Fisher v. Clarkson

613 So. 2d 299, 1993 La. App. LEXIS 89, 1993 WL 15673
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 22, 1993
DocketNo. 91-1197
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 613 So. 2d 299 (Fisher v. Clarkson) 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
Fisher v. Clarkson, 613 So. 2d 299, 1993 La. App. LEXIS 89, 1993 WL 15673 (La. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinions

SAUNDERS, Judge.

This is an appeal brought by Robert Clarkson; his employer, Huey Smith, d/b/a Party Ice; and its insurer, Guaranty National Insurance Company, defendants-appellants herein, from the trial court’s judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV), which overturned a 9 to 3 jury verdict. The jury found that Clarkson was not at fault in causing the accident between himself and Loumeida Fisher1, plaintiff-appellant herein, which took place on May 21, 1990. The JNOV found both Fisher and Clarkson 50% at fault in causing the accident.

Clarkson appeals, contending that the trial court erred in granting the JNOV. Additionally, Fisher, by separate appeal, contends that the trial court erred in finding her 50% at fault in causing the accident. Finally, Fisher requests an increase in her damages for future loss of wages and general pain and suffering.

We find that the trial court was correct in granting the Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict and affirm said judgment.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

The issue in this case is whether or not the trial court erred in granting a JNOV. Additionally, the Fishers, plaintiffs-appellants, contend that the trial court erred in its percentages of fault assigned to each party and that the damages awarded Loumeida Fisher were inadequate.

FACTS

This action arose as a result of an automobile/18-wheeler truck accident which occurred on May 21, 1990, on Highway 84, at its intersection with the driveway of the Super Value Grocery Store in Jonesville, Louisiana. Robert Clarkson, an employee of Party Ice, was making his daily delivery route delivering ice to various retail establishments from Alexandria to Monroe. Clarkson delivered ice to the Super Value store in Jonesville and thereafter continued on his delivery route traveling down the driveway of Super Value to its intersection with Highway 84, where he stopped his vehicle in order to determine if it was safe to enter the roadway. Clarkson's next delivery was east in the town of Jonesville, requiring him to make a right-hand turn on Highway 84, heading in an easterly direction.

Clarkson testified that before beginning his turn, he observed one car heading east in the right lane toward Jonesville and another car in a driveway some one hundred fifty yards to the west about to enter Highway 84. He allowed the first car to pass in front of him before entering the roadway in an easterly direction. When he had completed approximately three-quarters of his turn onto Highway 84, a passenger vehicle attempted to pass him and cut sharply in front of his 18-wheeler, hitting his front tire and bumper and careening into a ditch, eventually resting in a parking lot on the right side or southern side of Highway 84. As the passenger vehicle collided into his front fender, Clarkson noticed a car to the east heading toward the 18-wheeler in the distance.

Under Fisher’s version of the facts, subsequent to her turn onto Highway 84 from Fritz Street, approximately one hundred fifty yards to the west of defendant, defendant’s 18-wheeler pulled onto the highway into her path, causing her to veer to the left and collide with the truck.

[301]*301Loumeida Fisher, the operator of the passing vehicle, was injured in the accident and filed suit against Clarkson, his employer, and his employer’s insurer. The matter was tried before a jury on May 13, 1991, at which time the jury found that Clarkson was not at fault in causing the accident. The Fishers filed a motion for a JNOV, which was granted by the trial court, overturning the jury verdict and assessing fault at 50% against both Clarkson and Fisher. Additionally, the judgment of the trial court awarded damages in favor of the Fishers. Both the Fishers and Clarkson, Smith, and Guaranty National Ins. Co. appeal from the JNOV.

DISCUSSION

La.C.C.P. art. 1811 allows a judge, under limited circumstances, to set aside a jury verdict. The standard of proof by which a trial judge determines the propriety of a motion for JNOV under art. 1811 has been set forth by this Court in Campbell v. Mouton, 373 So.2d 237, 239 (La.App. 3d Cir.1979), on appeal after remand, 412 So.2d 191 (La.App. 3d Cir.1982), writ denied 415 So.2d 954 (La.1982), which quoted the following language of the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal in Boeing v. Shipman, 411 F.2d 365 (5th Cir.1969), as follows:

On motions for directed verdict and for judgment notwithstanding the verdict the Court should consider all of the evidence — not just that evidence which supports the non-mover’s case — but in the light and with all reasonable inferences most favorable to the party opposed to the motion. If the facts and inferences point so strongly and overwhelmingly in favor of one party that the Court believes that reasonable men could not arrive at a contrary verdict, granting of the motions is proper. On the other hand, if there is substantial evidence opposed to the motions, that is, evidence of such quality and weight that reasonable and fair-minded men in the exercise of impartial judgment might reach different conclusions, the motions should be denied, and the case submitted to the jury.

Likewise, in Silliker v. St. Landry Police Jury, 520 So.2d 880 (La.App. 3d Cir.1987), at page 884, this Court, in reviewing the grant of a JNOV, stated as follows:

“In applying this standard, the court cannot weigh the evidence, pass on the credibility of the witnesses, or substitute its judgment of the facts for that of the jury. Blum v. New Orleans Public Service, Inc., 469 So.2d 1117 (La.App. 4th Cir.1985), writ denied, 472 So.2d 921 (La.1985); Alumbaugh v. Montgomery Ward & Company, Inc., 492 So.2d 545 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1986), writ denied, 495 So.2d 304 (La.1986); Rougeau v. Commercial Union Insurance Co., 432 So.2d 1162 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1983), writ denied, 437 So.2d 1149 (La.1983); Campbell, supra.
Although the trial judge’s discretion is limited in applying this standard, in cases where virtually no factual dispute exists and no credibility determinations by the fact-finder are required, questions of existence of a duty, violation of that duty by the defendant, and assumption of the risk or contributory negligence by the plaintiff are legal questions, and within the province of the judge to decide. Rawls v. Damare, 377 So.2d 1376 (La.App. 4th Cir.1979), writ denied, 380 So.2d 72 (La.1980); Rougeau, supra.”

In this case, the critical issue for the jury to decide was whether or not Clarkson, the truck driver, entered the roadway and preempted the intersection prior to Fisher’s vehicle entering Highway 84 from Fritz Street. The jury was presented with two conflicting versions of the facts, one from the defendant, two eyewitnesses and his expert, and another from the plaintiff, a police officer, and her expert.

We must determine whether the trial court applied the proper standard in granting a Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict and whether, under that standard, the jury’s finding that Fisher was solely at fault, was so unreasonable that a Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict was warranted.

The trial court, at the outset, in his oral reasons for judgment, stated:

[302]*302“JUDGE: Alright.

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613 So. 2d 299, 1993 La. App. LEXIS 89, 1993 WL 15673, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fisher-v-clarkson-lactapp-1993.