Case Name: Harry LIEDTKE, Individually and As Administrator of the Estate of His Minor Child, Randy Liedtke, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY et al., Defendants-Appellees
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1981-05-27
Citations: 405 So. 2d 859
Docket Number: No. 8258
Parties: Harry LIEDTKE, Individually and As Administrator of the Estate of His Minor Child, Randy Liedtke, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY et al., Defendants-Appellees.
Judges: Before SWIFT, STOKER and DOUCET, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 405
Pages: 859–877

Head Matter:
Harry LIEDTKE, Individually and As Administrator of the Estate of His Minor Child, Randy Liedtke, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY et al., Defendants-Appellees.
No. 8258.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
May 27, 1981.
Rehearings were Denied July 8, 1981 for Allstate Insurance Company and Liedtke.
On Rehearing for Town of Many and Royal Globe Insurance, Oct. 7, 1981.
Writ Denied Dec. 14, 1981.
Self & Burkett, Donald M. Burkett, Many, for plaintiff-appellant.
Trimble, Randow, Smith & Wilson, Alonzo P. Wilson, Alexandria, for defendants-appellants-appellees.
Nelson & Achee, Roland Achee, Shreveport, for defendant-appellee-appellant.
Lowther & Boone, William R. Boone, Many, for defendants-appellees.
Before SWIFT, STOKER and DOUCET, JJ.

Opinion:
STOKER, Judge.
Eleven year old Randy Liedtke sustained a broken leg as a result of a collision between a motorcycle he was riding and an automobile being backed into a street by Peter C. Morvan. This case presents questions of negligence on the part of Randy Liedtke, Peter C. Morvan (a minor at the time), the Town of Many, and the father of Randy Liedtke, Harry Liedtke.
Harry Liedtke brought suit, individually and as administrator of the estate of his minor son, Randy. The defendants are John Morvan, father of Peter C. Morvan, and their insurer, Allstate Insurance Company and the Town of Many and its insurer Royal Globe Insurance Company.
The accident in question occurred early in the morning on October 4, 1979, on Alieze Street in Many, Louisiana. Randy who was then eleven years old, was operating a 1979 XR Honda motorcycle and was riding south. Peter C. Morvan had spent the night at his grandmother's house on Alieze Street and was attempting to back an orange 1979 Mercury Capri into Alieze Street. Just north of the location where Peter C. Mor-van attempted his backing maneuver the town had begun making a water tap and had dug a considerable amount of dirt from just beyond the west edge of the street. The dirt was being deposited in the south bound half of Alieze Street which consists of very narrow blacktop. The street has neither curbs nor any well defined edges or shoulders. It is a small residential street.
As Randy moved from the right (south bound) lane into the left (north bound) lane he passed the pile of dirt and a short distance later crashed into the rear end of the Mercury Capri which had been backed into the street by Peter C. Morvan.
Two workmen for the Town of Many were present. Otherwise, there were no eye witnesses to the accident.
After suit had been filed the Town of Many and its insurer, Royal Globe Insurance Company, filed an answer denying liability; in the alternative, a reconventional demand was filed. against Harry Liedtke demanding contribution based on allegations that Harry Liedtke was negligent in permitting Randy to operate a motorcycle on the public highway of the State. These same defendants filed, in the alternative, a third party action for contribution against John Morvan and Allstate.
Through a first supplemental and amending answer, third party demand and recon- ventional demand, the Town of Many and Royal Globe alleged that Randy Liedtke was negligent and his negligence caused the accident. Tr. 27
In answer to the incidental demand of the Town of Many and Royal Globe, John Morvan, individually and on behalf of his son, Peter Morvan, and Allstate filed an answer denying liability and denying that Peter Morvan was guilty of negligence which was a cause of the accident. The Morvans and Allstate alleged that acts of negligence of the Town of Many caused the accident. The Morvans and Allstate pleaded that both Harry Liedtke and Randy Liedtke were contributorily negligent and their negligence barred any recovery by them. These parties asserted in the alternative a third party action against the Town of Many and Royal Globe for contribution in the event of recovery by plaintiffs.
Harry Liedtke denied the allegations set forth in the incidental demands filed against him.
The case was tried before a jury which returned a verdict as indicated on the following verdict form.
"VERDICT FORM
"I. We, the Jury, find in favor of:
A. Plaintiff (Randy/Harry Liedtke) yes
B. Defendants (Town of Many, Peter C.Morvan, and their Insurance Companies)_
(Choose one of the above)
"If you find for the Plaintiff, Liedtke, then complete questions II and III. If you find for the defendants, stop here.
/ "II. We, the Jury, award to the Plaintiff (Liedtke), including both general and special damages, the sum of $ 4,100.70
"III. Which of the parties were negligent?
|/ A. Town of Many Yes / No_
B. Peter Morvan Yes_No_
C. Harry Liedtke Yes_No_
Many, Sabine Parish, Louisiana, July 1, 1980.
s/ Robert T. Graham FOREMAN"
FACTS
Prior to the accident involved in this case the Town of Many had adopted the Louisiana Highway Regulatory Act, LSA-R.S. 32:1 et seq., to govern vehicular traffic within the Town of Many.
At the time of the accident Peter Morvan was seventeen years old. He spent the night before the accident at the home of his grandmother who lived on Alieze Street. He parked the vehicle he was driving, an orange 1979 Mercury Capri, on an apron of gravel or wide driveway. From the photographs in the record the parking space appears to be a graveled parking area with a culvert in the ditch. The parking area is private property off the public street.
For ease in describing the events and understanding the accident and the actions of the parties we have reproduced and made a part of this opinion photographs numbered P — 1, P-2, P-5 and P-16. [See appendix.]
P-5 shows the relative position of Peter Morvan's Mercury Capri, a red Chevrolet pickup truck belonging to the Town of Many and the area at which the Town of Many was engaged in making the water tap. The machinery used by the Town of Many is shown more particularly in photographs P — 1 and P — 2. These photographs also show the location of the dirt pile which had resulted from digging to make the water tap. Photograph P-1 depicts the scene looking from north to south, and P — 2 depicts the scene looking from south to north. In P — 16, one may see a number of vehicles parked on the parking strip on the west side of the street, the first being the town's pickup truck, the second being Peter Morvan's Mercury Capri and third in line being the automobile of a relative of Peter Morvan. One may also see the opening of a culvert running underneath the parking area or driveway where Peter Morvan's Mercury Capri and the town's pickup truck were parked.
On the night before the accident Randy Liedtke spent the night with friends south of the scene of the accident. He rode his motorcycle north on Alieze Street for the purpose of taking his dog home prior to his departure for school. The Liedtke home was located at some distance north of the place where the water tap was being made by the town. Randy passed this point on his northward trip and observed the two town workmen, the backhoe and the dirt in the street.
After leaving his dog at his home Randy rode his motorcycle south on Alieze Street and intended to go past the place where the dirt was piled in the street. Randy did not put his dog in his house or pen it up, and the dog apparently followed him on his return trip. The dog may be observed in photograph P-5 on the west edge of the street to the rear of the Mercury Capri and white car which is parked in the street.
When Peter Morvan came out of his grandmother's home to get into his car he noticed the water tap operation, saw the two workmen and also noticed that the town's red pickup truck was parked to his right (north). Peter was fully aware that the pickup would block his view of traffic approaching on Alieze street from the north. In fact, the family car to his left (south) also blocked his view from that direction. Nevertheless, Peter Morvan got into the Mercury Capri and attempted to back it out into the street. He testified that the truck bed completely blocked his view and he could not see the equipment of the town in the street which he had previ- . ously noted.
As Peter Morvan was backing out from the parking area Randy Liedtke was returning south on Alieze Street and collided with the extreme right rear end of ^ the Mercury Capri. In approaching the point of impact it was necessary for Randy to go around the dirt pile which required that he move from the right hand (south bound) lane and into the left hand (north bound) lane of Alieze Street. Randy testified that, as he reached the area where the dirt was piled in the street, he thought he heard someone call to him and he looked back. When he faced forward again he was already just one foot away from the rear end of the Mercury Capri which had by then backed out into the street and was evidently beyond the center line of the street. Counsel for plaintiffs points to what appears to be a small pool of oil in the north bound lane of Alieze Street as marking the point of impact.
Although the town's equipment and the dirt pile were located in the street, both Peter Morvan and Randy Liedtke testified that they could have seen one another had it not been for the presence of the pickup truck of the Town of Many which obstructed their views. If their testimony is accepted, the presence of the town's digging equipment and dirt pile played no part in causing the áccident.
The two town workmen testified they had observed Randy go north riding his motorcycle holding his dog in his arms. They heard him return and noticed that the dog was chasing the motorcycle and that Randy was looking back (or to the side) at the dog as he rode at a relatively fast rate of speed. They also observed Peter Morvan get into his Mercury Capri and start to back it. To warn Randy they began to shout and wave their arms. Randy never slowed and never applied his brakes. As he stated, he saw the Mercury Capri just before he hit it. In a deposition given by Randy, he gave the impression that he did not see the Mercury Capri at all prior to the time he collided with it. Peter Morvan apparently never saw the motorcycle prior to impact.
JURY VERDICT AND VERDICT FORM
As will be noted from the jury verdict form set forth above the jury found in favor of "Plaintiff (Randy/Harry Liedtke)". In answering the verdict form the jury awarded "Plaintiff (Liedtke), including both general and special damages, the sum of $4,100.70." The parties had stipulated that the amount of the special damages was the sum of $4,100.70. Tr. 265.
Two significant points will be noted about the answer to interrogatories given by the jury. First, the jury did not answer the questions as to whether or not Peter Morvan and Harry Liedtke were negligent. Second, the jury verdict form does not contain an interrogatory directed to the question of whether Randy .Liedtke was contrib-utorily negligent. There were no objections from any party to the jury verdict form or to the form in which the jury answered it. On this appeal these difficulties have raised questions as to the jury's intentions. At least in the minds of the litigants, the results are susceptible of different interpretations. Each party, of course, insists that its interpretation represents the jury's findings.
On the basis of the verdict the trial judge gave judgment in favor of Harry Liedtke, individually and as administrator of the estate of his minor child, Randy Liedtke, and against the Town of Many and Royal Globe for $4,100.70 and for costs. Judgment was granted in favor of John Morvan individually and as administrator of the estate of his minor son, Peter Morvan and Allstate dismissing the plaintiff's demands against them. The incidental demands were dismissed.
Without discussing the various interpretations as to the intentions of the jury, we will state our findings as we make them from a reading of the record and consideration of the evidence. Although our findings differ from those of the jury in some respects, we arrive at a very similar result.
We think that the jury was clearly wrong in failing to find that Peter Morvan was negligent in attempting to back his Mercury Capri, a small car, when he was admittedly unable to see Alieze street to the north because of the high body of the truck. Both the Capri and the pickup truck were parked off the street and on private property. Under the clear law of this state Peter Morvan could not back his parked and stationary vehicle into a public street without being able to ascertain in advance that the way was clear.
It is also quite clear that Randy Liedtke was contributorily negligent and that his contributory negligence was a cause of the accident. By his own account he was not looking in the direction in which he was heading as he approached the place where Peter Morvan was backing out into his path of advance. Whether Randy was actually looking at his dog as he ¡rode along is not important. According to his own statement, he looked back when he arrived in the vicinity of the dirt pile because he thought someone called to him. Therefore, he was not keeping a proper lookout ahead as he was required to do. According to the workmen, they did call to him and tried to ( engage his attention to warn him.
There is no evidence contrary to the opinion testimony given by Peter Morvan and Randy Liedtke that except for the parked pickup truck belonging to the Town of Many they could have seen one another. If the jury believed the town was liable only because its truck blocked Peter Morvan's vision, we would have some doubt as to the validity of their finding of liability on the part of the Town of Many. We would find it hard to approve a jury verdict of liability based solely on the fact that a vehicle parked entirely off the public street on private property blocked the vision of Peter Morvan. However, we do not know what the jury based its finding on. Despite the testimony of Peter and Randy, the jury might have found that the back hoe and dirt pile did constitute an obstruction to view. The jury might have found a violation of some other duty which was a cause of the accident, for example, the town's failure to control traffic at the point where the narrow street was half blocked. In any event, although we entertain serious doubts as to the liability of the Town of Many, we do not feel that nonliability is so manifest that we can say that the jury was clearly wrong.
Although the jury did not answer the interrogatory concerning the negligence of Harry Liedtke, we find that he was guilty of no conduct which was proven to be causally related to Randy's conduct. Harry Liedtke certainly violated a statutory prohibition by allowing his unlicensed minor son to ride his motorcycle on the public street, but causal connection must be proven and the defendants failed to bear their burden of proof in this regard.
Inasmuch as the jury did not answer any interrogatories finding as to the liability of Peter Morvan, Harry Liedtke or Randy Liedtke, with respect to these questions, we are perhaps not even faced with issues of manifest error and the tests for reversing a jury finding. On behalf of the Morvans it is argued that the form of Interrogatory Number III did not actually require a check of one of the blanks (yes or no) opposite the name of Peter Morvan. The interrogatory reads:
"Which of the parties were negligent?" If this interpretation is correct and the jury did not find Peter Morvan negligent, their finding was clearly wrong and we should reverse the finding. In any event, we make no finding with respect to Harry Liedtke which is contrary to what may be an inferential finding of no negligence on his part because an award was made to him.
CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE OF RANDY LIEDTKE
The Town of Many and its insurer alleged in their answer that negligence of Randy Liedtke was a proximate cause of the accident. Although Randy's negligence was not pleaded as a bar to his recovery in the usual specific form of spelling out the defense, we think that the pleading filed put Randy through his father as his representative on notice of the assertion of the defense. Roberts v. Meche, 204 So.2d 592 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1967) and Davis v. Meche, 204 So.2d 596 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1967). The parties have not raised this point in this litigation. John Morvan and his insurer alleged that the negligence of Randy constituted a bar to his recovery. We are of the opinion that the contributory negligence of Randy did bar his recovery for general damages.
SPECIAL DAMAGES OF HARRY LIEDTKE
With respect to the damages purportedly awarded to both Harry and his son Randy as both special and general damages the amount awarded is the amount stipulated as the medical expenses, that is, the special damages incurred by Harry Liedtke on behalf of his son, Randy. Irrespective of whatever the jury may have had in mind, the result is error. As we have indicated, Randy is not entitled to recover any general damages. John Morvan and his insurer pleaded that the negligence of Randy should be imputed to his father and we think this is correct. The Town of Many and Royal Globe take the position that the negligence of Randy is not imputable to his father and they concede in their brief that the judgment in favor of Harry Liedtke for special damages is correct. We disagree. In an answer to the appeal the Town of Many and its insurer raised specific points which they contend should be corrected on appeal, but they do not raise the issue of the right of Harry Liedtke to recover. Hence, the correctness of allowing recovery by Harry Liedtke against these particular defendants is not before us. Further, as noted they concede in their brief that they do not complain of the recovery of Harry Liedtke for special damages. Under the circumstances, we will allow the jury verdict in favor of Harry Liedtke to stand for special damages. However, we must reverse the jury insofar as it granted the amount to father and son to represent both general and special damages. In our opinion the amount of $4,100.70 should be awarded to Harry Liedtke alone.
These reasons for recovery by Harry Liedtke against the Town of Many and its insurer do not apply to the Morvans and Allstate. Contrary to the position of the Town of Many and Royal Globe, the Mor-vans and Allstate maintain that Randy's contributory negligence should be imputed to Randy's father. In this position they are correct.
In their answer to the appeal the Town of Many and Royal Globe complain of the failure of the trial court to grant them recovery on their third party demand and reconventional demand for contribution. With respect to the demand for contribution from Harry Liedtke, the reasons given for allowing him to recover against the Town of Many and Royal Globe prevent recovery of contribution from him. With respect to the third party demand for contribution against the Morvans and Allstate there can be no recovery. The answer of John Morvan and Allstate pleaded the contributory negligence of Randy Liedtke as a bar to recovery of his general damages or Harry Liedtke's special damages. The special damages of Harry Liedtke are barred because of the imputed negligence of his son Randy. For the same reasons Harry Liedtke cannot recover these special damages against the Morvans or Allstate, the Town of Many and Royal Globe cannot claim contribution from John Morvan, individually or as administrator of the estate of Peter Morvan or their insurer.
For the foregoing reasons the judgment of the trial court is affirmed in part and amended in part. The judgment is amended to reject the claim of Harry Liedtke as administrator of the estate of his minor child, Randy Liedtke. The judgment is amended to the effect that the judgment of $4,100.70 against the defendants-appellants, the Town of Many and Royal Globe Insurance Company, in solido, should run in favor of plaintiff Harry Liedtke individually together with legal interest from date of judicial demand until paid and for all costs of the proceedings in the trial court. In all other respects the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
The costs of this appeal are assessed one-half to plaintiff-appellant Harry Liedtke and one-half to the Town of Many and its insurer.
AMENDED AMENDED. AND AFFIRMED AS
p_l
APPENDIX
. LSA-R.S. 32:103; LSA-R.S. 32:124; McGee v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company, 212 So.2d 465 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1968) and Dupre v. Darbonne, 266 So.2d 553 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1972).
. Baumgartner v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, 356 So.2d 400 (La. 1978); Green v. Texas and Pacific Railway Co., 369 So.2d 248 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1979), writ denied, 369 So.2d 1378 (La. 1979) and Desselle v. State, Dept. of Public Highways, 328 So.2d 389 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1976).
. LSA-R.S. 32:416 and Hartman v. Allstate Insurance Company, 284 So.2d 559 (La. 1973).
. The evidence established that Randy was an intelligent boy whose grades in school consisted of A's and B's. With the help of a home-bound teacher and his mother's help he was able to keep up with his school work while he was out of school with his broken leg. Randy Liedtke was an active scout and at the time of the trial was within two requirements of qualification as an Eagle Scout and would soon be ready to go before the Eagle Board of Review.
.Craig v. Southeastern Fidelity Insurance Company, 377 So.2d 1271 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1979), writ denied, 381 So.2d 510 (La. 1980) and Story v. Martin, 217 So.2d 758 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1969).