Court Opinion

ID: 9959534
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-11 23:04:54.875982+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:17:48.624984
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

            COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

BAYOU AUTOMOTIVE GROUP,                    LLC                                      NO.        2024 CW      0322
D/B/A BAYOU        CHRYSLER DODGE
JEEP RAM AND BAYOU                STATE                                                         Page 1 of 2
AUTOMOTIVE        GROUP,       LLC      D/B/A
BAYOU     FORD

VERSUS

NEW YORK MARINE AND                 GENERAL
INSURANCE        COMPANY,         HUB
INTERNATIONAL           MIDWEST
LIMITED D/B/A HUB
INTERNATIONAL           GULF SOUTH,
DAVID W.        ALLIGOOD,         JANETTE
CAMPBELL,        AND XYZ       INSURANCE                                            APRIL 11,              2024
COMPANY

In Re:           Hub         International               Midwest               Limited           D/B/A            Hub
                 International              Gulf       South,           David       W.      Alligood,             and
                 Lanette       Campbell,          applying         for      supervisory writs,                   19th
                 Judicial District                Court,          Parish       of       East    Baton       Rouge,
                 No. 712867.

BEFORE:         McCLENDON,          WELCH,       THERIOT,         PENZATO,          AND GREENE,            JJ.

          STAY     DENIED;          WRIT       GRANTED        IN       PART     AND       DENIED      IN     PART.
The     portion        of     the    district          court's          April       11,        2024    judgment
which     granted       plaintiffs'              motion      in    limine          to    exclude       evidence
regarding        the     fault       of     New       York    Marine          and       General       Insurance
Company     or    Risk       Point      Underwriting           Managers,            LLC    is    reversed          in
part.      Louisiana Civil Code                   article         2323      provides,          in part,          that
in any action           for    damages where            a    person         suffers        injury or         loss,
the     degree     or       percentage           of    fault       of     all       persons       causing          or
contributing            to     the        injury        or        loss      shall         be     determined,
regardless        of    whether         the    person        is    a    party       to    the    action       or    a
nonparty,        which applies             to any claim for                 recovery of damages                   for
injury     or     loss        asserted         under        any     law       or    legal        doctrine          or
theory     of    liability,          regardless         of     the       basis      of    liability.              The
district        court       abused       its     discretion            in     excluding          evidence          of
the    fault     of     New    York       Marine       and    General           Insurance         Company          or
Risk     Point    Underwriting             Managers,         LLC,       and     the      motion       in    limine
is    denied     with    regard to          such evidence.                  However,       defendants             are
not    entitled        to     introduce           evidence         as     to    amounts          received          by
plaintiffs        from       its     insurer          pursuant         to     the       collateral          source
rule.      See    Prest v.           Louisiana         Citizens          Prop.          Ins.    Corp.,       2012-
0513 (    La.    12/4/12),           125    So.3d       1079.           Accordingly,            the        writ    is
denied,    in part,           to the extent            the    judgment          excludes         evidence as
to amounts       received by plaintiffs from its insurer.

                                                            JEW
                                                         MRT
                                                          AHP

        McClendon,          J.,   concurs.

        Greene,       J.,    concurs       in part and dissents                     in part.           I    concur
with the denial of the stay                       but       dissent           and       would     deny        the
                       STATE OF LOUISIANA

            COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

                                                                    2024   CW      0322
                                                                    Page    2   of   2

writ.     The   criteria    set   forth   in Herlitz   Construction       Co.,     Inc.
v.   Hotel      Investors    of    New    Iberia,   Inc.,   396   So.2d    878 (     La.
1981) (    per curiam),     are   not met.

COURT     OF APPEAL,   FIRST   CIRCUIT