Case Name: Christopher KNOCKUM et al. v. AMOCO OIL COMPANY et al.; Claiborne WHITE, Jr. et al. v. AMOCO OIL COMPANY et al.
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1980-12-15
Citations: 402 So. 2d 90
Docket Number: Nos. 13836, 13837
Parties: Christopher KNOCKUM et al. v. AMOCO OIL COMPANY et al. Claiborne WHITE, Jr. et al. v. AMOCO OIL COMPANY et al.
Judges: Before COVINGTON, CHIASSON and LEAR, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 402
Pages: 90–104

Head Matter:
Christopher KNOCKUM et al. v. AMOCO OIL COMPANY et al. Claiborne WHITE, Jr. et al. v. AMOCO OIL COMPANY et al.
Nos. 13836, 13837.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.
Dec. 15, 1980.
On Rehearing June 29, 1981.
On Rehearing July 27, 1981.
Rehearing Denied Aug. 25, 1981.
Alfred F. McCaleb, III, Baton Rouge, Malcolm J. Dugas, Jr., Joffrion & Dugas, Donaldsonville, John A. Lieux, Gonzales, for plaintiffs and appellees.
A. Shelby Easterly, III, Taylor, Porter Brooks & Phillips, Baton Rouge, for defendants and appellants Amoco Oil Co. and Aet-na Cas. & Surety Co.
Charles F. Castille, La. Health & Human Resources Adm., Baton Rouge, for interve-nor and appellee.
Harry P. Gamble, III, Gamble & Gamble, New Orleans, for defendant and appellant Bernice Holmes.
Before COVINGTON, CHIASSON and LEAR, JJ.

Opinion:
CHIASSON, Judge.
Defendants-Appellants, Amoco Oil Company and Aetna Casualty & Surety Company (sued as Aetna Insurance Company), appeal the separate judgments rendered against them and in favor of the appellees for damages awarded to appellees for personal injuries and wrongful death actions sustained in a gas explosion and house fire in Prairieville, Louisiana.
Two separate suits were filed in this matter and consolidated for trial purposes. A brief review of the facts will aid in the determination of the respective parties and their claims.
On May 5, 1975, Christine Wenzy and her two minor children, Amy (then age three) and Jerome (then age two), were moving into a two bedroom wood frame house in Prairieville. The house was owned by Bernice Holmes, a resident of New Orleans, who had given a key to the house to Christine. There is some dispute as to whether Christine Wenzy was actually going to rent the house or whether she had permission to use the house, but this is not vital to our determination.
Helping Christine to move was Diane Knockum who had her daughter, Susan, with her. Shirley Ezeff White, who had been living with Christine in a house across the road from the one in question, was also helping. Finally, Christine Wenzy's brothers, Albert Wenzy and Michael Wénzy, along with Willie Robinson, aided in the venture.
The house had previously been rented to Ms. Emma Frazier who had moved at least two weeks (others testified that it was longer) prior to the move by Christine. Ms. Frazier had lived in the house less than a year and had it serviced for propane gas by one of the defendants, Amoco Oil Company.
The move began sometime in the afternoon on May 5 and concluded close to dinner time. At that time, Albert Wenzy connected the gas stove they had brought into the house to the gas connection in the kitchen. Albert and Christine turned on the gas from the propane tank located outside and in the back of the house. During this time, the three children were seated at the dinner table with the others gathered in the living room. Christine Wenzy then went to the back bedroom and proceeded to open the door. At that moment an explosion occurred followed by a fire which engulfed the house.
Injured in the blaze, but surviving, were Christine Wenzy and Susan Knockum. Amy and Jerome Wenzy, Diane Knockum, and Shirley Ezeff White survived the fire but later died of burns to their bodies. None of the three males were injured in the accident.
Two suits were filed in this matter, the first by Christopher Knockum, husband of Diane Knockum; Willie D. Williams, alleged natural father of Amy and Jerome Wenzy; and Christine Wenzy. The plaintiffs sued Amoco Oil Company, its liability insurer, Aetna Casualty & Surety Company, and Bernice Holmes, owner of the house.
Christopher Knoekum sued for the wrongful death of his wife, Diane, and for the pain and agony she suffered before dying on June 16, 1975. In addition, Christopher is suing as natural tutor of his daughter for the injuries she sustained as well as for the wrongful death of her mother and the pain and agony her mother sustained before dying.
Willie D. Williams, the alleged natural father of Jerome and Amy Wenzy, is suing for their wrongful deaths in addition to damages for the pain they suffered prior to their deaths on May 6, 1975, and June 9, 1975, respectively.
Christine Wenzy is suing for the wrongful deaths of her two children, Jerome and Amy, as well as damages for the pain they suffered prior to their deaths. Christine is also seeking damages she incurred as a result of the fire.
The second suit is by the survivors of Shirley Ezeff White. Her husband, from whom she had been judicially separated, Claiborne White, Jr., sued on his behalf for the medical and funeral expenses incurred by the death of Shirley. In addition, he sued as natural tutor of the five minor children born of the marriage for the wrongful death of their mother and the pain and suffering she experienced before dying on May 15, 1975.
Named as defendants in the second suit were Amoco Oil Company, Aetna Casualty & Surety Company, Bernice Holmes, Emma Frazier, Albert Wenzy, Michael Wenzy, and Willie Robinson.
The State of Louisiana, through the Department of Health and Human Resources Administration, intervened in the first suit seeking reimbursement of $9,806.09 for medical expenses incurred by them in caring for Christine, Jerome and Amy Wenzy at the Charity Hospitals in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
The trial court, after two days of testimony and taking the case under advisement, rendered judgment, without assigning written reasons, in favor of all plaintiffs. In the first suit, all three defendants were held, in solido for the following awards:
In addition the three defendants were cast, in solido for $9,806.09, the amount owed to the intervening State, as well as for all court costs, expert fee in the amount of $750.00, and interest in the amount of seven percent (7%) for all sums awarded.
In the second suit, judgment was rendered on the same day against Amoco Oil Company and Bernice Holmes, in solido. The awards to Claiborne White, Jr. were as follows:
In addition, the defendants were to pay for all court costs, expert fee in the amount of $750.00, and interest at the rate of seven percent (7%) for all sums awarded.
Amoco Oil Company and Aetna Casualty & Surety Company obtained a timely sus-pensive appeal and timely posted an appeal bond on May 8, 1980. The other defendant, Bernice Holmes, obtained an order for a devolutive appeal on June 17, 1980.
In regards to this latter appeal, we find that it is untimely and therefore we dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction over the matter. Therefore, the judgment of the trial court as it relates to Bernice Holmes is final.
The judgments of the trial court were rendered on March 14, 1980. Notices of the judgments were sent out by the Clerk of Court of Ascension Parish on April 3, 1980. The time frame applicable for a new trial was seven days which expired on April 15, 1980. (La.C.C.P. art. 1917). The thirty day delay for a suspensive appeal ended on May 15, 1980 (La.C.C.P. art. 2123), while the sixty day delay for a devolutive appeal ended on June 16, 1980. (La.C.C.P. art. 2087). Ms. Holmes did not obtain her order for appeal until June 17, 1980. Her appeal is therefore untimely. We are without jurisdiction and dismiss her appeal at her costs. (La.C.C.P. art. 2088).
Appellants, Amoco and Aetna, enumerated five specifications of error, but we need only concern ourselves with three of the five.
1. The trial court committed manifest error in failing to find the liquefied petroleum gas was properly odorized.
2. The trial court committed manifest error in failing to find Amoco free from fault causing or contributing to the alleged explosion and fire complained of by plaintiffs.
3. The trial court committed manifest error in failing to find plaintiffs (and their decedents) at fault causing the alleged explosion and fire complained of by plaintiffs.
Since the trial court did not provide written reasons for judgment, we are left to surmise the factual findings of the trial court for rendering the judgment it rendered.
During plaintiffs' case, they have advanced two main theories of recovery, both based on the negligence of the defendants. The first is based on numerous violations of the 1974 Edition of the Rules and Regulations of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission (LPG) as it relates to the servicing of improperly installed gas systems. The second contention is that Amoco failed to put a sufficient amount of odorant in the propane gas that was delivered to the house so that its presence in the house could have been detected.
Concerning this second contention, we find that the propane gas that was in the tank and which was supplied by Amoco Oil Company was properly odorized. If the trial court found this to be a duty that was breached by the defendants, we hold that this is manifestly wrong and reverse.
From the records of Amoco Oil, which were introduced into evidence, four deliveries were made to the house in which Emma Frazier was residing. The first was made in December of 1974, and the last delivery was in March of 1975. The shipping receipts from the Brittany distribution plant showed the amount of malodorant present in the propane. The amount was of sufficient quantity under the Rules and Regulations of the LPG Commission. See Davis v. Aetna Insurance Company, 291 So.2d 486 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1974).
The Brittany Plant was, the place of origin of the propane that was delivered to Emma Frazier in March of 1975. The record does not reflect any other propane being delivered to the house since that time.
In addition to this evidence, four witnesses testified that after the explosion, they had an opportunity to smell the gas that remained in the tank and actually did smell the propane. Of the four witnesses, two were chemists contacted originally by the plaintiffs to run tests on samples of the propane to determine if there was a sufficient amount of odorant in the propane.
Mr. Delbert A. Covington testified that he conducted a test that diluted the propane gas with air but could not tell the actual percentage of odorant present in the propane. He did state that he could smell the gas, though it was not very strong.
William Marvin Welsh, who worked for Shilstone Testing Laboratory, Inc. of New Orleans, went to Prairieville to take samples of the gas. He stated that he could smell the propane in his car on the way back to New Orleans. In addition, after diluting the propane in his laboratory, he asked five other persons present in the lab if they could detect an odor, and all five of them agreed that they could.
Plaintiffs' main argument is premised on the fact that Amoco failed in its statutory duty by servicing the house with an improperly installed gas system or one that was in a dangerous condition. Their contention is based on the following section of the Rules and Regulations of the LPG Commission:
"5.14 Transfer of Liquids
(h) Must Not Serve Illegal Installations: Bonded dealers must NOT SERVE any liquefied petroleum gas containers INSTALLED ILLEGALLY in the State of Louisiana or posted by the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission. Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse, as it is the duty of the dealer to investigate before serving any doubtful liquefied petroleum gas container.
(i) Must Not Serve Improperly Installed System: Bonded dealers must NOT SERVE any liquefied petroleum gas system which, upon investigation, is found to be IMPROPERLY INSTALLED or which is in a dangerous condition."
It is contended that the gas system was improperly installed or at least in a dangerous condition because of the following violations of the Rules and Regulations of the LPG Commission. They include: (a) Improper placing of the tank within ten feet of the building; (b) Supply lines not buried to the proper depth; (c) No cutoff valve provided at the outside of the building; (d) No drip provided at the installation; (e) Piping was not properly graded; (f) Piping was not properly supported; (g) No shutoff valve provided at each appliance; and (h) Two uncapped lines in the house.
These violations were found to have existed after the explosion and fire by Lionel Ortego, Director of the LPG Commission. Based on these violations and the servicing of the system by Amoco, plaintiffs are contending that the defendants were negligent per se in accordance with the case of Home Gas & Fuel Co. v. Mississippi Tank Co., 246 La. 625, 166 So.2d 252 (1964).
It was stated by a number of witnesses, including Mr. Ortego, that of all the violations the last one was the actual cause of the explosion and fire. The presence of two uncapped gas lines in the house was the cause of the explosion and fire.
Since the cause of the explosion and fire are known, we need to determine whether the defendants had any responsibility for that cause.
Ms. Frazier notified Amoco back in December of 1974 that she wanted gas service. She was initially turned down since she did not have her appliances hooked up. Eventually, Cecil Harrington, a route salesman for Amoco, went to the house for the purpose of servicing it. He made an initial inspection of the house checking for gas leaks in the lines as well as for proper hookup of the appliances. Finding everything to his satisfaction, he supplied the propane gas.
At the time of his inspection, there was present in the house a kitchen stove, a hot water heater and two space heaters. All were gas appliances supplied by the propane tank located outside. A gas line was also present in the bathroom but it had been capped.
After four months of service to the system with the last supply of propane coming in March of 1975, Ms. Frazier vacated the premises. Amoco did not come into further contact with the system. Ms. Frasier, upon leaving the premises, took her two space heaters that were located in the back bedroom and in the dining room.
The two heaters were supplied with propane from the same gas line. The line had a T-connection with one end of the connection protruding into the bedroom while the other supplied gas to the dining room. After the gas heaters were removed, no caps or plugs were placed on the open ends of the line.
Our resolution of this case will depend on the duty/risk analysis that the Supreme Court has set forth in a number of eases. Dixie Drive It Yourself Sys. v. American Beverage Co., 242 La. 471, 137 So.2d 298 (1962); Hill v. Lundin & Associates, Inc., 260 La. 542, 256 So.2d 620 (1972); Laird v. Travelers Insurance Company, 263 La. 199, 267 So.2d 714 (1972); Boyer v. Johnson, 360 So.2d 1164 (La.1978); and LeJeune v. Allstate Ins. Co., 365 So.2d 471 (La.1978).
Although the factual situation is different, the Laird decision gives a detailed analysis of the Court's function under the duty/risk approach:
"We have repeatedly held that a criminal violation would lead to civil responsibility only if that act is the legal cause of damage to another. To decide whether the violation of the criminal statute by Laird imposes civil liability upon him and denies him civil redress from one admittedly negligent, we must determine whether his act was a cause-in-fact of the accident, what was the nature of the duty imposed upon him, what risks were encompassed within that duty, and whether under the combination of these considerations he should be declared negligent." Laird, supra, 267 So.2d p. 717.
We must determine what the duty on Amoco was and determine whether it was breached by some actions or omissions. The duty in this case was the statutory duty imposed on dealers and distributors of gas to inspect the premises for violations of the Rules and Regulations of the LPG Commission before servicing the system with the propane. In particular, the plaintiffs cited the following provision pertaining to the requirement of shutoff valves:
"5.9 Container Valve and Accessories (a) Shut-Off Valves: All shut-off valves and accessory equipment (liquid or gas) shall be suitable for liquefied petroleum gas service, and designed for not less than the maximum pressure to which they may be subjected. Valves and accessories which may be subjected to container pressure shall have a rated working pressure of at least 250 pounds per square inch gauge.
(b) 3. Any appliance connected to a piping system shall have an accessible manual shut-off valve installed upstream of the union or connector, and within six (6) feet of the appliance it serves."
See Home Gas & Fuel Co. v. Mississippi Tank Co., supra, and Carlysle v. Aetna Insurance Company, 248 So.2d 64 (La.App. 1st Cir. 1971).
Another inquiry when a court decides on the duty is whether the duty encompasses the risk that is involved as well as the party that is injured. As stated in the case of Geismar v. General Gas Corporation, 182 So.2d 769 (La.App. 1st Cir. 1966):
"There is no question that liquefied petroleum gas is an inherently dangerous substance, and must be handled with a care commensurate with its dangerous qualities, however, those who handle such commodities are not insurers of any mishap. Liability attaches only on due proof that the handler violated a duty owed to the person harmed."
The rules and regulations of the LPG Commission were designed in the interest of public safety. La.R.S. 40:1846. We deem that these plaintiffs, although not fully classified as lessees, would be encompassed within this duty imposed on the defendants. Carlysle v. Aetna Insurance Company, supra. Surry v. Arkansas Louisiana Gas Company, 170 So.2d 133 (La.App. 2nd Cir. 1964), but see Huggins v. Hartford Accident and Indemnity Co., 271 So.2d 876 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1973).
Notwithstanding this duty, the flaw in plaintiffs' case is that they have failed to prove that the actions of the defendant, Amoco Oil, were a cause-in-fact of the ex plosion and fire which led to the injuries and damages sustained by the plaintiffs.
The violation of statutory requirements imposed on the distributors does not impose liability on them without some showing that these violations contributed to or actually caused the damage complained of. As was stated in the Dixie Drive It Yourself Sys. case, supra, 137 So.2d page 302: "Negligent conduct is a cause-in-fact of harm to another if it was a substantial factor in bringing about that harm." The statement was clarified in the Laird decision, supra, 267 So.2d pages 717 & 718:
"We determine only whether it was a substantial factor without which the accident would not have occurred — that is, whether it had some direct relationship to the accident."
We need to examine the violations of the regulations of the LPG Commission to determine if any of these violations had a direct relationship to the accident. Mr. Or-tego testified that all of the violations were minor and in no way contributed to the accident except for the open gas lines. He stated, along with other witnesses, that the presence of open gas lines in the house was the cause of the plaintiffs' damages.
Plaintiffs' argument is that Amoco failed in' its duty by not requiring shutoff valves on those lines before it serviced the system with propane. They contend if these lines had been equipped with shutoff valves then, when Christine and Albert Wenzy turned the propane on, the shutoff valves would have prevented the gas from escaping into the room.
The problem with this argument is twofold. First, plaintiffs did not prove there was no shutoff valves present at the space heaters when Mr. Harrington made his inspection of the system. The only testimony concerning the valves was that of Mr. Harrington which was inconclusive. He stated that he did not remember if there were shutoff valves present or not, but that all the lines had either appliances or were capped so that there were no open gas lines.
Secondly, as Mr. Ortego explains: "In almost every case, whoever moves out takes the gas cock (shutoff valve) and everything with them." (Explanation ours). In this regards, Ms. Frazier corroborated by her sister, Blanche Honoré, testified that they visited the house on the afternoon of May 5, 1975. Their testimony is to the effect that Ms. Frazier pointed out the open gas lines to Christine Wenzy and told her that they needed to be capped before turning on the gas.
Mr. George Pappas, an expert on cause and prevention of fire and explosion called by the plaintiff, stated that when he inspected the house in August of 1979, he found a capped line in the bathroom, two uncapped lines in the bedroom and dining room. He also found a gas stove which had the required shutoff valve and a hot water heater which also had a shutoff valve.
We feel that the plaintiffs have failed in their burden of proof of proving that the actions of Amoco were a cause-in-fact of the explosion and fire. Their actions in inspecting the system might have resulted in minor violations of the Rules and Regulations of the LPG Commission but in no way were they a substantial factor in bringing about the accident.
The gas system had worked without incident the four or five months that Ms. Frazier had used it while being serviced by Amoco. The actions of Ms. Frazier in removing the space heaters, the failure of Bernice Holmes to carefully inspect the house before leasing the premises, as well as the actions of the plaintiffs in using the gas system without proper assistance could have all been the actual cause of the accident. Plaintiffs have not shown that Amoco failed in detecting open gas lines in the house when it made its inspection, presumably because it did not exist at that time.
We only hold that the acts or omissions of the defendant, Amoco Oil Company, were not a cause-in-fact of the accident.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the trial court in case numbered 13,836 is reversed in as much as it held the defendants Amoco Oil Company and Aetna Casualty & Surety Company, liable for the dam ages sustained by the plaintiff. The judgment as it relates to Bernice Holmes has become final for failure to appeal timely and her appeal is dismissed. The judgment of the trial court in case numbered 13,837 is also reversed in as much as it held the defendant Amoco Oil Company, liable for damages sustained by the plaintiffs. The judgment as it relates to Bernice Holmes has become final for failure to appeal timely and her appeal is dismissed. The costs of these proceedings are cast against the ap-pellees.
DISMISSED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, AND RENDERED.