Court Opinion

ID: 9387440
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-04-17 22:04:36.780143+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:13.478729
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

              COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

DEBRA ROBERTSON,                                                                       NO.        2022 CW       1389
INDIVIDUALLY AND AS                   PERSONAL
                                                                                                  Page 1 of 2
REPRESENTATION               OF THE        ESTATE
OF GREGORY          ROBERTSON AND
KOCATATIE          THOMPSON

VERSUS

UNICORP,       LLC,          ERDACE                                                     APRIL           17,    2023
MANAGEMENT,          LLC,       ERDACE,
LLC,    BRADD,       LLC,       AND       THE
PAYNE     COMPANY,            INC.

In Re:             Unicorp,           LLC       and        National        Trust       Insurance              Company,
                   applying          for       supervisory             writs,    19th Judicial                District
                   Court,       Parish of East Baton Rouge,                           No.    691219.

BEFORE:            McCLENDON,             HOLDRIDGE,         AND       GREENE,       JJ.

        WRIT DENIED.
                                                            PMc

        Holdridge,             J.,        concurs          in     the     denial       of        the    writ.         The
Second        and    Restated             Petition          filed        by    Debra       Robertson           relates
back      to       the        date        of     filing           of     the     original              petition         in
accordance           with       La.        Code       Civ.        P.    art.     1153.           Therefore,           the
wrongful           death      and     survival         action           claims    of    the       minor       children
of     Gregory        Robertson                are     not      prescribed.                See    Giroir         v.     S.
Louisiana Med.                Ctr.,        Div.      of     Hosps.,       475     So.2d      1040,           1041 (    La.
1985);        Sam v.         Sorrel Elec.             Contractors,             Inc.,       525    So.2d 244,           246
 La.      App.       1st       Cir.        1988),          writ        denied,       532     So.2d           133 (     La.
1988) .        All       the       factors           established           by    the       Louisiana           Supreme
Court     in       Giroir       for       an    amending          petition       to    relate           back    to    the
date    of     filing         of     the    original            petition were met                 in    this     case.
Debra      Robertson            had        the       legal        capacity       as     permanent             managing
conservator           to       file       the     wrongful             death    and    survival              action     on
behalf        of    the minor             child,      Adian Michael              Robertson,             at    the     time
the    original          petition was                filed;       the    amended claim arises                   out     of
the     same        conduct          or    occurrence             as     set     forth       in     the       original
pleading;          the defendants                either         knew     or    should have             known    of the
existence           of the new plaintiffs ( Mr.                          Robertson's             two    other minor
children);          the       new    and old plaintiffs                   are    all minor             siblings        and
therefore           are      sufficiently              related;          the    defendants             will     not     be
prejudiced in preparing and conducting their defense.

        Greene,          J.,    dissents             and    would        grant    the       writ.        The     claims
alleged        in     the      Second           Amended         and      Restated          Petition           filed     by
Debra Robertson,                on behalf of                the minor          children Gregory Charles
Robertson,           III,      Nevaeh Nichole                Robertson,          and Adian Michael                    King
Robertson,           are       prescribed              on    their        face.        See        La.     Civ.        Code
arts.      2315.1            and     2315.2.            Furthermore,             I     find       the        plaintiff
failed        to    meet       her    burden          of    proving       the     claims         relate        back     to
the    original              petition,          as    the       original        petition          failed        to     set
forth     a    legally viable                  claim.        See Watson v.             Woldenberg Village,
Inc.,      2020-0453 (              La.     App.       4th        Cir.     7/7/21),          323        So.3d       951.
Accordingly,             I     would           grant        the        exception of prescription and
                        STATE OF LOUISIANA

           COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

                                                                 2022   cw   1389
                                                                 Page 2 of 2

        dismiss   the    claims    alleged   in   the   Second   Amended      and
Restated Petition.

COURT    OF APPEAL,     FIRST CIRCUIT

    DEPUTY
            sJCLERK OF     COURT
           FOR THE    COURT