Court Opinion

ID: 9411945
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-07-28 16:08:01.739986+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:41:20.164978
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

               COURT OF APPEAL., FIRST CIRCUIT

AMY    THREETON            INDIVIDUALLY                   AND        ON                                      NO.        2023       CW   0465
BEHALF       OF     HER     DECEASED             SON        RICHARD
L.    THREETON,            JR.

VERSUS

PROGRESSIVE            SECURITY                INSURANCE
COMPANY,          PARISH         OF       POINTE          COUPES,
THE    SUCCESSION               OF    CHRISTOPHER                    J.                                           JULY        28,       2023
SOILEAU,          ENTERGY            LOUISIANA,                 LLC,

AND    DEVILLE' S           LAWN          SERVICE           II       LLC

In    Re:       Entergy              Louisiana,                 LLC,           applying           for       supervisory             writs,
                  18th      Judicial              District                    Court,          Parish        of     Pointe          Coupee,
                No.       50209.

BEFORE:             HOLDRIDGE,                 CHUTZ,           AND       PENZATO,            JJ.

         WRIT       GRANTED            WITH       ORDER.                  We        find      the      trial       court          erred    in
the    portion           of      its       May       11,            2023        judgment              denying the             exception

of     no     cause        of        action           filed              by     defendant,               Entergy Louisiana,
LLC.         There         is     no       authority                 to        support            a    cause       of        action       for
negligence
                        Entergy Louisiana,
                      against                    LLC,   for   its   failure    to
provide            lighting,
               street          because    Entergy Louisiana,       LLC,  is   not

required    to   provide   street    lighting as part of its general
 public   utility    service,"   and    without   a  duty there can be no
liability.      Burdis  v.  Lafourche     Parish    Police   Jury,   542   So. 2d
117,  119 ( La.   App.  1st Cir.   1989).    We further find no basis for
strict
          liability     under    La.    Civ.    Code    art.    2317    because
plaintiff,
               Amy   Threeton,    individually and on behalf of her
deceased           son,          Richard             L.         Threeton,                Jr.,         has        not        alleged       any
facts showing a contractual relationship existed between Entergy
Louisiana,            LLC         and          the        decedent,                  her                               that
                                                                                               son,         such                   Entergy
Louisiana,            LLC        would          have            a    contractual                      obligation             to    provide

street        lighting            to       him.           Shafouk              Nor       El     Din     Hamza          v.    Bourgeois,
493     So. 2d        112,           116- 17 (            La.  App.  5th Cir.),                              writ           denied,       497
So. 2d       1013 (    La.        1986).             We     also find no facts                              in    the       petition       to
support        a     cause           of    action              in        contract             because        the        decedent          was

not    a     party         to     this          contract,                     nor     has      plaintiff               alleged          facts
that        would      support             the        finding                  of    a     stipulation             pour           autrui.

Burdis,        542       So. 2d           at    118- 19.                  We        therefore           reverse             the    portion

of the trial court' s May 11,                                       2023 judgment denying the exception
of     no     cause        of        action           filed              by     defendant,               Entergy             Louisiana,
LLC,        grant     the        exception                of        no        cause      of action filed by Entergy
Louisiana,            LLC,           and       dismiss
                                          claims                    plaintiff' s
                                                 against  Entergy
Louisiana,            LLC.           This matter is
                                remanded to the trial court with
instructions to allow the plaintiff, Amy Threeton,
                                                     individually
and on behalf of her deceased son, Richard L. Threeton, Jr.,  the
opportunity to amend her petition to remove the grounds of this
objection,            if     possible,               within               a
                                                                                delay deemed reasonable by the
trial       court.        See        La.       Code       Civ.           P.    art.        934.

                                                                         GH
                                                                         WRC
                                                                         AHP
COURT       OF APPEAL,               FIRST       CIRCUIT

       DEPUTY         CLERK OF COURT
               FOR     THE       COURT