Case Name: Jo Ann WEST v. CELANESE COATINGS COMPANY and Employers Commercial Union Insurance Company; Jo Ann WEST v. Perry S. BROWN et al.
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1974-12-10
Citations: 305 So. 2d 565
Docket Number: Nos. 6393, 6394
Parties: Jo Ann WEST v. CELANESE COATINGS COMPANY and Employers Commercial Union Insurance Company. Jo Ann WEST v. Perry S. BROWN et al.
Judges: Before SAMUEL, REDMANN and BOUTALL, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 305
Pages: 565–566

Head Matter:
Jo Ann WEST v. CELANESE COATINGS COMPANY and Employers Commercial Union Insurance Company. Jo Ann WEST v. Perry S. BROWN et al.
Nos. 6393, 6394.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.
Dec. 10, 1974.
Stephen C. Kogos, Metairie, for Jo Ann W est.
James H. Drury, Drury, Lozes & Curry, New Orleans, for Horace Stamps, Luke Guidry, Louis Claverie, Celanese Corp. and Employers Commercial Union Ins. Co.
Harold B. Carter, Jr., Montgomery, Barnett, Brown & Read, New Orleans, for Perry S. Brown and Walter L. Brown, Jr.
Before SAMUEL, REDMANN and BOUTALL, JJ.

Opinion:
REDMANN, Judge.
Plaintiff appeals from the dismissal on the merits of her consolidated suits for workmen's compensation from her employer and for damages from her employer's executive officers and lessors.
Plaintiff fell on stairs, injuring herself. She was treated by the employer's physician for two months, then returned to her job (which was almost immediately terminated with others for economical reasons). She testifies she continues to suffer from pain and inability to lift things like the heavy sample books of wallpaper she used on her job.
One physician would relate this to a suspected intervertebral disc injury, but he considers it possible (and other physicians agree) that pre-existing arthritis and "swayback" could cause plaintiff's symptoms. Even so, this physician would deem her condition related to the fall, since plaintiff told him she had had no symptoms prior to the fall. Plowever, another physician testified plaintiff told him she had worn a "back girdle" for years.
There was sufficient contradictory evidence to support the dismissal of the compensation claim on the basis that any disability was not the result of the accident at work.
The tort claim is based on the theory that the enclosed stairwell was unlighted because of a defective light switch. There was ample evidence to support rejecting this factual contention and therefore the whole tort claim.
Affirmed.