Opinion ID: 1104220
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: La Civ.Code art. 2324B and Quantification of Employer Fault

Text: Because the accident in Guidry v. Frank Guidry Oil Co., 579 So.2d 947 (La.1991) occurred before the 1987 amendment to La.Civ. Code art. 2324, the court in Guidry did not reach the issue of whether the amended article required quantification of employer fault. The question was later presented to this court in Gauthier v. O'Brien, 618 So.2d 825 (La.1993). Noting that quantifying the employer's fault pursuant to La.Code Civ.Proc. art. 1812C will serve to implement Louisiana's comparative fault scheme, this court concluded that the last sentence of [La.Civ. Code art. 2324B] suggests that fault will be allocated to immune employers.... 618 So.2d at 829, 831. Overruling Guidry and Melton, the court held that Article 2324B made the quantification of employer fault mandatory. We reconsider and reject the holding in Gauthier relative to mandatory quantification of employer fault. Neither the pre-1987 nor the post-1987 version of Article 2324B requires the quantification of employer fault. After the amendment in 1979 as part of the adoption of comparative fault, Article 2324 provided that [p]ersons whose concurring fault has caused injury, death or loss were solidarily liable for the entire damages (reduced by the plaintiff's degree of fault, if any), with the exception that a particular tortfeasor's liability was limited to his or her percentage of fault when the plaintiff had a greater degree of fault. The article was silent as to the persons whose fault should be quantified. In 1987, the Legislature again amended Article 2324. The 1987 amendment began as an effort to abolish solidary liability, but the effort was compromised during the legislative process, apparently on the basis that a tort victim should obtain some minimum percentage of full compensation from any person whose fault causally produced his or her damages. The legislative bill that became Act 373 of 1987 amending Article 2324, as originally introduced and before amendments during the legislative process, provided: If liability is not solidary pursuant to paragraph A, then liability for damages caused by two or more persons shall be a joint, divisible obligation. A joint tortfeasor shall not be solidarily liable with any other person for damages attributable to the fault of such other person, including the person suffering injury, death, or loss, regardless of such other person's insolvency, ability to pay, degree of fault, or immunity by statute or otherwise. Although the Legislature ultimately decided to retain a limited form of solidary liability, the language of the original bill was left virtually intact, and the retention of that language has created much confusion as to the legislative intent. Article 2324, as finally adopted, now provides: A. He who conspires with another person to commit an intentional or willful act is answerable, in solido, with that person, for the damage caused by such act. B. If liability is not solidary pursuant to Paragraph A, or as otherwise provided by law, then liability for damages caused by two or more persons shall be solidary only to the extent necessary for the person suffering injury, death, or loss to recover fifty percent of his recoverable damages; however, when the amount of recovery has been reduced in accordance with the preceding Article, a judgment debtor shall not be liable for more than the degree of his fault to a judgment creditor to whom a greater degree of fault has been attributed. Under the provisions of this article, all parties shall enjoy their respective rights of indemnity and contribution. Except as described in Paragraph A of this Article, or as otherwise provided by law, and hereinabove, the liability for damages caused by two or more persons shall be a joint, divisible obligation, and a joint tortfeasor shall not be solidarily liable with any other person for damages attributable to the fault of such other person, including the person suffering injury, death, or loss, regardless of such other person's insolvency, ability to pay, degree of fault, or immunity by statute or otherwise. [9] (emphasis added). The last sentence of Article 2324B establishes the rule that liability for damages caused by two or more persons is joint liability, [10] rather than solidary liability, [11] unless liability is solidary pursuant (1) to Article 2324A (intentional act) or (2) to Article 2324B (for damages caused by two or more persons, but limited to fifty percent of the recoverable damages [12] ), or (3) to a special provision of law. The last sentence then emphasizes that when a joint tortfeasor is only jointly liable (because none of the exceptions apply), the fact that a non-party who contributed to causing the damages is insolvent or immune does not cause the jointly liable tortfeasor to become solidarily liable. The mention in the last sentence of Article 2324B of a joint tortfeasor's immunity as one of the factors that does not increase another joint tortfeasor's liability from joint to solidary certainly is not indicative of a legislative intent to make quantification of employer fault mandatory. Indeed, the last sentence of Article 2324B, in referring to the immunity of certain persons (perhaps certain family members whom the plaintiff cannot sue, but who may be joined in the action by third party demand for contribution), does not suggest, one way or the other, whether quantifying employer fault is necessary or appropriate in the overall comparative fault system. We therefore overrule the holding of Gauthier that quantification of employer fault either is suggested by La.Code Civ. Proc. art. 1812C or is made mandatory by La.Civ.Code art. 2324B.