Court Opinion

ID: 9895400
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-06 23:08:02.389105+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:12:29.821232
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

          COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

STATE OF LOUISIANA                                                                NO.     2023 CW             0926

VERSUS

OPTUMRX,         INC.    AND UNITED
HEALTHCARE         OF LOUISIANA,
INC.      D/B/A UNITED       HEALTHCARE                                          NOVEMBER           6,    2023
COMMUNITY         PLAN

In Re:            OptumRx,    Inc.       and United Healthcare                     of    Louisiana,             Inc.
                  d/b/a    United       Healthcare             Community          Plan,        applying          for
                  supervisory           writs,           19th        Judicial           District              Court,
                  Parish of East Baton Rouge,                        No.    717848.

BEFORE:           THERIOT,    PENZATO,            AND    GREENE,          JJ.

         WRIT     GRANTED     WITH      ORDER.           The        district       court's          August       22,
2 02 3    order     which    denied          the   motion           for    suspensive          appeal          filed
by    defendants,         OptumRx,       Inc.       and       United       Heathcare          of    Louisiana,
Inc.,       is    reversed.             On    August           3,       2023,     the     district             court
granted      a     motion     for       sanctions            against        defendants             and    ordered
that      defendants        shall        pay       the       reasonable           expenses,          including
attorney          fees,    with     the       award           to    be     made     following             further
evidentiary             submissions          relative              to     the     time        and        expenses
incurred.          La.     Code    Civ.       P.   art.        2088 (A) ( 10)       provides             that    the
trial      court    retains       jurisdiction for                  purposes       of    setting " costs,
expert witness            fees,    and attorney fees"                      after an      appeal          has    been
taken      from     the    initial       judgment.                  This    judgment          constitutes             a
partial      final        judgment      subject          to    appeal       under       La.    Code       Civ.       P.
art.      1915(A) ( 6).     See     Capital         City Press,             LLC    v.    Louisiana             State
University System Board of Supervisors,                                    2013-1994 (        La.    8/28/13),
120      So. 3d    250.     Accordingly,                defendants'             motion    for       suspensive
appeal      is    granted,        and    this      matter           is    remanded       to    the       district
court      with     instructions             to    fix        the    security       for        a    suspensive
appeal       pursuant        to    the       provision              of     La.    Code        Civ.       P.     art.
2124(B).

                                                        MRT
                                                        AHP
                                                        HG

COURT     OF APPEAL,        FIRST CIRCUIT

         DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT
             FOR THE       COURT