Hillman v. COMM-CARE, INC.
Decision Date | 21 March 2001 |
Docket Number | No. 00-1048.,00-1048. |
Citation | 782 So.2d 1147 |
Parties | Donna HILLMAN v. COMM-CARE, INC., COMMUNITY CARE CENTER OF LEESVILLE. |
Court | Court of Appeal of Louisiana — District of US |
George Arthur Flournoy, Flournoy, Doggett & Losavio, Alexandria, LA, Counsel for Donna Hillman.
James Aristide Holmes, New Orleans, LA, Counsel for Comm-Care, Inc.
Court composed of YELVERTON, THIBODEAUX, DECUIR, AMY, and GREMILLION, Judges.
This is the second time that this case has been before us involving the issue of whether Donna Hillman, a beautician at Comm-Care Inc., Community Care Center of Leesville (the nursing home), was an employee and therefore covered for workers' compensation benefits. On August 6, 1996, she injured her back while lifting a patient from a wheelchair to the shampoo chair in the nursing home's beauty salon. She was temporarily, totally disabled for several months. Her injury and the amount of benefits are not disputed.
Ms. Hillman filed a workers' compensation claim against the nursing home on August 4, 1997. The nursing home denied that there was an employer/employee relationship. Its position then was based primarily upon an earlier decision of this court in Boswell v. Kurthwood Manor Nursing Home, 94-703 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/7/94); 647 So.2d 630, writ denied,95-0050 (La.3/17/95); 651 So.2d 267. Ms. Boswell was a hair dresser for Kurthwood Manor Nursing Home when she was injured in 1991. Kurthwood was the predecessor of Comm-Care, Inc., which occupies the same facility. We found Ms. Boswell was not an employee.
Relying on Boswell, the successor nursing home filed a motion for summary judgment asserting that Ms. Hillman was not an employee and therefore not entitled to workers' compensation benefits. The Office of Workers' Compensation granted summary judgment in favor of the nursing home finding that Ms. Hillman was not an employee of the facility when she was injured in 1996. Ms. Hillman appealed, and in Hillman v. Comm-Care, Inc., 98-1341 (La.App. 3 Cir. 5/19/99); 732 So.2d 841, this court reviewed the summary judgment evidence de novo. Discussing the summary judgment evidence and finding the case to be "clearly distinguishable from Boswell," 732 So.2d at 845, the five-judge panel reversed. This court held that the trial judge erred in making a legal determination that no employer/employee relationship existed. On remand and after a trial, a different trial judge found that Ms. Hillman was an employee of the nursing home entitling her to workers' compensation benefits and awarded her $10,000 in attorney's fees.
The appeal of that ruling is now before us. The nursing home assigns two errors: (1) the finding that Ms. Hillman was an employee, and (2) the award of attorney's fees and legal interest.
On remand at the trial on the merits, Ms. Hillman put on the evidence that she had introduced at the summary judgment hearing, together with additional evidence. She testified that she interviewed with Mr. William Lang, the administrator, for the position. Ms. Gaynell Ford, the activities coordinator for the nursing home, corroborated this, saying she had introduced Ms. Hillman to Mr. Lang. Ms. Ford also testified that Mr. Lang dismissed Ms. Hillman's predecessor after a short and unsatisfactory tenure. Mr. Lang could not recall the lady he had dismissed, but he did not dispute Ms. Ford.
Ms. Hillman testified, and her testimony was supported by that of Gloria York, another cosmetologist who worked at the nursing home after Ms. Hillman. Ms. Hillman testified that at the initial interview, Mr. Lang had told her there was a price list on the mirror of the beauty shop, stating what she could charge and there was another list posted stating what "we could do and what we couldn't do." Both lists were put in evidence. The second list, with the heading "Beauty & Barber Shop Rules," listed 13 rules. Those rules gave detailed instructions for Ms. Hillman to follow concerning maintenance of the shop and equipment, sweeping the floors, and the care and sanitation of counters, mirrors, sinks, chairs, combs, brushes, clippers, scissors, and razors. One of the rules required that she notify the nursing department of any infection, abrasion, or infestation observed on a resident.
There was further testimony that when Ms. Hillman arrived for work at 8:00 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, working days, and the door to the beauty shop was unlocked for her, there was a list on the door put there by the nurses that told her what residents would be coming in and what she was supposed to do for them. The list included the "perms," the people in the Alzheimers ward, those in the skilled care unit, and the paraplegics— those she would have to go and take care of in their rooms. In those situations, the nurses would go with her and stay with her until she was done. If the resident was "not competent" the nurses would tell her how to cut the resident's hair.
She was not allowed to accept tips. She was on call for emergencies and was expected to be there when called for funerals or weddings. Nobody else performed beautician's services besides her while she was there. She was required to complete the list on her door before she could leave. Often she worked through the lunch hour to accomplish this.
At the hearing on the motion for summary judgment, the evidence for the nursing home came in by way of affidavits executed by nursing home personnel, and Ms. Hillman's deposition. At the trial on the merits, the testimony for the nursing home came in through Sheila Stomps, a nursing home employee, Mr. Lang, and the cross-examination of Ms. Hillman. Ms. Stomps testified that the nursing home did not pay Ms. Hillman, she was not on the payroll, no social security was withheld, no income taxes were withheld, and no insurance or medical benefits were paid to her.
Our careful examination of the record reveals that no additional evidence was offered by the nursing home at the trial on the merits beyond what had been submitted with the motion for summary judgment. The nursing home relied at the trial on the merits on the same substantive evidence it had presented at the hearing on the motion for summary judgment. At oral argument the nursing home candidly agreed that that was so. The evidence introduced at the trial on the merits added nothing substantial beyond its offerings on the motion for summary judgment.
After considering this evidence, and guided by our remand opinion, the trial court, finding in favor of Ms. Hillman, gave the following reasons for judgment:
To continue reading
Request your trial-
Hillman v. Comm-Care, Inc.
...additional evidence produced by Ms. Hillman at the trial on the merits," a divided appellate court affirmed. 00-1048 (La.App. 3d Cir.3/21/01), 782 So.2d 1147 ("Hillman II"). Once again, the same two judges voiced a vigorous dissent, opining that Hillman was not an employee of Comm-Care. On ......
-
St. Agnes Health/Rehabilitation Center v. Ledet
... ... specification or assignment of error which has not been briefed." See Southern General Agency, Inc. v. Safeway Ins. Co. of Louisiana, 99-1892 (La.App. 3 Cir. 6/7/00); 769 So.2d 606, writ denied, ... ...