Court Opinion

ID: 9894366
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-01 16:08:19.668168+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:08:24.514580
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA
                                    COURT OF APPEAL
                                       FIRST CIRCUIT

                                        2022 CA 1248'

      I
C                              CONTI ENTERPRISES, INC.

                                             VERSUS

     PROVIDENCE/ GSE ASSOCIATES, LLC, ROBERT E. WILLIAMS, JR.,
                AND ASPEN SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY

                                               Judgment rendered:     Noy 0 12023

                                      On Appeal from the
                                   32°d Judicial District Court
                                       Terrebonne Parish
                                       State of Louisiana
                                             No. 1743 S5

                            Judge Randall L. Bethancourt, Presiding

    Stephen P. Hall                                  Attorneys for Appellee/ Defendant
    Phelps Dunbar, LLP                               XL Specialty Insurance Company
    New Orleans, Louisiana

    Adrian. G. Nadeau                                Attorneys for Appellees/Defendants
    J. Weston Clark                                  Hartman Engineering, Inc. and
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana                           Jared Monceaux

    Brian J. Marceaux                                Attorneys for Plaintiff/Appellant
    Julius P. Hebert, Jr.                            Terrebonne Parish Consolidated
                                                     Government

    Derick A. Bercegeay
    Brianna Wilson Orgeron
    Houma, Louisiana

                   BEFORE: THERIOT, HOLDRIDGE, AND HESTER, JJ.

      We note that 2022 -CA -1249, Conti Enterprises, Inc. vs. Providence/ GSE Associates, LLC,
    is consolidated with 2022 -CA -1248, Conti Enterprises, Inc. vs. Providence/ GSE Associates,
    LLC, for oral argument and submission.
HOLDRIDGE, J.

      In   this   appeal,   Terrebonne   Parish   Consolidated   Government ( TPCG)

challenges a trial court' s judgment granting a motion for summary judgment filed

by XL Specialty Insurance Company ( XLSIC), the alleged professional insurer of

Hartman Engineering, Inc. and Jared Monceaux.          In Conti Enterprises, Inc.   v.

Providence Associates, LLC, 2022- 1249 ( La. App. 1 Cir. 10/ 30/ 23), 2023 WL

7125055 ( unpublished), this court upheld a summary judgment dismissing all of

TPCG' s claims against Hartman Engineering, Inc. and Mr. Monceaux on the basis

that TPCG' s claims against those defendants were statutorily perempted. By the

extension and operation of law, peremption is a defense that is not personal to the

insured and is available to the insured' s liability insurer. See Shields v. Alvin R.

Savoie &   Associates, Inc., 2016- 0827 ( La. App. 1    Cir 2117117), 217 So. 3d 420,

421; Vicari v. Window World, Inc., 14- 870 ( La. App. 5 Cir. 5128115), 171 So. 3d

425, writ denied, 2015- 1269 ( La. 9125115),       179 So. 3d 570. Because XLSIC' s

insureds can have no liability to TPCG as a matter of law, XLSIC cannot be held

liable to TPCG as the professional liability insurer of Hartman Engineering, Inc.

and Mr. Monceaux.      Therefore, the trial court correctly entered summary judgment

dismissing all claims asserted by TPCG against XLSIC in this litigation.

      For these reasons, we affirm the trial court' s summary judgment in favor of

XL Specialty Insurance Company.          All costs of this appeal, in the amount of

 35, 108. 50, are taxed to appellant, Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government.

      AFFIRMED.

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