Opinion ID: 1920277
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Strict Liability La. Civ.Code art. 2317

Text: La. Civ.Code art. 2317 provides: We are responsible, not only for the damage occasioned by our own act, but for that which is caused by the act of persons for whom we are answerable, or of the things which we have in our custody.... In Doughty v. Insured Lloyds Ins. Co., 576 So.2d 461, 464 (La.1991), this Court explained: This article imposes strict liability based on a person's relationship of custody (garde) to a defective thing which creates an unreasonable risk of injury to others. King v. Louviere, 543 So.2d 1327, 1329 (La.1989); Loescher v. Parr, 324 So.2d 441, 446 (La.1975). As a general principle, the guardian is in a better position than the innocent victim to detect, evaluate and take steps to eliminate an unreasonable risk of harm arising in a defective thing. Ross, 502 So.2d at 1032; Kent v. Gulf States Utilities Co., 418 So.2d 493, 497 n. 5 (La.1982). In King, we determined that [t]he things in one's care are those things to which one bears such a relationship as to have the right of direction and control over them, and to draw some kind of benefit from them. King, 543 So.2d at 1329. Moreover, this Court explained that [u]nder most circumstances ownership alone establishes the requisite benefit, control and authority to find garde. Doughty, 576 So.2d at 464. However, although ownership creates the presumption of garde, this presumption is rebuttable by the owner. Finally, whether the law imposes a duty of garde upon a party is a factual inquiry based upon the determination of (1) what benefit the party received from the thing, and (2) what kind of direction and control the party had over it. Doughty, 576 So.2d at 464. Essential to a finding of liability under article 2317 is a finding of the defendant's relationship of custody to the defective thing. The plaintiffs attempt to prove custody by establishing ownership. Central to the plaintiffs' ownership analysis is La. Civ.Code art. 493.