Case Name: L. Wayne SYLVESTER et ux., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY et al., Defendants-Appellants
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1970-05-14
Citations: 237 So. 2d 431
Docket Number: No. 2899
Parties: L. Wayne SYLVESTER et ux., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY et al., Defendants-Appellants.
Judges: Before FRUGÉ, SAVOY, HOOD, CUL-PEPPER and MILLER, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 237
Pages: 431–434

Head Matter:
L. Wayne SYLVESTER et ux., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY et al., Defendants-Appellants.
No. 2899.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
May 14, 1970.
Rehearing Denied June 9, 1970.
Writ Granted Sept. 10, 1970.
Davidson, Meaux, Onebane & Donohoe, J. J. Davidson, Jr., Lafayette, for defendants-appellants.
Guillory, Guillory & Guillory, by Robert K. Guillory, Eunice, for plaintiffs-appellees.
Before FRUGÉ, SAVOY, HOOD, CUL-PEPPER and MILLER, JJ.

Opinion:
SAVOY, Judge.
This case is on appeal solely on the quantum allowed the parents of John Wayne Sylvester, age eleven, and Elizabeth Claire Sylvester, age twelve, both of whom died as a result of an automobile accident. John lived two hours after the accident, and Elizabeth lived twenty-three hours following the accident. The trial judge awarded each parent $30,000.00 for the life of each child, or a total of $120,-000.00 plus stipulated medical and funeral expenses in the sum of $4,878.40. Defendants have appealed, contending that the awards are excessive.
The record reveals that Elizabeth and John were healthy children and above average mentally; and that the family was a close-knit one. There is no medical evidence to show whether the children suffered during the short period of time they lived after the accident. There are medical expenses listed in the petition; however, none of the doctors mentioned in the petition testified at the trial.
The jurisprudence of this state now recognizes that although the trier of fact has a considerable amount of discretion in assessing damages, nevertheless, the appellate court has the duty to review the facts and circumstances and awards made in other such cases in order to determine whether the trial court has abused the discretion vested in it. Lomenick v. Schoeffler, 250 La. 959, 200 So.2d 127, and cases cited therein; McConathy v. United Services Automobile Association, 188 So.2d 470 (La.App. 3 Cir.1966); and, Womax v. Earl Gibbon Transport, Inc., 226 So.2d 573 (La.App. 4 Cir.1969).
Prior to the Womax case, supra, this Court, in McConathy, supra, made the largest award for the death of a child, namely $15,000.00. In the Womax case, supra, the Fourth Circuit reduced a jury award from $50,000.00 for each parent to $20,000.00. This case involved the death of a twenty-year-old son. In McConathy, supra, a thirteen-year-old boy was killed.
Counsel for plaintiff in brief and oral argument cited the case of Mayes v. McKeithen, 213 So.2d 340 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1968), where a jury made an award of $150,000.00 to parents for the death of an eighteen-year-old girl and a thirteen-year-old boy. However, the case was reversed on appeal, and plaintiffs' suit was dismissed. Our State Supreme Court refused to grant a writ, 252 La. 965, 215 So.2d 130. Application was made to the United States Supreme Court. Certiorari was denied by that court, 396 U.S. 868, 90 S.Ct. 108, 24 L.Ed.2d 127.
Counsel for plaintiffs has cited many cases from other states in order to justify the award made by the district court. Because of the different rules of law and statutes of the other states, we did not consider these cases in making an award in the instant case.
After an examination of the cases on this subject, we find the case of Womax, supra, similar with the exception that in Womax the person killed was twenty years of age, whereas in the instant case, the persons killed were eleven and twelve years of age.
We conclude that the trial judge abused his discretion in awarding each parent $30,000.00 for the death of each child and reduce the award to each parent for the death of each child to $20,000.00, or a total of $80,000.00. This is more in keeping with our present jurisprudence. In arriving at our decision, we have taken into consideration the decreasing purchasing power of the dollar.
For the reasons assigned the judgment of the district court is amended by awarding to L. Wayne Sylvester and his wife, Barbara L. Sylvester, the sum of $20,000.-00 each for the death of each of their children, John Wayne Sylvester and Elizabeth Claire Sylvester; and, as amended, is affirmed at appellants' costs.
Amended and affirmed.
FRUGÉ, J., dissents on the ground the trial judge was correct.