Case Name: Judy Carolyn WILLIAMS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Warner C. BUCKELEW et al., Defendants-Appellants; Judy Carolyn WILLIAMS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Warner C. BUCKELEW, Sr. et al., Defendants-Appellees
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1970-09-15
Citations: 246 So. 2d 58
Docket Number: Nos. 11486, 11525
Parties: Judy Carolyn WILLIAMS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Warner C. BUCKELEW et al., Defendants-Appellants. Judy Carolyn WILLIAMS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Warner C. BUCKELEW, Sr. et al., Defendants-Appellees.
Judges: Before BOLIN, DIXON and WILLIAMS, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 246
Pages: 58–69

Head Matter:
Judy Carolyn WILLIAMS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Warner C. BUCKELEW et al., Defendants-Appellants. Judy Carolyn WILLIAMS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Warner C. BUCKELEW, Sr. et al., Defendants-Appellees.
Nos. 11486, 11525.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.
Sept. 15, 1970.
On Rehearing March 2, 1971.
Stagg, Cady & Beard, by William M. Cady, III, Shreveport, for appellant-appel-lee.
Blanchard, Walker, O’Quin & Roberts, by Wilton H. Williams, Jr., Shreveport, for Warner C. Buckelew and The Travelers Ins. Co.
Lunn, Irion, Switzer, Johnson & Salley, by Harry A. Johnson, Jr., Shreveport, for Jimmy Duncan, William B. Duncan and State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co.
Nelson & Evans, by William C. Clark, Shreveport, for Fidelity & Cas. Co. of New York.
Mayer & Smith, by Caldwell Roberts, Shreveport, for St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co.
Before BOLIN, DIXON and WILLIAMS, JJ.

Opinion:
DIXON, Judge.
Judy Carolyn Williams was injured in an automobile accident. She was driving her Mustang. The other automobile was a 1956 Ford station wagon driven by Jimmy Duncan and owned by Warner C. Buckelew. The plaintiff brought her action against Warner C. Buckelew and his liability insurer, The Travelers Insurance Company, and against the driver of the Buckelew automobile, Jimmy Duncan, his father, William B. Duncan, and William B. Duncan's liability insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.; in the alternative, the plaintiff asked for judgment against Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York, her own liability insurer, in the event the court decided that neither Travelers nor State Farm covered Jimmy Duncan.
There was a judgment in the district court for the plaintiff in the amount of $5652.67 against The Travelers Insurance Company up to its limits ($5100.00), and against Jimmy Duncan, William B. Duncan and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, in solido, for the balance ($552.67). St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company was also a party. St. Paul had paid the plaintiff $1837.67 as workmen's compensation benefits; the plaintiff was ordered to reimburse St. Paul for this amount. The district court rejected the demands of plaintiff against Warner C. Buckelew and Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York.
Travelers appealed; plaintiff appealed and answered the appeal, praying for an increase in the award against the Travelers, or, in the event the judgment should be modified relieving the defendants cast in the district court, for appropriate relief against the other defendants.
Fidelity and Casualty also answered the appeal, praying that it have judgment over against Jimmy Duncan and William B. Duncan, in solido, should the judgment be modified in such a way as to cast Fidelity and Casualty Company.
The Duncans and State Farm did not appeal, nor did they answer the appeal.
The problem here is to decide which liability insurer, and which of those insured, should be cast for plaintiff's loss. No issue is made on this appeal concerning the liability of Jimmy Duncan, the driver of the Buckelew automobile. The accident was Jimmy Duncan's fault. In spite of Jimmy's fault, however, the trial court only cast Jimmy Duncan, along with his father and his father's insurer, State Farm, for $552.67. Jimmy was eighteen at the time of the accident and unmarried.
The appellants, Warner C. Buckelew and Travelers, contend that the trial court erred in casting them in judgment. The trial court found that Jimmy Duncan was an omnibus insured under the Travelers policy because, although he had been forbidden the use of the automobile by the owner, Warner C. Buckelew, Buckelew had placed such control of the automobile in his daughter Cathy that she had the implied authority to grant Jimmy Duncan permission to operate the car. The trial court also found, in its written opinion, that Cathy Buckelew had granted permission to Jimmy Duncan to operate the automobile. Cathy's testimony was that, on the occasion of the accident, Jimmy Duncan was operating the automobile without her permission. Cathy testified that she and Jimmy had been engaged in an argument, and she had forbidden Jimmy to drive, which prohibition he chose to ignore. The evidence is conclusive that Warner C. Buckelew and his wife and his older daughter had told Jimmy Duncan, on several occasions, not to drive the Buckelew automobile.
State Farm was found by the trial court to be an "excess insurer." State Farm was the liability insurer of William B. Duncan, the father of Jimmy, and its liability was predicated on the "non-owned automobile" section of the omnibus clause.
Both the Travelers policy and the State Farm policy contain similar provisions in the omnibus clauses. The Travelers policy, with respect to an automobile owned by the named insured (Warner C. Buckelew) defined as insured "any other person using such automobile with the permission of the named insured, provided his actual operation or (if he is not operating) his other actual use thereof is within the scope of such permission
The State Farm policy, with respect to an automobile not owned by its named insured (William B. Duncan) defined an insured as any relative of the named insured, "provided his actual operation or (if he is not operating) the other actual use thereof is with the permission, or reasonably believed to be with the permission, of the owner and is within the scope of such permission ^»
Cathy Buckelew lived with her family in Haughton, a few miles from Shreveport. She was eighteen years old and worked for the telephone company in Shreveport. Jimmy Duncan was her boy friend, and the two frequently used the 1956 Ford station wagon belonging to Cathy's father. Mr. Buckelew allowed his daughter to use the automobile in going to and from her employment. The evidence is uncontradicted that Cathy was not allowed to go and come as she pleased, but asked and received permission on each occasion when she wished to leave the family home and use the station wagon for purposes other than transportation to and from work. Mr. Buckelew had forbidden Jimmy to operate the car because he was of the mistaken impression that he would not be protected by his liability insurer if he gave permission to Jimmy to drive. There is no way Jimmy could reasonably have understood that he had the permission, explicit or implied, to operate the Buckelew automobile on the occasion of the accident. As a matter of fact, Cathy and Jimmy tried, after the accident, to conceal the fact that Jimmy was driving at the time of the accident.
The trial court based its opinion, in casting Travelers, on American Home Assurance Company v. M. J. Czarniecki, 255 La. 251, 230 So.2d 253 (1970).
In that case, the automobile in question was registered in the name of Jesse G. Waters, stepfather of Randy Carroll, who had purchased the automobile with his own funds, paid the operating expenses and maintenance, had free use of the automobile, and used it regularly. Randy was friendly with Hans Gerteis, who had assisted Randy in repairing Randy's automobile in Hans' father's repair shop. On the night in question, Hans and his friend Charley Czarniecki planned to double date in Hans' automobile. However, Hans' car was out of order. Hans went to Randy's place of employment and borrowed Randy's car, telling him the object of its use, but not naming the occupants. Subsequently, on the double date, Hans loaned Randy's Chevrolet to Charley so Charley could take his date home. Charley had an accident.
The Supreme Court held that "the permission and authority delegated by him (Jesse G. Waters) to Randy for the use of the car was so broad and so free of restrictions that it may safely be said that Waters delegated to Randy whatever authority he had to grant permission to others to drive the car." Further, the court held that, since Randy was the actual owner and paid the maintenance and operation of the automobile from his own earnings, Randy was placed "in the position of the named insured."
The Supreme Court went on to find that there was no implication that Hans, the borrower of Randy's car, could lend the automobile to someone else, and such loan by Hans to Charley of Randy's car was not foreseeable.
The Czarniecki case differs from the one before us. The 1956 station wagon belonged to Warner C. Buckelew, and not to his daughter. He had specifically prohibited Jimmy Duncan from driving. There is no question in the case before us of authority to grant permission, because Jimmy Duncan was denied permission to operate the vehicle. Jimmy Duncan had no reason to believe that Cathy Buckelew possessed the authority to grant him permission to drive the automobile.
The tendency of our courts has been to broaden the coverage under the omnibus clause of liability policies. The policy of the state, articulated by the legislature (R.S. 22:655), is that liability policies are executed for the benefit of injured persons. Nevertheless, if we are to give any force to the "permission" phrase of the omnibus clause, in the absence of ordright theft of the auto, we must recognize here that Jimmy Duncan did not have permission of any sort, and was not an insured under either policy.
Plaintiff-appellee argues that Rogillio v. Cazedessus, 241 La. 186, 127 So.2d 734 (1961) is controlling. There, William Oliver, III, with the permission of his father, the owner of the automobile, William J. Oliver, Jr., drove to the home of "Lad" Cazedessus for the purpose of double dating to a New Year's Eve dance. The boys decided to use one of the Cazedessus cars and to leave the Oliver automobile parked on the Cazedessus driveway. The keys of the Oliver car were left with fifteen-year-old Michael Cazedessus, in the event that it became necessary to move the Oliver automobile. Michael, about fifteen minutes later, took the Oliver car, drove it into the city, and was involved in the accident which gave rise to the litigation.
Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York was the insurer of William J. Oliver, Jr. The Supreme Court held that only the named insured or his spouse, under the terms of the omnibus clause, could grant permission for the use of the automobile and thus constitute another person an insured, and that Michael Cazedessus was not an omnibus insured under the Fidelity and Casualty policy.
However, the two liability insurers of the father of Michael Cazedessus were cast under the "non-owned automobile" provision. The report of the case indicates that there is a difference between the "non-owned automobile" clause involved in the Rogillio case and the "non-owned automobile" clause in the State Farm policy before us. The clause before us requires the permission of the owner, or the reasonable belief by the driver that he has permission of the named insured. The holding in the Rogillio case with respect to the coverage under the omnibus clause of the policy issued to the owner of the automobile involved in the wreck is consistent with, and we consider controlling of, the liability of the Travelers. The portion of the Rogillio case that dealt with the "non-owned automobile" clause is not applicable, because the clauses in the policies involved are different.
Since we find no coverage by Travelers under the omnibus clause, and no coverage by State Farm under the "nonowned automobile" clause, Duncan was an uninsured motorist. Fidelity and Casualty, plaintiff's own liability insurer is therefore liable. Their liability is limited, however, to $5000.-00. Fidelity and Casualty, in their answer to the appeal, prays for judgment over against Jimmy Duncan and William B. Duncan.
One appellee cannot, by an answer to an appeal, obtain an increased award against another appellee. Article 2133 of the Code of Civil Procedure, as amended, provides:
"An appellee shall not be obliged to answer the appeal unless he desires to have the judgment modified, revised, or reversed in part or unless he demands damages against the appellant. In such cases, he must file an answer to the appeal, stating the relief demanded, not later than fifteen days after the return day or the lodging of the record, whichever is later. The answer filed by the appellee shall be equivalent to an appeal on his part from any portion of the judgment rendered against him in favor of the •appellant and of which he complains in his answer." (Emphasis added).
The "comments" under the amended article state:
"Amended on the recommendation of the Louisiana State Law Institute to make it clear that an answer to an appeal can be used by an appellee only as to a judgment rendered against him and in favor of the appellant and cannot be used by an appellee to revise, modify or reverse a judgment rendered against the appellee and in favor of another appellee. The appellee's remedy in the latter situation is to take an appeal."
Plaintiff urges that her award be increased. She suffered a neck injury in the accident. Upon hospitalization, it was discovered that her eyes were crossed as a result of her injury. While receiving treatment for her injury and subsequently she suffered considerable pain and nausea. She was employed as an X-ray technician, and developed an adverse reaction to the lights with which she was required to work. She had not recovered at the time of the trial, and faced the possibility of further surgery to correct her disability. She was hospitalized for about twenty days, lost $1100.00 in wages, and, in short, suffered serious consequences from her neck injury.
In addition to the $1100.00 loss of wages, her medical expenses totaled $1452.-67. She was entitled to the $100.00 deductible from her collision policy as the result of damage to her automobile. This means that the trial court awarded her only $3000.00 for her injury. This amount should be increased by $5000.00.
There seems to be no question but that St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company is entitled to reimbursement for workmen's compensation benefits paid to plaintiff.
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company was cast for $552.67 in the district court; there was neither an appeal nor an answer to the appeal by State Farm; therefore, this portion of the district court judgment has become final, as well as that portion of the district court judgment which casts Jimmy Duncan, William B. Duncan and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company for costs.
Therefore, the judgment appealed from (with the exception of that portion of the judgment affecting St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company) is reversed, and there is now judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Judy Carolyn Williams, and against the defendants, Jimmy Duncan and William B. Duncan, in the amount of $10,-652.67 with legal interest from date of demand; there is further judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Judy Carolyn Williams, and against Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York, as the uninsured motorist insurer of Jimmy Duncan, in the amount of $5000.00 with legal interest from date of demand, out of which St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company is to be reimbursed $1837.67 for workmen's compensation benefits and medical expenses paid; plaintiff's demands against Warner C. Buckelew are rejected. Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York, Jimmy Duncan and William B. Duncan are cast for costs of this appeal.