Opinion ID: 1753971
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: ShouldersClear Zone Discussion

Text: The DOTD has a duty to motorists on Louisiana highways. This duty is clearly established under case law. The DOTD owes a duty to travelers to keep the highways and their shoulders in a reasonably safe condition. Hunter, 620 So.2d at 1150-51. In addition, DOTD has a statutory duty to regulate the use of public highways. LA. R.S. 48:21(A) [4] However, the Department of Highways is not responsible for every accident which occurs on state highways. It is not the guarantor of the safety of travelers thereon or an insurer against all injury or damage which may result from defects in the highway. The duty of the Department of Transportation is only to see that state highways are reasonably safe for persons exercising ordinary care and reasonable prudence. See Godwin, 394 So.2d at 754 and Lewis, 654 So.2d at 313; Laborde v. Louisiana Department of Highways, 300 So.2d 579 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1974). There are cases which clearly establish DOTD' s duty regarding the shoulder of Louisiana highways. See Lewis 654 So.2d at 311. The duty to motorists encompasses the foreseeable risk that, for any number of reasons including simple inadvertence, a motorist might find himself traveling on, or partially on the shoulder. A motorist has the right to assume that a highway shoulder, the function of which is to accommodate motor vehicles in emergencies and for other reasons whether intentionally or unintentionally driven thereon is maintained in a reasonably safe condition. Begnaud v. Department of Transportation and Development, et. al., 93-CA-639, 93 CA640 (La.App. 5th Cir. 1/12/94); 631 So.2d 467, 470. Sinitiere v. Lavergne v. State of Louisiana, Through the Department of Transportation and Development, 391 So.2d 821 (La.1980) There are many cases that answer the inquiry whether or not, as a factual matter, the absence of a shoulder or the presence of an inadequate shoulder creates an unreasonable risk of harm. See Myers v. State Farm Mutual Auto. Ins. Co., 493 So.2d 1170 (La.1986) and Stone, Louisiana Civil Law Treatise, Tort Doctrine, at § 388 (1977). The highway and shoulder in question are clearly within the control and custody of the DOTD. The plaintiff's expert, Moody measured the shoulder and determined that there was a shoulder clearance of four to six feet along this stretch of roadway. Therefore, there was clearly enough room for the plaintiff to move to the shoulder. Duty/risk analysis requires that the defendant have a duty to protect this plaintiff against this particular risk. Defendant argues that, in this case, the shrubbery on the side of the road was not the cause-in-fact of the accident. Instead, excessive speed and an impaired driver were the cause-in-fact of plaintiff's injuries. We agree. Act 95 of 1921 incorporated LA 117 into the State highway system. It begins from a junction with LA 8 at or near Leesville and ends in a junction with LA 6 at or near Hagewood. This two-lane asphalt surfaced roadway with graveled shoulders has been maintained by the State as part of the State system of roads since that time. The cases involving foliage are determined on a factual case-by-case basis. In Holt v. Rapides Parish Police Jury, 574 So.2d 525 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1991), the appellate court found that Plaintiff was not entitled to recover because the foliage was not a cause-in-fact of the accident. In the Holt case, the roadway was 18-20 feet wide, the foliage had not grown onto the roadway and both vehicles were occupying the center of the roadway. The court found that the cause of the accident was both drivers' equal failure to keep their respective vehicles in their respective lane of travel while negotiating a blind curve. The court held that the overgrowth of foliage was not the cause-in-fact of the accident. The record shows that both vehicles were traveling in the center of the roadway into the 90 degree curve although there was ample space for the vehicles to pass in their respective lanes of travel. The tall foliage did not prevent the respective vehicles from keeping their respective vehicles in the proper lane of travel while driving through an otherwise blind curve. In Johnson v. American Southern Ins. Co., 569 So.2d 1071 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1990), the court held that the presence of overhanging brush did not establish the lack of maintenance of the road as the causation of the accident or as a substantial factor in bringing about its occurrence. In Johnson, the plaintiff argued that but for the brush hanging onto the road, the accident would never have happened. The court held that the cause-infact of the accident was the defendant's negligent operation of the vehicle. The court could not ascertain why the defendant's vehicle was in the plaintiff's lane of traffic. Thus, no assumption can be made with regards to differing road conditions and the avoidance of the accident. In Miller v. State, DOTD, 95-548 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 3/20/96); 679 So.2d 134, 138, Reh'g Den., the court discussed unreasonable risk of harm. The unreasonable risk of harm cannot be inferred from the fact that an accident occurred. The court found that the cause of the accident was the individual's negligence in failing to act as a reasonable and prudent person in the operation of his vehicle, not DOTD's failure to remove a tree. An individual driver owes a duty to operate his vehicle in a prudent manner, which includes the duty to maintain control of it and to remain within his lane of travel. In determining the reasonableness of a risk, the Court must consider the broad range of social, economic and moral factors and the social utility of the plaintiff's conduct at the time of the accident. See Oster v. Department of Transportation and Development, State of Louisiana et. al., 582 So.2d 1285 (La.1991). One cannot be protected from all risks. This Court must decide which risks are unreasonable. The Court must carefully consider all the circumstances surrounding the particular accident to determine whether allowing recovery to the particular plaintiff involved, for damages occurring in the particular manner in which the plaintiff was injured, is desirable from the standpoint of justice and the social utility of the conduct of the respective parties. See Oster, 582 So.2d at 1288. Oster involved a drainage ditch. This court found that a drainage ditch served to keep water from draining onto the travel portion of the Highway and causing a dangerous situation for motorists. Because drainage ditches help make travel along the roads of this state safer, their utility is great. In Oster, this court concluded that in determining whether a condition existing on property presents an unreasonable risk of harm, we must look at all circumstances.