Opinion ID: 1128613
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Partial Summary Judgments

Text: In Everything on Wheels Subaru, Inc. v. Subaru South, Inc., 616 So.2d 1234, 1241 n. 12 (La.1993), we stated: We therefore reserve for another day the question of whether a partial summary judgment, that merely decides one of several claims, defenses, or issues without dismissing any party, is a final judgment which is authorized by Article 1915 and which therefore must be appealed immediately in order to prevent the judgment from acquiring the authority of a thing adjudged. We now answer that question in the affirmative and hold that the proper vehicle for seeking review of the grant of a partial summary judgment is by way of appeal and that a supervisory writ normally will not lie to correct an improperly granted partial summary judgment. The Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure provides that a summary judgment that determines the merits of a case in whole or in part is a final judgment. La.Code.Civ.P. art. 1915, entitled Partial judgment, expressly authorizes the rendering of a final judgment on less than all of the issues in the case when the court grants a summary judgment. La. Code.Civ.P. art. 1915 provides in relevant part: A. A final judgment may be rendered and signed by the court, even though it may not grant ... all of the relief prayed for, or may not adjudicate all of the issues in the case, when the court:       (3) Grants a motion for summary judgment, as provided by Articles 966 through 969 ...       B. If an appeal is taken from such a judgment, the trial court nevertheless shall retain jurisdiction to adjudicate the remaining issues in a case. Notably, Article 1915 specifically refers to the appealability of such a partial judgment by stating that the trial court will retain jurisdiction over the remaining issues in the case if an appeal is taken from a partial judgment. La.Code.Civ.P. art. 1915(B). Article 966, referenced by Article 1915(A)(3), provides that either party may move for summary judgment for all or part of the relief for which he has prayed. La.Code. Civ.P. art. 966(A)(1) (emphasis added). Article 968, also referenced by Article 1915(A)(3), clearly states that summary judgments are final judgments. Finally, Article 1841, provides that a judgment that decides the merits of the case in whole or in part is a final judgment. La.Code.Civ.P. art. 1841 (emphasis added); Tolis v. Board of Supervisors of La. State Univ., 660 So.2d 1206 (La.1995) (per curiam). These articles clearly authorize the rendition of a summary judgment which disposes of one or more, but less than all, of the claims or issues presented in a case. These articles also clearly provide that such a judgment is final. Final judgments are appealable judgments. La.Code.Civ.P. art. 2083(A); In Re Howard, 541 So.2d 195, 197 (La.1989) (per curiam). Thus, the grant of a partial summary judgment, as a final judgment, is appealable. [4] We have upheld the appropriateness of deciding the merits of a supervisory writ which could terminate the litigation in order to avoid the waste of time and expense of a possibly useless future trial on the merits. Herlitz Const. Co. v. Hotel Investors of New Iberia, Inc., 396 So.2d 878 (La. 1981). We did so in the interest of judicial efficiency and fundamental fairness to the litigants. Id. Here, an immediate appeal of a grant of partial summary judgment is equally fundamentally fair to the litigants. An immediate appeal will terminate the litigation and avoid the wastes and possibly useless future trial with equal efficiency. Because a supervisory writ is no more efficient and does not better serve the goals of judicial efficiency and fundamental fairness, an immediate appeal is necessarily an adequate remedy for seeking review of a final judgment. Where there is an adequate remedy by appeal, there normally is no need for the courts to exercise supervisory jurisdiction. As this Court has held, it is a mistake to seek review of a final judgment by supervisory writ rather than by appeal. In re Howard, 541 So.2d at 197; see Armstrong v. Stein, 634 So.2d 845 (La.1994). Because a partial summary judgment that decides the merits of a case in part is a final judgment subject to immediate appeal, we hold that the proper vehicle for seeking review is by appeal in accordance with La.Code Civ.P. art. 2083(A) and 2121.