Opinion ID: 1906344
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Primary Responsibility

Text: The issues of primary responsibility are easily resolved. Without a doubt Decareaux was guilty of negligent acts that caused severe injuries to the plaintiff, Ermert; the lower courts' findings that Decareaux was negligent are not challenged here. Decareaux and his homeowner's insurer are solidarily liable for those damages. On the other hand, the remaining members of the hunting group clearly were not guilty of any separate or joint negligence, imprudence or want of skill that caused the accident. See La.C.C. arts. 2315, 2316, 2324. Due to the speed with which he grabbed, loaded, and accidentally fired the shotgun, none of the other members of the hunting party had a realistic opportunity to admonish or restrain Decareaux. As a coequal member of the group, Decareaux was not the charge of anyone. He was an experienced hunter who apparently had not been known to act carelessly before. He was well aware of the group's firmly established, though unwritten, rules against loading guns in the camphouse and shooting animals near the building, but he ignored these prohibitions. Under these circumstances, none of the members of group could have anticipated or taken precautions against Decareaux's careless action. La. C.C. arts. 2315-2316. The evidence is also clear that none of the other hunters caused, assisted or encouraged Decareaux's negligent act of loading the shotgun inside the camphouse as he moved quickly toward the door. La.C.C. art. 2324 (1870). Although Caillouette approved the general idea of cooking a nutria, he did so while in the outhouse, and he was not in a position to either approve or influence the negligent method chosen by Decareaux to accomplish that end. Accordingly, Larrieu, Cummings, Brumfield, Caillouette and Bourcq cannot be held primarily liable for the injuries to Ermert.