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192 So. 2d 193

Levy v. State

Louisiana Court of Appeal

Decided January 20, 1967

Louisiana Court of Appeal · decided 1967-01-20

Cited by 15 later decisions (1 by the Supreme Court) — most recently January 1974

14 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“The Exception of No Right or Cause of Action”

quoted by 1 later decision, including 261 So. 2d 320 - Rogers v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co.

Relies on Lynch v. Knoop · Board of Com'rs v. CITY OF NEW ORLEANS EX REL. PUBLIC BELT R. COMMISSION · Youchican v. Texas & P. Ry. Co.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1967-01-20

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Thelma LEVY, in Her Capacity as Administratrix of the Succession of Louise Levy, and as the Tutrix of and on Behalf of the Minor Children of Louise Levy, Said Children Being: Ronald Bell, Regina Levy, Cecelia Levy, Linda Levy and Austin Levy,
v.
The STATE of Louisiana Through the CHARITY HOSPITAL OF LOUISIANA AT NEW ORLEANS BOARD OF ADMINISTRATORS and W. J. Wing, M.D. and A. B. C. Insurance Companies.

No. 2355.

¶1Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

November 7, 1966.
Rehearing Denied December 5, 1966.
Writ Refused January 20, 1967.

¶2*194 Porteous & Johnson, William A. Porteous, III, New Orleans, for W. J. Wing, M.D., and Interstate Fire and Casualty Co., defendants and appellees.

¶3Dorothy Wolbrette, Asst. Atty. Gen., for State of Louisiana, defendant-appellee.

¶4Ingard O. Johannesen, New Orleans, for Charity Hospital, defendant-appellee.

¶5Levy, Smith & Ford, Adolph J. Levy, New Orleans, for plaintiff-appellant.

¶6Before YARRUT, SAMUEL and CHASEZ, JJ.

¶7YARRUT, Judge.

¶8This is an appeal from a judgment maintaining exceptions of no right or cause of action to a suit filed on behalf of minor children for the wrongful death of their mother.

¶9The children are admittedly illegitimate and have never been legitimated.

¶10Plaintiff-Appellant, on behalf of the children, contends that the denial of this right to illegitimate children solely because of their status is, as to them, a denial of due *195 process and equal protection under law under both the Louisiana and United States Constitutions (La.Const., Article 1, Section 2; U.S.Const. 5th and 14th Amendments), and because it bears no real or substantial relation to the general health, morals, or welfare of the people, citing Reynolds v. Louisiana Board of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 249 La. 127, 185 So.2d 794.

¶11The case of Reynolds v. Louisiana Board of Alcoholic Beverage Control, cited supra, was based on the fact that the statute bore no substantial relation to the general health, morals, or general welfare of the people. Denying illegitimate children the right to recover in such a case is actually based on morals and general welfare because it discourages bringing children into the world out of wedlock.

¶12The action for wrongful death is purely statutory in Louisiana, being found in Article 2315 of the Revised Civil Code of Louisiana.

¶13Our jurisprudence is well established that "child" means legitimate child, and that recovery is denied both to illegitimate and putative children for the wrongful death of a parent. Board of Com'rs v. City of New Orleans, 223 La. 199, 65 So.2d 313; Sesostris Youchican v. Texas & P. Ry. Co., 147 La. 1080, 86 So. 551; Jackson v. Lindlom, La.App., 84 So.2d 101; see also Chivers v. Couch Motor Lines, Inc., La.App., 159 So.2d 544; Scott v. La Fontaine, La.App., 148 So.2d 780; Buie v. Hester, La.App., 147 So.2d 733; 14 Tul.L. Rev. 613.

¶14That an illegitimate child was dependent upon the deceased parent for support makes no difference. Board of Com'rs v. City of New Orleans, supra.

¶15Mere acknowledgment will not serve to cure a defect in legitimacy. Lynch v. Knoop, 118 La. 611, 43 So. 252, 8 L.R.A., N.S., 480; Scott v. La Fontaine, supra.

¶16Since there is no discrimination in the denial of the right of illegitimate children to recover based on race, color, or creed, we can find no basis for the contention of unconstitutionality, and can find no jurisprudence of our courts to such effect. The judgment appealed from is affirmed; Appellant to pay all costs of this appeal.

¶17Judgment affirmed.

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