Zachary Marcade Versus New York Marine and General Insurance Company and Nola Motor Club, L.L.C. ( 2023 )


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  • ZACHARY MARCADE                                     NO. 23-CA-17
    VERSUS                                              FIFTH CIRCUIT
    NEW YORK MARINE AND GENERAL                         COURT OF APPEAL
    INSURANCE COMPANY AND
    NOLA MOTOR CLUB, L.L.C.                             STATE OF LOUISIANA
    ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
    PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA
    NO. 807-130, DIVISION "J"
    HONORABLE STEPHEN C. GREFER, JUDGE PRESIDING
    October 04, 2023
    MARC E. JOHNSON
    JUDGE
    Panel composed of Judges Fredericka Homberg Wicker,
    Marc E. Johnson, and John J. Molaison, Jr.
    REVERSED; REMANDED
    MEJ
    FHW
    JJM
    COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT,
    ZACHARY MARCADE
    Charles M. Thomas
    Leandro R. Area
    COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLEE,
    NEW YORK MARINE AND GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY AND NOLA
    MOTOR CLUB, L.L.C.
    Mark C. Dodart
    Stuart G. Richeson
    James H. Gilbert
    Harrison M. Martin
    JOHNSON, J.
    Appellant, Zachary1 Marcade, seeks review of the 24th Judicial District
    Court’s November 14, 2022 judgment granting the summary judgment filed by
    Defendants/Appellees’, New York Marine and General Insurance Company and
    NOLA Motor Club, L.L.C.’s (collectively referred to as “NOLA Motor Club”), .
    Mr. Marcade sustained serious injuries to his left leg after a collision with a go-kart
    operated by his son’s minor friend at NOLA Motor Club’s kart track in Jefferson
    Parish. For the following reasons, we reverse the district court’s judgment and
    remand the matter.
    FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
    Mr. Marcade and his wife celebrated the birthday of their 12 year old son,
    along with two of their son’s minor friends, on August 9, 2019 at a party held at
    the NOLA Motorsports Park, operated by NOLA Motor Club, in Avondale, LA.
    The party of five participated in the first heat of a race without incident. During the
    second heat of the race, Kart #4, driven by one of their minor son’s friends, who is
    referred to in the case record as “ST”, spun out in front of Kart #14, the kart Mr.
    Marcade was driving. Mr. Marcade’s kart collided into ST’s kart at full speed, and
    Mr. Marcade was ejected from Kart #14 upon impact. According to a medical
    report completed by the NOLA Motor Club personnel in response to the accident,
    a medic placed Mr. Marcade’s deformed left leg in a splint and noted that there
    were no other visible injuries. Thereafter, Mr. Marcade was released to the care of
    West Jefferson EMS for further treatment.
    Before the group began the karting activity, Mr. Marcade’s wife signed a
    Parental Consent, Release and Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk, and
    Indemnity Agreement form, and their son signed a Minor’s Assumption of Risk
    1
    Here, we use the same spelling of Appellant’s first name as the case caption, although the record
    suggests it should be spelled “Zacharie”.
    23-CA-17                                            1
    and Release and Waiver of Liabilty, before a witness who was an employee of the
    track. The group also provided NOLA Motor Sports with forms that had been
    signed by ST and his father the day before the party. On the parental consent form,
    ST’s father acknowledged:
    I know the nature of the EVENT(S) and the Minor’s experience
    and capabilities, and believe the Minor to be qualified to participate in
    the Event(s). I will inspect the premises, facilities, and equipment to
    be used, or with which the Minor may come in contact. IF I OR THE
    MINOR BELIEVE ANTYTHING IS UNSAFE, I WILL INSTRUCT
    THE MINOR TO IMMEDIATELY LEAVE THE RESTRICTED
    AREA AND REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE FURTHER IN THE
    EVENT(S).
    Through signing the forms, the adults also acknowledged the inherent danger and
    risk of harm karting poses, and NOLA Motorsports Park’s immunity from liability
    pursuant to La. R.S. 9:2795.4.
    On June 5, 2020, Mr. Marcade filed a Petition for Damages against NOLA
    Motor Club. Mr. Marcade alleged that he “has suffered physical pain and suffering,
    mental anguish, medical expenses, permanent disability, and disfigurement among
    other damages” as a result of the accident that “was caused solely and proximately
    by the negligence of NOLA Motor Club.” NOLA Motor Club filed a Motion for
    Summary Judgment on May 5, 2022. In its motion, Appellees alleged that karting
    was a “motorized off-road vehicle activity” as contemplated by La. R.S. 9:2795.4,
    claimed that they met all of the statute’s requirements, and asserted the immunity
    provided by the statute. NOLA Motor Club further argued that Mr. Marcade could
    not claim the exception to immunity provided by La. R.S. 9:2795.4(C)(2) because
    the statute required activity sponsors to make “reasonable and prudent efforts to
    determine the ability of the participant [claiming the exception] to engage safely”
    in the activity, and not the other participants partaking in the activity. Mr. Marcade
    timely filed an opposition, arguing that the collision was caused by a twelve-year-
    old child and NOLA Motor Club violated its own safety policy in allowing a child
    23-CA-17                                  2
    under the age of fifteen to operate a SR kart unless the parent confirmed the minor
    had prior karting experience; that NOLA Motor Club’s failure to make reasonable
    and prudent efforts to determine the participant’s ability to kart safely and their
    failure to make sure ST had prior karting experience “constituted willful or wanton
    disregard for the safety of the participant” pursuant to La. R.S. 9:2795.4(C)(2) did
    in fact apply in this case; NOLA Motor Club had to prove immunity; NOLA Motor
    Club’s conduct triggered two of the exceptions to immunity under the statute; and
    whether NOLA Motor Club confirmed that ST had prior karting experience was a
    genuine issue of material fact in dispute. In the alternative, Mr. Marcade also
    argued that La. R.S. 9:2795.4(C)(2) was unconstitutionally vague, and indefinite.
    The district court held a hearing on the motion for summary judgment on
    October 25, 2022 and granted judgment in favor of NOLA Motor Club at the end
    of the hearing. The court found: 1) that NOLA Motor Club met the threshold of
    invoking the immunity statute’s protection; 2) the waiver executed by ST’s parent
    would satisfy the statute’s requirements such that any exception under Subsection
    B would not apply; 3) the father’s certification of ST’s ability to participate in the
    activity was the “best discharge” of NOLA Motor Club’s obligation to ensure that
    participants could safely engage in karting; 4) that, because ST’s father
    acknowledged that he knew that the child was going karting, knew the nature of
    karting, and determined that his child could safely participate, it was not NOLA
    Motor Club’s responsibility to second guess the parent’s assessment, so (C)(2) did
    not apply; 5) the disclosure and waiver executed by ST’s parent made resolution of
    the statutory construction question regarding who was a participant under La. R.S.
    9:2794.4(C)(2) unnecessary; and 6) verifying that the parent knew about the SR
    kart safety policy was good practice, but not necessary to discharge any obligation
    that could be found under Subsection (C)(4), again because the parent certified that
    the child was capable of participating in the activity. The court also ruled that the
    23-CA-17                                   3
    constitutionality of the statute was not properly before the court because the
    petition was not served upon the Attorney General.
    This timely appeal followed.
    ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
    Appellant assigns the following as error:
    (1) The district court committed reversible error in granting the
    Motion for Summary Judgment because there was contradictory
    evidence that established genuine issues of material fact listed as
    such by NOLA Motor Club.
    (2) The district court was not allowed to judge the facts or weigh the
    evidence at the hearing of the Motion but did so when it
    disregarded key testimony and inserted language into the parental
    consent form.
    (3) The district court similarly erred when it found that the parental
    consent form outweighed the evidence of NOLA Motor Club’s
    willful and wanton disregard for its safety policy.
    Plaintiff’s opposition to summary judgment and appeal argue that two of the
    exceptions to the immunity provided by La. R.S. 9:2795.4 are triggered by the
    facts in this case. Plaintiff argues that NOLA Motor Club failed to make
    reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of the participant, ST, to
    engage safely in the motorized off-road vehicle activity. Plaintiff also argues that
    NOLA Motor Sports’ failure to follow its own policy of requiring drivers of the SR
    karts to be at least fifteen years old or to have prior karting experience was an act
    or omission that constituted willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the
    participant Mr. Marcade, and that act or omission caused his injury. To support
    that argument, Plaintiff highlighted the fact that ninety-six accidents at NOLA
    Motor Club were caused by children between the ages of eight to fifteen in the five
    years preceding the accident. Last, Mr. Marcade takes exception with Defendant’s
    interpretation of “participant” under La. R.S. 9:2795.4 as anything other than a
    “negligent kart operator” and contends that “[a]ny other reading of the law would
    lead to an absurd consequence.”
    23-CA-17                                   4
    Defendants/Appellees argue that the district court correctly found that
    NOLA Motor Club satisfied the requirements of La. R.S. 9:2795.4 (C)(2) to make
    reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of ST to safely engage in
    karting by obtaining a parental consent form from ST's father indicating that ST's
    father was aware of the activities in which his son would be participating and that
    he believed his son was qualified to participate.
    Alternatively, even if NOLA Motor Club's reliance on the Parental Consent
    Form signed by ST's father was not reasonable and prudent, Defendants argue that
    La. R.S. 9:2795.4 does not require NOLA Motor Club, as a motorized off-road
    vehicle activity sponsor, to make efforts to determine the ability of the other
    participants, such as ST, to safely engage in the activity, but rather requires the
    activity sponsor to make reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of
    “the [injured] participant”, Mr. Marcade, to participate in the activity.
    NOLA Motor Club also contends that the district court correctly found that
    Plaintiff did not meet his burden to prove that an exception to immunity may
    apply, considering the facts of the case, and did not create a genuine issue of
    material fact as to whether NOLA Motor Club “[c]ommitted an act or omission
    that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, and
    that act or commission caused the injury.”
    LAW AND DISCUSSION
    Appellate courts review summary judgments de novo under the same criteria
    that govern the trial court's consideration of whether summary judgment is
    appropriate. Caminita for & on Behalf of Caminita v. Roman Catholic Church of
    Archdiocese of New Orleans, 20-54 (La. App. 5 Cir. 7/8/20), 
    299 So.3d 1269
    ,
    1271, citing Stogner v. Ochsner Clinic Foundation, 18-96 (La. App. 5 Cir.
    9/19/18), 
    254 So.3d 1254
    , 1257. Summary judgment shall be granted “if the
    motion, memorandum, and supporting documents show that there is no genuine
    23-CA-17                                   5
    issue as to material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of
    law.” 
    Id.
    In ruling on a motion for summary judgment, the judge's role is
    not to evaluate the weight of the evidence or to determine the truth of
    the matter, but instead to determine whether there is a genuine issue of
    triable fact. All doubts should be resolved in the non-moving party's
    favor. Hines v. Garrett, 2004-0806 (La. 6/25/04), 
    876 So.2d 764
    , 765.
    A fact is material if it potentially ensures or precludes recovery,
    affects a litigant's ultimate success, or determines the outcome of the
    legal dispute. A genuine issue is one as to which reasonable persons
    could disagree; if reasonable persons could reach only one conclusion,
    there is no need for a trial on that issue and summary judgment is
    appropriate. 
    Id.
     at 765–66.
    On motion for summary judgment, the burden of proof remains
    with the movant. However, if the moving party will not bear the
    burden of proof on the issue at trial and points out that there is an
    absence of factual support for one or more elements essential to the
    adverse party's claim, action, or defense, then the non-moving party
    must produce factual support sufficient to establish that he will be
    able to satisfy his evidentiary burden of proof at trial. If the opponent
    of the motion fails to do so, there is no genuine issue of material fact
    and summary judgment will be granted. See La. C.C.P. art. 966(D)(1);
    see also Schultz v. Guoth, 2010-0343 (La. 1/19/11), 
    57 So.3d 1002
    ,
    1006.
    When a motion for summary judgment is made and supported
    as provided in La. C.C.P. art. 967, an adverse party may not rest upon
    the mere allegations or denials of his pleadings, but his response, by
    affidavits or as otherwise provided in La. C.C.P. art. 967, must set
    forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. If he
    does not so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be
    rendered against him. La. C.C.P. art. 967(B); see also Dejoie v.
    Medley, 2008-2223 (La. 5/5/09), 
    9 So.3d 826
    , 832.
    Whether a particular fact in dispute is material can be seen only in
    light of the substantive law applicable to the case.
    Larson v. XYZ Ins. Co., 16-0745 (La. 5/3/17), 
    226 So.3d 412
    , 417. The party
    seeking immunity pursuant to statute, here NOLA Motor Club, also bears the
    burden of proving that the statutory immunity in question applies to the particular
    set of facts currently at issue. Tebault v. E. Jefferson Gen. Hosp., 18-539 (La. App.
    5 Cir. 3/25/19), 
    2019 WL 1339471
     at *2, writ denied, 19-641 (La. 6/17/19), 
    273 So.3d 1211
    . As a general rule, statutes granting immunities or advantages to a
    special class in derogation of the general rights available to tort victims must be
    23-CA-17                                   6
    strictly construed against limiting the tort claimants’ rights against the wrongdoer.
    
    Id.
    Recreational Use Statutes are in derogation of common or natural rights and,
    therefore, are to be strictly interpreted, and must not be extended beyond their
    obvious meaning. Richard v. Louisiana Newpack Shrimp Co., Inc., 11-309 (La.
    App. 5 Cir. 12/28/11), 
    82 So.3d 541
    , 546. La. R.S. 9:2795.4, titled “Limitation of
    liability; motorized off-road vehicle activities; definitions; exceptions; required
    warning” provides, in pertinent part:
    A. As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the
    following meanings, unless the context requires otherwise:
    (1) “Engages in motorized off-road vehicle activity” means
    rides or drives, or is a passenger upon a motorized off-road
    vehicle, or is a person assisting a participant or management.
    The term “engages in a motorized off-road vehicle activity”
    does not include being a spectator at a motorized off-road
    vehicle activity, except in cases where the spectator places
    himself in an unauthorized area and in immediate proximity to
    the motorized off-road vehicle activity.
    (2) “Inherent risks of motorized off-road vehicle activities”
    means those dangers or conditions which are an integral part of
    a motorized off-road vehicle activity, including but not limited
    to:
    [. . .]
    (c) Collisions with other motorized off-road vehicles or
    objects.
    (d) The potential of a participant to act in a negligent
    manner that may contribute to injury to the participant or
    others, such as failing to maintain control over the
    motorized off-road vehicle or not acting within his
    ability.
    [. . .]
    (4) “Motorized off-road vehicle activity” includes any or all of
    the following:
    (a) A motorized off-road vehicle show, race, competition,
    or performance that involves any or all motorized off-
    road vehicles, including but not limited to any dirt track,
    paved or unpaved race course, or jump.
    [. . .]
    (c) Driving, inspecting, or evaluating a motorized off-
    road vehicle belonging to another, whether or not the
    owner has received some monetary consideration or other
    23-CA-17                                   7
    thing of value for the use of the motorized off-road
    vehicle at a motorized off-road vehicle facility.
    [. . .]
    (8) “Participant” means any person, whether amateur or
    professional, who engages in a motorized off-road vehicle
    activity, whether or not a fee is paid to participate in the
    motorized off-road vehicle activity.
    B. Except as provided in Subsection C of this Section, a motorized
    off-road vehicle activity sponsor, a motorized off-road vehicle
    professional, or any other person, which shall include individuals and
    all forms of business entities, shall not be liable for an injury to or the
    death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of a motorized
    off- road vehicle activity and, except as provided in Subsection C of
    this Section, no participant or participant's representative shall make
    any claim against, maintain an action against, or recover from, a
    motorized off-road vehicle activity sponsor, a motorized off-road
    vehicle professional, or any other person for injury, loss, damage, or
    death of the participant resulting from any of the inherent risks of
    motorized off-road vehicle activities.
    C. Nothing in Subsection B of this Section shall prevent or limit the
    liability of a motorized off-road vehicle activity sponsor, a motorized
    off-road vehicle professional, or any other person if the motorized off-
    road vehicle activity sponsor, motorized off-road vehicle professional,
    or other person either:
    [. . .]
    (2) Failed to make reasonable and prudent efforts to determine
    the ability of the participant to engage safely in the motorized
    off- road vehicle activity.
    [. . .]
    (4) Committed an act or omission that constitutes willful or
    wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, and that act or
    omission caused the injury.
    [. . .]
    In the past, we have endorsed the third circuit’s explanation of “willful” and
    “wanton.”
    The terms ‘willful’, ‘wanton’, and ‘reckless' have been applied
    to that degree of fault which lies between intent to do wrong, and the
    mere reasonable risk of harm involved in ordinary negligence. These
    terms apply to conduct which is still merely negligent, rather than
    actually intended to do harm, but which is so far from a proper state of
    mind that it is treated in many respects as if harm was intended. The
    usual meaning assigned to do [sic] the terms is that the actor has
    intentionally done an act of unreasonable character in reckless
    disregard of the risk known to him, or so obvious that he must be
    taken to have been aware of it, and so great as to make it highly
    probable that harm would follow. It usually is accompanied by a
    conscious indifference to consequences, amounting almost to a
    23-CA-17                                   8
    willingness that harm should follow. See Prosser, Law of Torts,
    Section 34, at pages 187-189 (od Ed.1964).
    Adams v. Marathon Oil Co., 96-693 (La. App. 5 Cir. 1/15/97), 
    688 So.2d 75
     citing
    Cates v. Beauregard Elec. Coop., 
    316 So.2d 907
    , 916 (La. App. 3rd Cir. 1975),
    aff'd 
    328 So.2d 367
     (La. 1976), cert. denied, 
    429 U.S. 833
    , 
    97 S.Ct. 97
    , 
    50 L.Ed.2d 98
     (1976). A plaintiff must prove the misconduct:
    was committed with the state of mind that [defendant] knew the
    public safety was at risk or should have known that it was highly
    probable that harm to the public would follow as a consequence of its
    derelictions. In other words plaintiff must show that [defendant's]
    alleged acts and omissions of negligence were accompanied by a
    conscious indifference to consequences amounting almost to a
    willingness that harm to the public safety would follow.
    Adams, supra, citing Griffin v. Tenneco Oil Company, 
    531 So.2d 498
     (La. App. 4th
    Cir. 1988).
    The limitation of liability of motorized off-road vehicle activities was
    constructed from the limitation of liability of equine activity, which
    was first enacted in 1999 under La. Rev. Stat. § 9:2795.1 (1999). The
    current limitation of liability of equine activity is found under La.
    Rev. Stat. § 9:2795.3. With almost identical language to limitation of
    liability of equine activity, limitation of liability of motorized off-road
    vehicle activities was first enacted in 2003 as La. Rev. Stat. §
    9:2795.3 (2003), but moved to La. Rev. Stat. § 9:2795.4 in 2004. Due
    to the similarity of the language, and because there seem to be no
    reported state or federal cases applying La. Rev. Stat. § 9:2795.4, this
    Court looks to the limitation of liability of equine activity as stated in
    La. Rev. Stat. § 9:2795.3 to interpret the terminology found in La.
    Rev. Stat. § 9:2795.4.
    Tillman v. John Deere Constr. & Forestry Co., 21-2331, 
    2022 WL 1403356
    , at *4
    (E.D. La. May 4, 2022), n.3.
    Upon review of the record, we find that there is a genuine issue of material
    fact regarding whether NOLA Motor Club’s failure to enforce their safety policy
    regarding verification that prospective SR kart operators under the age of 15 have
    had previous karting experience was an act or omission that constitutes wanton or
    willful disregard for the safety of the participant, or whether NOLA Motor Club
    made reasonable and prudent efforts to ensure that participants could safely engage
    23-CA-17                                   9
    in the sponsored activity. Looking to the equine activity statute as the court in
    Tillman, supra did, there are at least two cases that suggest that the equine
    activity’s sponsor’s alleged failure to mitigate a horse’s pattern of unsafe behavior
    could potentially be found to be an act or omission that constitutes wanton or
    willful disregard for the safety of the participant.
    In Faul v. Trahan, 98-488 (La. App. 3 Cir. 10/7/98), 
    718 So.2d 1081
    , 1089,
    a farm employee sustained injuries when a horse “flipped” onto him as he began
    exercising it. At trial, several witnesses testified and there were conflicts in the
    evidence adduced at trial regarding whether the equine activity sponsors knew that
    the horse was a “flipper” or “had dangerous tendencies.” 
    Id.
     The Third Circuit
    opined that, in order to prove the liability of the defendants under the Equine
    Immunity Statute, the plaintiff had to show that they “acted with a reckless
    disregard for the consequences of their actions in the face of a known or obvious
    risk.” Id. at 1088-1089. Further, because the trial court’s findings in those regards
    were factual in nature and would not be disturbed in the absence of manifest error,
    the appellate court affirmed the district court’s conclusion that neither the horse’s
    trainer nor owner “acted with a reckless disregard for the consequences of their
    actions in the face of a known or obvious risk.” Id.
    In Larson, 226 So.3d at 418, the plaintiff, Danielle Larson, filed suit after
    her thumb was bitten off by a pony she was feeding at a horse farm. Larson
    testified in her deposition that she asked for permission to visit with the horses at
    the farm office. The office employee told her she could return with certain treats,
    and feed and visit with the school horses. Id. at 414. On her way to feed the horses,
    two riders advised her to be careful because they heard one of the school ponies
    had bitten a child. Id. Afterwards, when she went to feed one of the ponies a carrot,
    the pony knocked the carrot from her hand onto the floor and bit her thumb when
    they both attempted to retrieve the carrot from the floor. Id. The farm moved for
    23-CA-17                                   10
    summary judgment and argued that Larson’s suit should be dismissed because of
    the applicability of the Equine Immunity Statute. Id. at 415. The trial court granted
    summary judgment in favor of the defendants. The court of appeal reversed
    summary judgment, finding that “Larson was not a participant engaged in equine
    activity, and thus [the farm] was not afforded immunity under the statute.” Id. The
    court of appeal’s majority opinion also opined that even if Larson was a spectator
    as defined by the statute, the statute may still “provide immunity for the farm if
    Larson placed herself in an unauthorized area,” but found that there were genuine
    issues of material fact on that issue that barred summary judgment. Id. The
    Supreme Court agreed with the court of appeal regarding the “contested issues of
    material fact that make summary judgment inappropriate.” Id. at 417. In his
    concurrence, Justice Weimer noted:
    La. R.S. 9:2795.3(C)(2) provides an exemption from statutory
    immunity for the failure of an equine activity sponsor, equine
    professional, or any other person to “make reasonable and prudent
    efforts to determine the ability of the participant to engage safely in
    the equine activity and to safely manage the particular equine based
    on the participant's representations of his ability.” La. R.S.
    9:2795.3(C)(2) (emphasis added).
    Id.
    By analogy, to determine whether NOLA Motor Club’s conduct may have
    triggered exceptions to the immunity provided by La. R.S. 9:2795.4, we must
    perform the same analysis that the Faul and Larson courts undertook with regards
    to the Equine Immunity Statute. This Court must consider NOLA Motor Club’s
    knowledge of the particular risk(s) faced by the plaintiff, and whether, in response
    to those risk(s), the precautions it took were reasonable and prudent, and/or its acts
    or omissions constituted wanton and willful disregard for the participant’s safety.
    In the case sub judice, despite several accidents being caused by minors under the
    age of fifteen operating karts, there is evidence that NOLA Motor Sports did not
    advise participants or their parents of the dangers of minors under the age of fifteen
    23-CA-17                                  11
    operating the SR karts in particular, or enforce its safety policy and verify that kart
    operators under the age of fifteen had previous karting experience. NOLA Motor
    Club admitted that neither the consent forms nor their employees verify that
    minors under the age of fifteen have previous karting experience before allowing
    them to operate the faster SR karts.
    Factual findings are required to determine whether the general disclosure
    (given by the parental consent forms) of the inherent danger and risk karting posed
    was adequate; whether NOLA Motor Club “acted with a reckless disregard for the
    consequences of their actions in the face of a known or obvious risk” by failing to
    verify the SR kart operators under the age of 15 had prior karting experience (or to,
    at least, notify participants’ parents of that particular risk); and whether NOLA’s
    acts or omissions constituted “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the
    participant.”. See Faul, supra. Subjective facts call for credibility evaluations and
    the weighing of testimony and summary judgment is inappropriate for such
    determinations. Read v. Willwoods Cmty., 11-222 (La. App. 5 Cir. 2/14/12), 
    88 So.3d 534
    , 538, writ denied, 12-616 (La. 4/27/12), 
    86 So.3d 629
    . In determining
    whether an issue is genuine for purposes of a summary judgment, courts cannot
    consider the merits, make credibility determinations, evaluate testimony or weigh
    evidence. 
    Id.
    Last, we find that that the use of “participant” in La. R.S. 9:2795.4(C)(2)
    applies to both Mr. Marcade and ST. “Participant” is defined by the statute as “any
    person, whether amateur or professional, who engages in a motorized off-road
    vehicle activity, whether or not a fee is paid to participate in the motorized off-road
    vehicle activity.” (Emphasis added). Further, the activity sponsor’s duty to “make
    reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of the participant to engage
    safely in the motorized off-road vehicle activity” must necessarily encompass
    23-CA-17                                  12
    making reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of the other
    participants to safely engage in the motorized off-road vehicle activity also.
    DECREE
    Based on the foregoing, the district court ruling granting summary judgment
    to NOLA Motor Club and New York Marine and General Insurance Company is
    reversed. The matter is remanded for further proceedings.
    REVERSED; REMANDED
    23-CA-17                                  13
    SUSAN M. CHEHARDY                                                             CURTIS B. PURSELL
    CHIEF JUDGE                                                                   CLERK OF COURT
    SUSAN S. BUCHHOLZ
    FREDERICKA H. WICKER
    CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK
    JUDE G. GRAVOIS
    MARC E. JOHNSON
    ROBERT A. CHAISSON                                                            LINDA M. WISEMAN
    STEPHEN J. WINDHORST
    FIRST DEPUTY CLERK
    JOHN J. MOLAISON, JR.
    SCOTT U. SCHLEGEL                             FIFTH CIRCUIT
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    NOTICE OF JUDGMENT AND CERTIFICATE OF DELIVERY
    I CERTIFY THAT A COPY OF THE OPINION IN THE BELOW-NUMBERED MATTER HAS BEEN DELIVERED
    IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIFORM RULES - COURT OF APPEAL, RULE 2-16.4 AND 2-16.5 THIS DAY
    OCTOBER 4, 2023 TO THE TRIAL JUDGE, CLERK OF COURT, COUNSEL OF RECORD AND ALL PARTIES
    NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL, AS LISTED BELOW:
    23-CA-17
    E-NOTIFIED
    24TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT (CLERK)
    HONORABLE STEPHEN C. GREFER (DISTRICT JUDGE)
    CHARLES M. THOMAS (APPELLANT)          LEANDRO R. AREA (APPELLANT)     STEPHEN M. HUBER (APPELLANT)
    JAMES H. GILBERT (APPELLEE)            MARK C. DODART (APPELLEE)
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Document Info

Docket Number: 23-CA-17

Judges: Stephen C. Grefer

Filed Date: 10/4/2023

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 10/21/2024