Case Name: Louis Vester ARCHIE, Bennie Louis Archie, Leatha Archie Fields, and Versie Archie Henry v. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1989-01-19
Citations: 543 So. 2d 1348
Docket Number: No. 87 CA 1189
Parties: Louis Vester ARCHIE, Bennie Louis Archie, Leatha Archie Fields, and Versie Archie Henry v. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY and Agricultural and Mechanical College.
Judges: Before WATKINS, CARTER, LANIER, CRAIN and LeBLANC, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 543
Pages: 1348–1357

Head Matter:
Louis Vester ARCHIE, Bennie Louis Archie, Leatha Archie Fields, and Versie Archie Henry v. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY and Agricultural and Mechanical College.
No. 87 CA 1189.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.
Jan. 19, 1989.
Concurring in Part and Dissenting in Part by Justice Lanier Feb. 1, 1989.
Paul H. Dué, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellant, Louis Vester Archie, et al.
A. Mills McCawley, Shreveport, for defendant-appellee, Bd. of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agr. and Mechanical College.
Before WATKINS, CARTER, LANIER, CRAIN and LeBLANC, JJ.

Opinion:
CARTER, Judge.
This is a suit for damages for wrongful death.
FACTS
During the early morning hours of January 24, 1984, the decedent, Luada Goldsby Archie, experienced chest pains and shortness of breath. Thereafter, she was examined by Dr. A. C. Wadlington in his office in Farmerville, Louisiana. Dr. Wadlington obtained an electrocardiogram (EKG) on the decedent, which he determined to be abnormal. Dr. Wadlington suspected that the decedent's symptoms were cardiac in origin and recommended immediate hospitalization.
Despite the availability of three nearby hospital facilities, the decedent insisted that she be hospitalized at the LSU Medical Center in Shreveport. Decedent was taken to the LSU Medical Center by private automobile and arrived in the emergency room at approximately 8:15 p.m. on January; 24, 1984. At that time, decedent was evaluated by an emergency room physician. Decedent had a history of high blood pressure and had suffered chest pains for a five-hour period. The chest pains were characterized as being exertional, beginning in the left lower jaw and radiating across the left chest and associated with shortness of breath and nausea. Decedent's pain was relieved after administration of three sub-lingual nitroglycerins, and her physical examination indicated that she had a low grade murmur. Laboratory tests, EKG, and chest x-ray were ordered. Pain medication was prescribed which produced some relief for her discomfort.
The laboratory tests and EKG were interpreted and indicated the need for medical consult, which was provided by an internal medicine resident. The resident examined decedent after approximately twelve (12) hours of obsérvation in the emergency room and described her chest pain as being "atypical." He also interpreted her EKG as normal and determined that the laboratory tests were also within normal limits. Decedent was diagnosed with esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus) and was sent home on treatment with antacids.
Decedent followed the physician's instructions and returned home with her family, continuing to complain of chest discomfort and shortness of breath. She died at approximately 3:30 p.m. on January 25, 1984, on the porch of her home only a few hours after her discharge from LSU Medical Center.
On January 4,1985, plaintiffs, decedent's husband (Louis Vester Archie) and her three major children (Bennie Louis Archie, Leatha Archie Fields, and Versie Archie Henry), filed a wrongful death and survival action against the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (Board). The Board filed a third party demand against Dr. A. C. Wadlington, which was dismissed by judgment dated March 30, 1987.
At trial, the Board stipulated liability, and the matter proceeded only on the issue of quantum. After trial, the trial judge awarded plaintiffs $15,000.00 in survival action damages and wrongful death damages as follows:
(1) Louis Vester Archie $70,000.00
(2) Bennie Louis Archie $30,000.00
(3) Leatha Archie Fields $28,000.00
(4) Versie Archie Henry $28,000.00
From the judgments awarding damages, plaintiffs appeal, assigning the following errors:
I. The trial judge erred in casting certain aspersions upon the marital relationship between plaintiff, Louis Vester Archie, and his late wife, thus warranting a res nova determination of the appropriate award of general damages.
II. Alternatively, the trial judge erred in awarding inadequate general damages to the surviving husband.
' III. The trial judge erred in awarding inadequate general damages for each of the three surviving children.
IV. The trial judge erred in failing to include in the judgments any award for the stipulated funeral expenses.
V. The trial court erred in inadvertently failing to award plaintiffs the medical expenses incident to the wrongful death at Union General Hospital.
VI. The trial judge erred in not awarding certain proven expenses as court costs.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
We have a constitutional duty to review the law and facts and render a judgment on quantum based on the merits, determining whether the trier of fact abused its "much discretion" that the law accords it in awarding damages. LSA-Const. art. 5, § 10(B); LSA-C.C. art. 1934(3), now LSA-C.C. art. 1999; Ard v. Samedan Oil Corporation, 483 So.2d 925 (La.1986); Carollo v. Wilson, 353 So.2d 249 (La.1977); Temple v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co., 330 So.2d 891 (La.1976); Sexton v. Louisiana Vacuum Services, Inc., 506 So.2d 780 (La.App. 1st Cir.1987).
Before an appellate court can disturb an award by a trial court, the record must clearly reflect that the trier of fact abused its discretion in making its award. In the event the appellate court finds from the record an abuse of discretion, the award may be disturbed by lowering (or raising) it to the highest (or lowest) point which is reasonably within the discretion afforded the trier of fact. Ard v. Samedan Oil Corporation, supra; Reck v. Stevens, 373 So.2d 498 (La.1979); Carollo v. Wilson, supra; Coco v. Winston Industries, Inc., 341 So.2d 332 (La.1976); Sexton v. Louisiana Vacuum Services, Inc., supra.
Plaintiffs contend that, in assessing quantum, the trial judge casted aspersions upon the marital relationship between plaintiff Louis Vester Archie and the decedent, thus warranting a res nova determination of the general damage award. In support of this contention, plaintiffs rely on Mart v. Hill, 505 So.2d 1120 (La.1987).
In Mart v. Hill, supra, the Louisiana Supreme Court determined that the trial judge erroneously determined that plaintiffs injuries were not caused by the accident. The court further stated:
[T]his finding was clearly wrong and resulted in a monetary award which incorrectly did not take into account the nature of plaintiffs injuries and the extent of his disability. The principles espoused in Coco do not apply in this case, since there was no award made for consequences of the accident past January, 1982, for the appellate court to review. Simply stated, Coco applies when an appellate court is asked to correct a fact finder's abuse of discretion in assessing the appropriate monetary award for a given injury. The principles are not applicable when a res nova review of quantum must be made to compensate a plaintiff for damages which the trial court did not believe were causally related to the accident. See, Jackson v. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, 382 So.2d 223, 230 (La.App. 3d Cir.), writ denied, 385 So.2d 275 (La.1980); Cf., Rodriguez v. Traylor, 481 So.2d 1017 (La.1986). [505 So.2d at 1128] (emphasis added)
Similarly in Rodriguez v. Traylor, 481 So.2d 1017 (La.1986), the Louisiana Supreme Court held that when the jury has been erroneously instructed on the issue of quantum of damages so that it is necessary for a reviewing court to set aside the award, the amount of damages fixed by the jury should be entirely disregarded. The appellate court, under its authority to review facts, should fix the damages on the basis of an independent evaluation of the record, rather than simply increasing to the lowest reasonable amount. See also Suhor v. Gusse, 388 So.2d 755 (La.1980).
Both Mart v. Hill, supra and Rodriguez v. Traylor, supra are clearly distinguishable from the instant case. In Mart v. Hill, supra, the trial judge committed a legal error in failing to award plaintiff damages for an injury he determined was not legally caused by the accident. This legal error interdicted the trial judge's quantum award requiring a res nova determination of damages. Likewise, in Rodriguez v. Traylor, supra, the trial judge committed legal error in improperly instructing the jury on damages. This legal error required the reviewing court to set aside the jury verdict and to award damages based upon an independent evaluation of the record.
In the instant case, plaintiffs do not contend that the trial judge committed a legal error in assessing quantum. Rather, plaintiffs contend that a misstatement of fact, which was later corrected, interdicts the trial judge's award of quantum and requires a res nova determination of damages. We disagree. The trial judge, in the written reasons for judgment, made a misstatement of fact as to whether plaintiff Louis Vester Archie accompanied his wife to Shreveport. The trial judge later acknowledged this misstatement and clarified his position in the "Clarification of Written Reasons." However, the written reasons for judgment clearly reflect that the trial judge, in awarding quantum, determined that plaintiffs did not demonstrate an unusually close relationship and that Louis Vester Archie's failure to accompany his wife after her discharge from the hospital illustrated this lack of extreme closeness.
Considering all of the above factors, we find that the trial judge made no legal error in assessing quantum and took into account all relevant facts regarding plaintiffs' damages. Our review of the quantum award is therefore governed by the principles set forth in Coco v. Winston Industries, Inc., supra. Accordingly, in the instant case, we must first examine the record to determine whether it reveals that the trial court abused its discretion in its awards to plaintiffs. If we find an abuse of discretion, the awards should be reduced to the maximum amounts or increased to the minimum amounts which are reasonably within the discretion of the trial court.
QUANTUM
LSA-C.C. art. 2315.2 gives the surviving spouse and children of the deceased a right to recover the damages they suffered as a result of the wrongful death. At the time of her death, Luada Archie was fifty-eight years old. She and plaintiff Louis Vester Archie were married on December 17,1946. The Archies had three children, Leatha, bom October 4, 1947, Versie, bom December 11, 1948, and Bennie, bom December 18, 1952.
Prior to her death, the decedent performed all of the household chores at home, including cooking all of the family's meals, performing all of the housecleaning, and washing and ironing the laundry. In addition, she assisted feeding and raising the animals on the family farm, including some forty to fifty hogs and several flocks of chickens. It is undisputed that the Archie's marriage was a close and loving one.
Although the children were grown and had moved away from home, the decedent managed to maintain a close and supportive relationship with each of them, which was stipulated by the defendants. Each of the children testified at trial regarding the losses suffered as a result of their mother's wrongful death.
Bennie L. Archie testified that he left home after graduation from high school and attended Northeastern University in Monroe. While in college, Bennie returned home almost every weekend to be with his mother. In 1974, Bennie graduated from college and married. He and his wife moved to Monroe; however, Bennie obtained a job teaching in Farmerville near his mother's home and visited her often. Thereafter, Bennie moved to Baton Rouge, but managed to visit his mother twenty-four times a year and spoke with her by telephone on a weekly basis. Up until the time his mother died, Bennie had always spent every Christmas with his mother. Bennie testified that he and his mother were very close, that he had always confided in her, and that she had always been there to help him.
Versie Archie Henry testified that she moved to Monroe shortly after graduation in 1966. She married in 1967, and she and her husband visited her mother at least every other weekend. In 1969, Versie and her husband moved to Houston, Texas, where they continued to reside. Versie visited her mother three times a year and regularly spoke with her by telephone. Upon learning of her mother's chest pains and hospitalization, Versie left Houston to be with her mother. Versie was at her mother's side when she died.
Leatha Archie Fields testified that upon graduating from high school in 1965, she attended Grambling University, which was only sixty-five miles from home. Leatha saw her mother on weekends and during school breaks. After she moved to Illinois in 1969, Leatha saw her mother twice a year — during summer vacation and at Christmas. Her mother also visited her in Illinois on several occasions. Leatha spoke with her mother by telephone approximately twice a week. Although Leatha attempted to be with her mother for Christmas of 1983, bad weather conditions forced her to return to Illinois. Leatha, however, was able to attend her mother's funeral.
Under Louisiana law, amounts recoverable in a wrongful death action for loss of care, guidance, and affection of the deceased may differ among the plaintiffs on the basis of differing degrees of affection which existed between the deceased and the different plaintiffs or differing degrees of guidance needed by minor plaintiffs. See Mergen v. Piper Aircraft Corp., 524 So.2d 1348 (La.App. 1st Cir.1988).
Based upon the facts outlined above, we find that the trial court abused its great discretion in this case by not awarding an amount of general damages consistent with the testimony at trial. The lowest award for wrongful death damages supported by plaintiffs' testimony, which is uncontradicted, is as follows:
(1) Louis Vester Archie $150,000.00
(2) Bennie Louis Archie 45,000.00
(3) Leatha Archie Fields 45,000.00
(4) Versie Archie Henry 45,000.00
FUNERAL EXPENSES AND MEDICAL EXPENSES
Plaintiffs contend that the trial judge erred in failing to award damages for various medical expenses and funeral expenses. Plaintiffs reason that the bills for these expenses were introduced into evidence at trial and were stipulated expenses and, therefore, it was error for the trial judge not to award plaintiffs damages for these amounts.
A. FUNERAL EXPENSES
The elements of damage to be recovered in a wrongful death action are loss of love, affection, and companionship, loss of support, and funeral expenses. McQuarters v. Zegar, 466 So.2d 579 (La.App. 5th Cir.1985).
In the instant case, it is undisputed that plaintiff paid funeral expenses total-ling $3,393.25. Clearly, the trial judge erred in failing to award plaintiffs damages of $3,393.25 for funeral expenses.
B. MEDICAL EXPENSES
Plaintiffs introduced evidence of medical expenses totalling $101.50 for treatment the decedent received in the emergency room at Union General Hospital. The trial judge failed to award plaintiffs damages for these expenses, which were stipulated at trial. Such failure was error.
COSTS
Plaintiffs contend that the trial judge erred in failing to award, as costs, certain expenses for medical reports and hospital records.
LSA-R.S. 13:3666(C) provides as follows:
In either manner provided in Subsection B, the court shall also determine and tax as costs, to be paid by the party cast in judgment, the reasonable and necessary cost of medical reports and copies of hospital records.
Under LSA-R.S. 13:3666(C), the court shall determine and tax as costs, to be paid by the party cast in judgment, the reasonable and necessary cost of medical reports. See Simmons v. State, Louisiana Health and Human Resources Administration, 502 So.2d 187 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1987).
In the instant case, plaintiffs incurred expenses of $75.00 for obtaining a medical report from Dr. A. C. Wadlington and $11.00 for a copy of the hospital records from the Louisiana State University Medical Center. The Board does not contest these expenses and costs. Plaintiffs have proven and are entitled to recover these costs, and the trial court erred in failing to award them. Bridgewater v. Crown Zellerbach, 449 So.2d 515 (La.App. 1st Cir.1984).
CONCLUSION
For the above reasons, the judgment of the trial court awarding wrongful death damages is amended as follows:
(1) Louis Vester Archie $150,000.00
(2) Bennie Louis Archie 45,000.00
(3) Leatha Archie Fields 45,000.00
(4) Versie Archie Fields 45,000.00
Further, the trial court judgment is amended to award plaintiffs funeral expenses of $3,393.25 and medical expenses of $101.50. Additionally, expenses total-ling $86.00 for medical reports and hospital records are assessed as costs. In all other respects, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. Defendant is cast for costs on appeal.
AMENDED AND AFFIRMED.
. The trial court signed four individual judgments on May 22, 1987, awarding damages as follows:
(1) Louis Vester Archie $73,750.00
(2) Versie Archie Henry $31,750.00
(3) Bennie Louis Archie $33,750.00
(4) Leatha Archie Fields $31,750.00
. In his written reasons for judgment, the trial court stated, in pertinent part:
Although the record shows that Mr. Archie was a dutiful husband and had a normal relationship with his wife, the court does not find the relationship a particularly close one. Moreover, Mr. Archie did not make the trip to Shreveport, even though his wife was in a serious medical condition.
. In the "Clarification of Written Reasons," the trial judge clarified the previous misstatement as follows:
Moreover, Mr. Archie did not make a second trip to Shreveport to gain release of his wife from the hospital and to accompany her home, even though she was in a serious medical condition.
.In brief, plaintiffs do not question the adequacy of the trial court judgment awarding plaintiffs $15,000.00 for survival action damages. Therefore, our review of the quantum award is limited solely to the damages for wrongful death.
. See Footnote 4.