaintiff. The doctor said that he had found spasm as late as the time of the last examination but admitted that his notes failed to indicate the presence or absence of such findings. Nevertheless, Dr. Streete was steadfast in his opinion that as of January 26, 1971, plaintiff was disabled from heavy manual labor and that his disability would be of indefinite duration. When asked if he would disagree with Dr. Charles V. Hatchette, an orthopaedic surgeon, should the latter express a contrary opinion, Dr. Streete said that he would.
Doctor Hatchette did in fact express a contrary opinion based on one examination of plaintiff performed on January 28, 1971. That examination, which involved a thorough orthopaedic evaluation of plaintiff's back, was considered to be completely normal by Doctor Hatchette with the only reservation being plaintiff's obesity. This physician found no objective evidence to indicate that plaintiff had ever injured his back, and opined that if he had, he was certainly recovered by the time he examined him. He stated that he was thoroughly familiar with the work performed by farm laborers in that area and he considered plaintiff to be perfectly capable of engaging in that activity. Dr. Hatchette admitted that plaintiff could have had a lum-bosacral strain in June of 1970, and could still be suffering pain as a result thereof, but he said that if plaintiff is suffering such pain the prolongation is caused by his sleeping on a soft bed and that if he sleeps on a hard bed the pain will cease. He based this last opinion on plaintiff's history wherein he stated that his greatest discomfort occurred on rising in the morning and that his pain decreased after moving about for a couple of hours.
The issue of whether there was a com-pensable accident is not before us, as defendant now concedes the correctness of the trial court's finding that such an accident occurred. We are concerned herein only with the duration of plaintiff's disability. The medical evidence, all of which was received in the form of depositions, is, as is seen from the foregoing presentation, in hopeless conflict, with one physician asserting plaintiff's disability and the other denying it. We turn, therefore, to the lay testimony for a resolution of the issue.
The lay testimony regarding plaintiff's continuing disability was provided by, besides plaintiff himself, Colleen Bushnell, plaintiff's wife, Carroll Bushnell, plaintiff's son, and Robert Bushnell, a relative of plaintiff's. All of these witnesses, who were in frequent if not constant contact with plaintiff, were unanimous in testifying that plaintiff has complained of pain in his back and has not been able to work since the accident. Their testimony in this regard was uncontroverted, as defendant rested this portion of its case solely on the expert evidence provided by Dr. Hatchette. Under these circumstances we opine that plaintiff has proved his continuing disability beyond January 28, 1971, and that his payments should not have been ordered to terminate on that date. Robbins v. Zurich General Accident & Liability Ins. Co., La.App., 51 So.2d 100; Rogers v. Union Indemnity Co., La.App., 146 So. 505.
Should plaintiff's disability eventually disappear, defendant has its remedy. As we said in the case of Andrus v. Great American Insurance Company, La.App., 161 So.2d 109:
Under the workmen's compensation law, a claimant is considered totally disabled when, because of the injuries received in the accident, he is no longer able to perform without pain the heavier duties of the occupation in which injured. Reed v. Calcasieu Paper Co., 233 La. 747, 98 So.2d 175; Cloud v. W. H. C. Pipeline Co., La.App. 3 Cir., 155 So.2d 458. Further, where a claimant is totally disabled at the time of the trial, and the evidence is conflicting or uncertain as to when he may recover, compensation should be awarded for the maximum number of weeks prescribed for permanent disability, since the defendant employer is protected by the provision permitting revision of the judgment after six months should the disability terminate or lessen. Soileau v. Tyl, La.App. 3 Cir., 148 So.2d 173; Ware v. Industrial Timber Products, Inc., La.App. 3 Cir., 147 So.2d 672; Harris v. Argonaut Insurance Co., La.App. 2 Cir., 142 So.2d 501.
On the question of plaintiff's request for penalties and attorney's fees, we have already discussed the contradictory statements of plaintiff and Allen Marcantel regarding whether or not the latter was informed of the accident on the date that it happened. We need not decide which is the correct version of that dispute, however, as Allen Marcantel admitted that he received a letter from plaintiff's attorney informing him of plaintiff's claim on June 12, 1970, nine days after the accident. He stated that he gave the letter to defendant's adjuster. On November 16, 1970, plaintiff's attorney wrote to defendant's attorney enclosing copies of plaintiff's answer to the latter's interrogatories, a handwritten note from Dr. Streete stating that plaintiff had an acute lumbosacral strain, and bills from Dr. Streete and a pharmacy. Robert Bushnell testified that some time prior to the trial, a man whom he believed to be an agent of the insurance company went to see him and asked him about plaintiff's accident. He said that he gave the investigator substantially the same information that he gave at the trial. Defendant, then, had adequate notice of plaintiff's claim even prior to the filing of suit, but even if it had not, its total rejection of plaintiff's claims and denial of any liability to him, contained in its answer of September 22, 1970, constitutes a waiver of any further requirement of written notice or delay for the imposition of penalties and attorney fees. LSA-R.S. 22:658; Williams v. Travelers Insurance Company, La.App., 157 So.2d 356; Darby v. Johnson, La.App., 118 So.2d 707.
In its efforts to avoid the imposition of penalties and attorney fees, defendant relies primarily on Allen Marcantel's assertion that he was not informed of plaintiff's accident until after he had fired him. This, according to defendant, casts suspicion on plaintiff's claims. Marcantel's versions of the time when notice was given is disputed by plaintiff who said he informed his employer of the accident on June 3, 1970, the date of its occurrence. The testimony of Robert Bushnell as well as that of Colleen Bushnell would seem to indicate the correctness of plaintiff's version. Be that as it may, prior to January 28, 1971, when Dr. Hatchette entered the picture, the plaintiff's claim of disability was undisputed and was in fact supported by the only medical opinion then available, in the form of Dr. Streete's diagnosis, given to defendant on November 16, 1970. In addition, this court has previously held that mere suspicion does not justify the withholding of workmen's compensation benefits by an insurer. Delafosse v. Industrial Painters, Inc., La.App., 199 So.2d 559; Williams v. Travelers Insurance Company, supra. Since defendant had no basis other than its suspicion for withholding benefits, there was not a shadow of legal justification for its so doing. Accordingly, we consider defendant's failure to pay benefits to have been arbitrary, capricious and without probable cause within the meaning of the penalty statutes, and plaintiff is entitled to penalties of twelve percent (12%) on the award herein made plus reasonable attorney's fees.
In setting the last named damages we note that plaintiff's attorneys participated in. the taking of four depositions, besides the trials in the District Court and in the Court of Appeal, with all the labor attendant thereto. We therefore think the record justifies an award of $3,000.00 for attorney's fees. LSA-R.S. 22:658; Thibodeaux v. Associated Distributing Company, Inc., La.App., 260 So.2d 46; Writ refused 262 La. 131, 262 So.2d 395; Delafosse v. Industrial Painters, Inc., supra; and cases therein cited.
For the above and foregoing reasons the judgment of the district court is amended so as to extend the workmen's compensation payments of $44.10 per week commencing on June 3, 1970, beyond the date thereby set for their termination, January 28, 1971, for the duration of plaintiff's disability, not to exceed a period of five hundred (500) weeks, with credit for all sums already paid, together with legal interest on each past due installment from its due date until paid at the rate of seven percent (7%) per annum. It is further amended insofar as it awarded plaintiff medical expenses so as to include any medical expenses that plaintiff might incur in the future as the result of the accident of June 3, 1970, not to exceed the statutory limits set out in LSA-R.S. 23:1203, with interest at the rate of seven percent (7%) per annum, from date of judicial demand until paid on all medical expenses proved. As thus amended those portions of the district court's judgment are affirmed.
The judgment of the district court is reversed insofar as it denied plaintiff's claim for penalties and attorney's fees, and it is now ordered, adjudged and decreed that there be judgment in favor of plaintiff, Antoine Bushnell, and against defendant, Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, for penalties at the rate of twelve percent (12%) on the entire amount of the foregoing portion of our judgment, except the interest thereon, and for attorney's fees in the amount of $3,000.00, both penalties and attorney's fees to bear interest at the rate of seven percent (7%) per annum from date of judicial demand, August 31, 1970, until paid.
All costs in this and in the trial court are to be borne by defendant-appellee.
Amended in part, reversed in part, and rendered.
CULPEPPER, J., dissents and assigns written reasons.