Adkins v. Burris Mill & Feed, Inc.

644 So. 2d 839, 1994 WL 546220
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 7, 1994
Docket93 CA 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 644 So. 2d 839 (Adkins v. Burris Mill & Feed, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adkins v. Burris Mill & Feed, Inc., 644 So. 2d 839, 1994 WL 546220 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

644 So.2d 839 (1994)

Dr. Jerry R. ADKINS
v.
BURRIS MILL & FEED, INC., and David H. Burris.

No. 93 CA 1908.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

October 7, 1994.
Writ Denied January 6, 1995.

*840 Stacey Moak, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellant-appellee.

Michael A. McGlone and Bryan C. Misshore, New Orleans, for defendant-appellee-appellant.

Before LOTTINGER, C.J., and SHORTESS and CARTER, JJ.

SHORTESS, Judge.

Jerry R. Adkins (plaintiff) owned a thoroughbred racehorse farm in Loranger, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, known as Camelot Farm. During the last week of 1989, eleven of plaintiff's sixty-five horses died of leukoencephalomalacia (leuko), a disease caused by ingestion of a toxin, fumonisin B-1, found in *841 moldy corn. Plaintiff purchased feed containing corn, which the horses ate prior to their deaths, from Burris Mill and Feed, Inc. Laboratory tests showed the feed contained the toxin.

Plaintiff sued Burris Mill and Feed, Inc., its owner, David H. Burris (collectively, Burris), and their alleged insurer, The Travelers Insurance Company (Travelers). Burris filed a cross-claim against Continental Grain Company, Inc. (Continental), which sold it the corn used in the feed.[1] Plaintiff then joined Continental as an additional defendant.

Plaintiff settled with Burris and Travelers before trial. Burris prosecuted its cross-claim at trial, seeking to recover the $50,000.00 it paid to plaintiff in settlement. The jury was presented with two sets of interrogatories, one as to plaintiff's claims and another as to Burris's claims. As to plaintiff's claims, the jury found that Continental was a manufacturer, that corn has a characteristic which causes it to be unreasonably dangerous as horse feed, that the conduct of plaintiff and/or his farm manager caused or contributed to the death of the horses, and that Continental's conduct did not damage plaintiff. As to Burris's claim, the jury found Continental was a manufacturer, that corn has a characteristic which causes it to be unreasonably dangerous as horse feed, that Continental failed to adequately warn Burris of this dangerous characteristic, that Continental did not guarantee the fitness of its corn for use in the manufacture of horse feed, that the corn purchased by Burris did not contain a redhibitory defect, that the conduct of plaintiff, Burris, and Continental contributed to the death of the horses in the percentages of 10%, 75%, and 15%, respectively, and that Continental had not damaged Burris. The jury awarded no damages to either plaintiff or Burris.

The trial court entered judgment in accordance with the jury verdict, dismissing the claims of plaintiff and Burris. The court withheld assessment of costs until after a rule to tax costs. Plaintiff then filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV), or additur, or partial new trial. Burris also moved for JNOV or, in the alternative, new trial. Plaintiff also filed a motion for the trial court to fix the amount of sanctions previously awarded to him and Burris on a discovery motion. Continental filed a motion to tax costs.

In written reasons the trial court fixed the amount of sanctions against Continental in favor of plaintiff in the sum of $4,735.43 and in favor of Burris in the sum of $4,056.16. It fixed court costs at $3,469.15 without specifying against whom they were to be assessed. The court denied plaintiff's motion for JNOV, additur, or new trial, but granted Burris's motion for JNOV, awarding it 15% of the amount it paid plaintiff in settlement, plus attorney fees.

Continental, apparently assuming the assessment of court costs was in its favor since it was the prevailing party, filed a motion for reconsideration of the amount of costs, complaining that the court failed to include $1,200.00 which it paid as jury costs. In a "Final Judgment," the court denied the motion for reconsideration and taxed Continental with all costs.

Continental settled with Burris following the "Final Judgment." Plaintiff appealed, contending that the trial court erred in failing to grant his motion for JNOV, and that the jury erred in failing to award him damages and in finding his fault contributed to the death of the horses. Continental answered the appeal, contending that the jury erred in finding it was a manufacturer, and that the trial court erred in failing to tax costs to plaintiff, including the $1,200.00 in jury fees, and in awarding sanctions to plaintiff on the pretrial discovery motion.

SANCTIONS ON DISCOVERY MOTION

Continental contends the trial court erred in awarding sanctions against it in connection with corporate depositions, and, alternatively, that the sanctions awarded were excessive. However, Continental failed to order a transcription of the hearing and, thus, there is nothing in the record for us to review. It was Continental's responsibility *842 to ensure a complete record on the issues it appealed. We must presume the trial court's ruling was correct if an inadequate record is transmitted. Ronald Adams, Contractor, Inc. v. State, 464 So.2d 1003, 1004 (La.App. 1st Cir.1985). Thus, this assignment of error is without merit.

PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR JNOV

The jury, in answer to special interrogatories, found that Continental was a manufacturer and that corn has a characteristic which causes it to be unreasonably dangerous as a feed for horses. However, it answered "no" to the question "Do you find that Continental Grain Company's conduct has damaged Dr. Jerry R. Adkins?" Plaintiff contends this is an inconsistent verdict.

In denying plaintiff's motion for JNOV, the trial court stated: "The Court believes that the jury felt that Dr. Adkins had been adequately compensated for his horses [by his settlement with Burris]. The Court find[s] that the jury made an error but the result was correct." Later in its written reasons, in addressing Burris's motion for JNOV (which it granted), the court stated:

The jury's answers to the interrogatories indicate to the court that the jury became confused by the testimony that Dr. Adkins had already received $82,000.00 from Burris and its insurance company. The jury answered the interrogatories inconsistently finding that Dr. Adkins suffered no loss as a result of the death of eleven thoroughbreds. Reasonable men could not reach such a conclusion.

When the trial court, after considering all of the evidence in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, finds the evidence points so strongly and overwhelmingly in favor of the moving party that reasonable persons could not arrive at a contrary verdict, the motion for JNOV should be granted. Anderson v. New Orleans Public Service, 583 So.2d 829 (La. 1991); Barnes v. Thames, 578 So.2d 1155 (La.App. 1st Cir.), writ denied, 577 So.2d 1009 (La.1991). Having found that the jurors answered the interrogatories inconsistently and that reasonable jurors could not conclude plaintiff suffered no damage as a result of the death of his horses, the trial court committed legal error in denying plaintiff's motion for JNOV.

IS CONTINENTAL A MANUFACTURER?

Continental contends that the jury was clearly wrong in finding it was a manufacturer and, thus, that it is not liable to plaintiff for the death of his horses. The jury's factual determination that Continental is a manufacturer can be reversed only if it is manifestly erroneous. If there are two permissible views of the evidence, the fact finder's choice between them cannot be manifestly erroneous or clearly wrong. Stobart v.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Louisiana Farms v. LA. Dept. of Wildlife
685 So. 2d 1086 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1996)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
644 So. 2d 839, 1994 WL 546220, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adkins-v-burris-mill-feed-inc-lactapp-1994.