Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040 (5th Cir. 1977). · Go Syfert
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Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040 (5th Cir. 1977). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
20 citation events (6 in the last 25 years) across 2 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Kathleen Werner v. Dept of Homeland Security (ca5, 2011-09-15)
Treatment trajectory · 1977 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1977 2001 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 10 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Kathleen Werner v. Dept of Homeland Security
5th Cir. · 2011 · confidence medium
Thus, we may treat the district court’s ruling as a grant of summary judgment in favor of the Department.4 We review a grant of summary judgment using the same standard of review as the district court.5 A court “shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.”6 An issue as to a material fact is genuine “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.”7 In our review, we consider all evidence “in the light most favorable …
cited Cited as authority (rule) McIntosh v. Partridge
5th Cir. · 2008 · confidence medium
Carpenters Local Union No. 1816 v. Pratt-Farnsworth, Inc., 690 F.2d 489 , 500 (5th Cir.1982); Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040, 1041 (5th Cir.1977).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Julius John Boudeloche v. Grow Chemical Coatings Corp., Etc., and Brown & Root, Inc.
5th Cir. · 1984 · confidence medium
Fed.R.Civ.P. 56; Exxon Corp. v. Maryland Casualty Co., 599 F.2d 659, 661 (5th Cir.1979); Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040, 1041 (5th Cir. 1977).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Sarah Duplantis, Cross-Appellees v. Zigler Shipyards, Inc., Triangle Shifting and Fleeting, Inc., Cross-Claimant-Appellee Cross-Appellant
5th Cir. · 1982 · confidence medium
In Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040, 1041-42 (5th Cir. 1977) (per curiam), cert. denied, 435 U.S. 934 , 98 S.Ct. 1510 , 55 L.Ed.2d 532 (1978), the court intimated, without deciding, that the regulation applied to the vessel owner.
cited Cited "see" Marvin Brown v. Brad Livingston
5th Cir. · 2013 · signal: see · confidence high
See Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040, 1041 (5th Cir. 1977).
cited Cited "see" Brown v. Livingston
5th Cir. · 2013 · signal: see · confidence high
See Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040, 1041 (5th Cir.1977).
discussed Cited "see" Werner v. Department of Homeland Security
5th Cir. · 2011 · signal: see · confidence high
See Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040, 1041 (5th Cir.1977) (noting that when a trial court considers evidence beyond the pleading in a motion to dismiss, the grant of that motion is to be treated as summary judgment under Fed.
discussed Cited "see" Jones v. Tidewater Marine LLC
5th Cir. · 2008 · signal: see · confidence high
See Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040, 1041 (5th Cir.1977) (noting that when a district court, in ruling on a motion to dismiss, considers information outside the pleadings, the grant of the motion to dismiss is to be treated as summary judgment under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56). *648 II We review a grant of summary judgment de novo, applying the same standard as that applied by the district court.
cited Cited "see" Maurice Winkler v. County of Dekalb, Etc.
5th Cir. · 1981 · signal: see · confidence high
See Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040, 1041 (5th Cir. 1977), cert. denied, 435 U.S. 934 , 98 S.Ct. 1510 , 55 L.Ed.2d 532 (1978).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Savoy v. United States
E.D. La. · 1978 · signal: see also · confidence low
See Hess v. Upper Mississippi Towing Corp., 559 F.2d 1030 (5th Cir. 1977), cert, denied, 435 U.S. 924 , 98 S.Ct. 1489 , 55 L.Ed.2d 518 (1978); see also Bossard v. Exxon Corp., 559 F.2d 1040 (5th Cir. 1977).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Ella Weese Watson Bossard, Individually and as Administratrix of the Estate of Donald Bossard, and Genieveve Bossard and Bertha Lee Bossard
v.
Exxon Corporation, Lamar Labauve, Tom Wolfe, Joseph Labauve, and Delta Laboratories
76-1364.
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Sep 23, 1977.
559 F.2d 1040
Published

559 F.2d 1040

Ella Weese Watson BOSSARD, Individually and as
Administratrix of the Estate of Donald Bossard,
and Genieveve Bossard and Bertha Lee
Bossard, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
EXXON CORPORATION, Defendant-Appellee,
Lamar Labauve, Tom Wolfe, Joseph Labauve, and Delta
Laboratories, Defendants.

No. 76-1364.

United States Court of Appeals,
Fifth Circuit.

Sept. 23, 1977.

John F. McKay, Baton Rouge, La., for plaintiffs-appellants.

E. Burt Harris, John F. Reid, New Orleans, La., for Exxon.

Andrew J. Bennett, Jr., Baton Rouge, La., for Delta Lab., et al.

David W. Robinson, Baton Rouge, La., for Fidelity & Casualty Co.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

Before GEWIN, RONEY and HILL, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

[*~1040]1

The plaintiffs' decedent worked for an independent contractor, Port Allen Marine, employed by defendants to clean a barge of petroleum fumes and residue. In 1975 he was asphyxiated while working inside a barge tank. Plaintiffs sued defendants for negligence under the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, 33 U.S.C.A. § 905(b) (Supp.1977). The trial court dismissed the complaint on motion, basing its ruling on the similarity between this case and Hess v. Upper Mississippi Towing Corp., Civ.No. 74-115 (M.D.La. October 21, 1975), in which defendants prevailed on a directed verdict. The appeals were argued together. We affirm the dismissal of this case largely on the basis of our reasoning in affirming Hess, 559 F.2d 1030 (5th Cir. 1977). See also Parson v. Amerada Hess Corp., 422 F.2d 610 (10th Cir. 1970); Cf. Uglem v. Foss Launch & Tug Co., 541 F.2d 1378 (9th Cir. 1976) (no seaworthiness recovery).

2

This appeal raises certain questions not presented in Hess. First, the plaintiffs argue dismissal under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) was improper, because they stated a claim upon which relief could be granted. The argument misstates the nature of the district court's decision. Both the language of the rule and the law of this Circuit indicate that when a trial court takes into consideration depositions and other information outside the pleadings, as was done here, the grant of a motion to dismiss is to be treated as summary judgment under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56. Herron v. Herron, 255 F.2d 589 (5th Cir. 1958). See Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1366 & n.67 (1971). Plaintiffs have not demonstrated any prejudice or lack of notice sufficient to establish an exception. Consequently the case does not turn on the failure to state a claim, but on whether the plaintiffs have produced a material issue of fact which, if proved, would entitle them to relief as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56.

3

Part IV of the Hess opinion deals with the shipowner's liability for open and obvious dangers on board the vessel. The gas in the tank which asphyxiated the plaintiffs' decedent was such a danger. It was one of the conditions that Port Allen Marine was hired to correct. While, under Restatement (Second) of Torts §§ 343, 343A (1965), as interpreted in Gay v. Ocean Transport & Trading Ltd., 546 F.2d 1233 (5th Cir. 1977), the shipowner is potentially liable for injuries caused by such dangers if the danger cannot be appreciated by invitees or cannot be avoided, neither circumstance applies to this case. Port Allen Marine and Bossard knew of the danger. See Gulf Oil Corp. v. Bivins, 276 F.2d 753, 756-758 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 364 U.S. 835, 81 S.Ct. 70, 5 L.Ed.2d 61 (1960).

4

The plaintiffs assert a ground for liability not mentioned in Hess. They allege the defendants breached two sets of federal regulations, so that a material issue of fact with respect to their negligence exists. Neither set of regulations, however, applies to the facts of this case. The Coast Guard regulations, 46 C.F.R. 35.01-1 (1976), pertain to precautions taken when riveting or welding a barge tank and do not apply to cleaning. The safety and health regulations for longshoremen, 29 C.F.R. 1915.11-12 (1976), impose duties on Port Allen Marine, but not on the shipowner. Brown v. Mitsubishi Shintaku Ginko, 550 F.2d 331 (5th Cir. 1977); see generally 90 Harv.L.Rev. 1041 (1977).

[*~1041]5

AFFIRMED.