C.D.W. Services, Llc v. New Bridge Partners, Llc C/w C.D.W. Services, Llc Vs. New Bridge Partners, Llc

Supreme Court of Louisiana
May 20, 2025
Chief Deputy Clerk of Court
For the Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana
C.D.W. SERVICES, LLC VS. NEW BRIDGE
PARTNERS, LLC
C/W
C.D.W. SERVICES, LLC VS. NEW BRIDGE
PARTNERS, LLC
No. 2025-C-00202
_ _
_ _ _ _
I
N RE: New Bridge Partners, LLC - Applicant Defendant; Applying For Writ Of
Certiorari, Parish of Orleans Civil, Civil District Court Number(s) 2017-06082 c/w
2017-06121, Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, Number(s) 2024-CA-0081 c/w 2024-
CA-0082;
_ _ _ _ _ _
May 20, 2025
Writ application granted. See per curiam.
JMG
JLW
JDH
WJC
JBM
PDG
CRC
05/20/2025 "See News Release 024 for any Concurrences and/or Dissents."

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SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA
No. 2025-C-00202
C.D.W. SERVICES, LLC
VS.
NEW BRIDGE PARTNERS, LLC
C/W
C.D.W. SERVICES, LLC
VS.
NEW BRIDGE PARTNERS, LLC
On Writ of Certiorari to the Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit,
Parish of Orleans Civil
PER CURIAM
This case involves cross claims for breach of a contract between New Bridge
Partners, LLC (New Bridge) and CDW Services (CD W). The jury found New
Bridge did not breach any contractual obligations owed to CDW, but CDW breached
contractual obligations owed to New Bridge. The jury was instructed, “Please
provide the amount of money that would fairly and reasonably compensate [New
Bridge] for any damages it incurred resulting from the breach by CDW.” The jury
awarded $290,000.
After making those determinations, t he jury was instructed to quantify the
percentage of fault of CDW, New Bridge, three named individuals , and “others,”
which the jury did, assigning 29% fault to New Bridge . The trial court rendered
judgment in favor of New Bridge for $290,000, reducing the award by 38% , the
percentage of fault allotted to CDW. Finding the verdict ambiguous, the court of
appeal vacated the trial court’s judgment and remanded for a new trial. C.D.W.
Services, LLC v. New Bridge Partners, LLC, 2024-0081 (La. App. 4 Cir. 11/12/24),
___ So. 3d ___ (2024 WL 5086306).

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We find no ambiguity in either the jury determination that CDW breached the
contract or the award of $290,000 to fairly and reasonably compensate New Bridge.
An obligor is liable for the damages cause d by its failure to perform its contractual
obligations. La. Civ. Code art. 1994. CDW and New Bridge were the only parties
to the contract. CDW was the only party who breached the contract. The trial court
erred in instructing the jury relative to comparative fault, leading the jury to err by
apportioning fault. The trial court again erred by reducing the damages. However,
we find the jury’s intentions sufficiently clear relative to the breach of contract and
damages caused by the breach to conclude that the legal errors did not interdict the
fact-finding process. Neither remand for new trial nor de novo review is necessary.
The errors are properly remedied by amending the trial court judgment to reflect the
jury’s answer to the special interrogatory expressly stating the amount of damages
that will compensate New Bridge for CDW’s breach of contract. See La. Code Civ.
P. art. 1916.
The writ is granted and the judgment of the court of appeal is reversed. The
trial court judgment is amended to render judgment in favor of New Bridge Partners,
LLC, and against CDW Services, LLC, in the amount of $290,000. As amended,
the trial court judgment is affirmed.
WRIT GRANTED; COURT OF APPEAL JUDGMENT REVERSED;
TRIAL COURT JUDGMENT AMENDED AND AFFIRMED.