Doucet v. Citgo Petroleum Corp.

Full title: Albert DOUCET, Jr., et al. v. CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION, et al.

Court: Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

Date published: Nov 28, 2018

259 So. 3d 1081 (La. Ct. App. 2018)

Opinion

CA 18-179, CA 18-169

11-28-2018

Albert DOUCET, Jr., et al. v. CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION, et al.

Robert E. Landry, Patrick D. Gallaugher, Kevin P. Fontenot, Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, Lake Charles, LA 70601, (337) 433-9436, COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT: Citgo Petroleum Corporation Craig Isenberg, Kyle W. Siegel, Joshua O. Cox, Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, LLC, 909 Poydras, 24Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112, (504) 589-9700, COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT APPELLANT: Citgo Petroleum Corporation Wells T. Watson Jake, D. Buford, Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan, P. O. Drawer 7820, Lake Charles, LA 70606-7820, (337) 478-8888, COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS-APPELLEES: Albert Doucet, Jr., Debra McZeal, Tommy Mumford, John D. Smith Richard Elliott Wilson, Somer G. Brown, Cox, Cox, Filo, Camel & Wilson, LLC, 723 Broad Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601, (337) 436-6611, COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS-APPELLEES: Albert Doucet, Jr., Debra McZeal, Tommy Mumford, John D. Smith

COOKS, Judge.

Robert E. Landry, Patrick D. Gallaugher, Kevin P. Fontenot, Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, Lake Charles, LA 70601, (337) 433-9436, COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT: Citgo Petroleum Corporation

Craig Isenberg, Kyle W. Siegel, Joshua O. Cox, Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, LLC, 909 Poydras, 24^th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112, (504) 589-9700, COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT APPELLANT: Citgo Petroleum Corporation

Wells T. Watson Jake, D. Buford, Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan, P. O. Drawer 7820, Lake Charles, LA 70606-7820, (337) 478-8888, COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS-APPELLEES: Albert Doucet, Jr., Debra McZeal, Tommy Mumford, John D. Smith

Richard Elliott Wilson, Somer G. Brown, Cox, Cox, Filo, Camel & Wilson, LLC, 723 Broad Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601, (337) 436-6611, COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS-APPELLEES: Albert Doucet, Jr., Debra McZeal, Tommy Mumford, John D. Smith

Court composed of Sylvia R. Cooks, John D. Saunders, and Elizabeth A. Pickett, Judges.

COOKS, Judge.

For the reasons assigned by this court in Bowling v. CITGO Petroleum Corp. , 18-169 (La.App. 3 Cir. __/__/__), ––– So.3d ––––, the portion of the trial court's judgment awarding Albert Doucet, Jr., Debra Ann McZeal, Tommy Mumford and John Smith damages for the fear of developing future disease is reversed. We also reverse the trial court's finding that Tommy Mumford and John Smith were exposed to slop oil, as the evidence only showed they were exposed to the air release. In all other respects the judgment of the trial court as to these plaintiffs is affirmed.

AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, AND RENDERED.

Pickett, J., concurs in part and dissents in part for the reasons assigned in 18-169, Bowling v. CITGO Petroleum Corp.