Booth v. Hackney

516 P.2d 180, 1973 Wyo. LEXIS 189
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 29, 1973
Docket4244
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 516 P.2d 180 (Booth v. Hackney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Booth v. Hackney, 516 P.2d 180, 1973 Wyo. LEXIS 189 (Wyo. 1973).

Opinions

Justice McINTYRE

delivered the opinion of the court.

This case arises out of an automobile-motorcycle accident which occurred July 1, 1971 on a highway north of Basin, Wyoming. It is admitted that Dr. Frederick Pierce Booth, a dentist, was driving a pickup truck which collided with a motorcycle, causing the death of John Randy Barnett and another youth, both of whom were on the motorcycle.

In a suit for damages, brought by the administrator of the Barnett estate,1 the defendant, Dr. Booth, admitted liability. The issue with respect to the amount of damages was tried before a jury of 12. The jury assessed damages in the total sum of $105,000. Booth has appealed.

Although counsel for appellant has listed in his brief seven points as issues on appeal, he has indicated in oral argument that he confines the argument on appeal to two categories, i. e., (1) whether the verdict was excessive; and (2) whether there was prejudicial error in trial procedures. In order to be sure we have not neglected a consideration of all assignments of error relied on by appellant, we think we should mention and give some consideration to each of the issues on appeal listed in appellant’s brief.

1. Is the verdict contrary to law? The only argument made on behalf of appellant in suggesting that the verdict is contrary to law is that there was no evidence of earnings of decedent (a 20-year-old boy) being applied to the survivors and no showing of projected earnings from which the jury could base any future loss to survivors. Thus, according to the argument, the only elements left for consideration by the jury were the elements of care, comfort, society and advice, together with funeral expenses.

Statutory authority, at the time of trial, for the jury to compensate for funeral expenses and for loss of the comfort, care, advice and society of the decedent, was contained in § 1-1066, W.S.1957. There is no merit in the contention that the jury’s verdict was contrary to law.

2. Is the verdict excessive? It is settled law in this state that, before a verdict of a jury will be set aside as excessive, it must appear to be so excessive as to denote passion, prejudice, bias, or some erroneous basis. Holly Sugar Corporation v. Perez, Wyo., 508 P.2d 595, 601; Hack v. Pickrell, Wyo., 515 P.2d 134 (handed down 10/25/73); State Highway Commission v. Peters, Wyo., 416 P.2d 390, 391; Pan American Corporation v. Like, Wyo., 381 P.2d 70, 76.

Booth’s attorney has made no effort to suggest or prove that passion or prejudice or bias was actually present with the jury or any of its members. Apparently it is [182]*182not claimed the amount awarded is excessive in dollars. It is argued that, since the entire award is for filial loss, it “may have been given under the influence of passion and prejudice.”

Also, it is argued that the jury could have been led into an excessive verdict by various improper questions propounded by plaintiff’s attorney. In this conection, counsel for the appellant accuses plaintiff’s attorney of intentionally injecting into the case questions designed to create a passion and prejudice against the defendant on the issue of damages.

This kind of general accusation on the part of one attorney against the opposing attorney leaves the appellate court in a difficult position. According to appellant, “The direct error in this case is the composite effect of the presentation, not only an error came about, but one which was deliberately planned to be effective. It had to be. Thus any verdict whatsoever rendered by this jury is excessive and rendered under the influence of passion and prejudice.”

It goes without saying that we are not bound by the opinions and conclusions of the defendant’s attorney. The matter is clearly such that it should have been timely presented to the trial court for a decision and for such corrective measure or measures as the court would have deemed necessary upon proper request.

We can understand and deal with an assignment of error which says the trial court erred when it overruled an objection to certain testimony. However, if the appellant is not specific as to what his assignment of error is, and merely makes a blanket accusation of improprieties against opposing counsel, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for the appellate court to know what error, if any, was committed by the trial court.

Our attention is not directed to any particular objection made during the course of trial where proper corrective measures were not immediately taken by the trial judge when requested. The matter was amply discussed in Ford Motor Company v. Arguello, Wyo., 382 P.2d 886, 892.

3. Were there trial errors; and was Instruction 11 wrong? Under point 3 of appellant’s brief it is suggested there was error of law occurring at the trial; and also that the court erred in giving Instruction 11. It does not appear appellant has attached great importance to his suggestion that errors at law occurred in the conduct of the trial. All of the alleged errors have to do with the admission of evidence when plaintiff was attempting to prove damages resulting from the loss of care, comfort, advice, and society.

We have reviewed all of the alleged errors and are convinced there was no material or prejudicial error in any of the court’s rulings. In particular, even if we assume without so deciding that the trial court was wrong in connection with any of the rulings complained of, there has been no showing of prejudice to the defendant.

Liability on the part of defendant was admitted and appellant has failed to show how any of the rulings complained of could have caused an excessive verdict or one greater than otherwise would have been expected. No matters of great importance are involved and it does not appear likely that the jury’s verdict was substantially influenced by any of the testimony involved.

Regarding Instruction 11, the objection thereto is that it is a repetition of a portion of Instruction 3, overemphasizes the admission of negligence on the part of defendant, and over influences the jury with respect to damages. Throughout the trial the jury was very much aware that Booth had admitted negligence and liability and that the only question for the jury was the amount of damages. We find nothing in Instruction 11 which was likely to cause the jury to award more damages than it would have without the instruction. There is no reason to believe the instruction emphasized the defendant’s admission of liability in such a manner as to increase the award of damages.

[183]*183Prejudice is never presumed; and the burden is on the appealing litigant to establish prejudicial error. Robertson v. State Highway Commission, Wyo., 450 P. 2d 1003, 1005. Here, appellant has done nothing more than to suggest a very remote possibility of prejudice. He has totally failed to meet the burden of showing that prejudice actually occurred.

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

Related

Larsen v. Banner Health System
2003 WY 167 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2003)
Gayler v. State
957 P.2d 855 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1998)
Melehes v. Wilson
774 P.2d 573 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1989)
Butler v. Halstead by and Through Colley
770 P.2d 698 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1989)
Union Pacific Railroad v. Richards
702 P.2d 1272 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1985)
Petro-Chem, Inc. v. A.E. Staley Manufacturing Co.
686 P.2d 589 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1984)
Canyon View Ranch v. Basin Electric Power Corp.
628 P.2d 530 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1981)
Settle v. State
619 P.2d 387 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1980)
Reynolds v. Tice
595 P.2d 1318 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1979)
Combined Insurance Co. of America v. Sinclair
584 P.2d 1034 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1978)
Chrysler Corp. v. Todorovich
580 P.2d 1123 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1978)
Town of Jackson v. Shaw
569 P.2d 1246 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1977)
Northern Supply Co. v. Town of Greybull
560 P.2d 1172 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1977)
Gallup v. State
559 P.2d 1024 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1977)
Roberts Construction Company v. Vondriska
547 P.2d 1171 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1976)
Petsch v. Florom
538 P.2d 1011 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1975)
Pure Gas & Chemical Company v. Cook
526 P.2d 986 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1974)
Booth v. Hackney
516 P.2d 180 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
516 P.2d 180, 1973 Wyo. LEXIS 189, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/booth-v-hackney-wyo-1973.