Court Opinion

ID: 9894496
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-01 22:06:19.168747+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:08:33.518783
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA
         COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT
BENJAMIN W. DART, III, AND                       NO.   2023 CW 0553
RUTH ANDERSON
VERSUS

WASTE MANAGEMENT OF
LOUISIANA, LLC, KOIEY
FERGUSON, ACE AMERICAN                          NOVEMBER 1, 2023
INSURANCE COMPANY

In Re:     Waste Management of Louisiana, LLC and ACE American
           Insurance Company, applying for supervisory writs,
           19th Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton
           Rouge, No. 695414.

BEFORE:    McCLENDON, HESTER, AND MILLER, JJ.

      WRIT GRANTED.  Pursuant to our de novo review of the
supporting and opposing summary judgment documents, we conclude
that defendants presented sufficient evidence to establish that
there is no genuine issue of material fact that the accident was
caused solely by the fault of plaintiff in failing to maintain a
sharp lookout and in failing to follow at a distance from the
preceding vehicle that was sufficient to allow him to stop
safely under normal circumstances. See Hooper v. Lopez, 2021-
1442 (La. App. 1st Cir. 6/22/22), 344 So. 3d 656, 662.      As a
following motorist, pursuant to La. R.S. 32:81, plaintiff is
legally presumed to be at fault for the accident.      Plaintiff
failed to produce factual support sufficient to establish the
existence of a genuine issue of material fact to rebut the
presumption of negligence against him.       Moreover, plaintiff
failed to produce factual support to demonstrate that any hazard
presented by the garbage truck was unavoidable or that any
action or inaction on the part of the defendants was a cause-in-
f act of the rear-end collision.    Accordingly, we reverse the
April 13, 2023 judgment that denied defendants' motion for
summary judgment.   The motion for summary judgment is granted
and plaintiffs' claims against defendants, Waste Management of
Louisiana LLC and Ace American Insurance Company, are dismissed
with prejudice.

                                 PMc
                                 CHH
                                 SMM

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

    DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT
        FOR THE COURT