In re Cambell

577 S.W.3d 293
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 28, 2019
DocketNO. 14-18-01016-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 577 S.W.3d 293 (In re Cambell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Cambell, 577 S.W.3d 293 (Tex. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

Kem Thompson Frost, Chief Justice *296In this original proceeding, relator Christian Cambell, seeks a writ of mandamus ordering the respondent, the Honorable John Ellisor, to vacate his order granting a new trial. We conditionally grant the writ.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The underlying case arises from a vehicle-bicycle accident. The cyclist, plaintiff/real party-in-interest John Colwell, was riding his bicycle eastbound on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. He crossed into the intersection at 31st Street, and the vehicle driven by defendant/relator Christian Cambell collided with the cyclist and his bicycle.

The cyclist sued the driver. In the jury trial that followed, the trial court issued a charge, asking the jury in Question 1 if the negligence, if any, of the driver or the cyclist proximately caused the occurrence. After having certain testimony about the accident read back to them, the jury answered "Yes" as to both the driver and the cyclist. In response to Question 2, predicated on two "yes" responses for Question 1, the jury assigned a percentage of responsibility to the driver and cyclist, finding the driver 17% responsible and the cyclist 83% responsible.

The cyclist filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict ("JNOV"), in which he discussed the evidence and contended there was no evidence to support the jury's answer to Question 1 that he was negligent. Like the cyclist, in responding, the driver detailed the evidence. The driver also noted the trial court must have believed there was some evidence of the cyclist's negligence because the trial court submitted that issue to the jury.

The trial court held a hearing on the JNOV motion. At the hearing, both parties discussed the evidence in detail, just as they had done in the briefing. The driver also pointed out the jury deliberated for six hours. The trial court said it would take the matter under advisement. The record does not contain a written ruling on the JNOV motion; rather, the trial court implicitly denied the motion by signing a judgment on the verdict.

The cyclist filed a motion for new trial. Unlike his detailed JNOV motion, the motion for new trial was skeletal, stating in its entirety: "The jury's verdict as to contributory negligence and as to comparative responsibility are against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. Accordingly, Plaintiff moves the Court to grant a new trial." Construed broadly, the motion challenges the factual sufficiency of the evidence to support the answers to both Question 1 ("contributory negligence") and Question 2 ("comparative responsibility"). The driver responded by incorporating his JNOV response. It appears the trial court held no hearing on the motion for new trial.

The trial court signed an order granting the cyclist's motion for new trial, stating in relevant part:

... [T]he Court, having considered the following uncontroverted facts adduced at trial [sic]:
1. Defendant [the driver] was stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of 31st St. and Seawall Blvd. just prior to the collision and saw Plaintiff [the cyclist]
*297on his bicycle on the sidewalk approaching the crosswalk from Defendant's right;
2. The Defendant then looked to his left and then proceeded through the crosswalk onto Seawall Blvd., striking the Plaintiff who was directly in front of Defendant in or near the middle of the crosswalk; and
3. There was a lack of evidence of careless or otherwise improper conduct on the part of the Plaintiff as he approached and entered the crosswalk.
It is the considered opinion of the Court that the combination of these facts and lack of evidence undermines the jury's finding of 83% comparative responsibility on the Plaintiff and 17% on the Defendant, making the finding against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence and requiring the granting of a new trial ...

In numbered statements 1 and 2 the trial court summarizes certain evidence. Numbered statement 3 concerns the plaintiff/cyclist's negligence (or lack thereof), and therefore refers to the jury's answer to Question 1 that the plaintiff/cyclist's negligence proximately caused the occurrence. The unnumbered statements in the final paragraph concern the division of responsibility, and therefore refer to the jury's answer to Question 2 that the defendant/driver was 17% responsible and the plaintiff/cyclist was 83% responsible.

II. PETITION FOR MANDAMUS AND RESPONSE

In his petition for writ of mandamus, the driver contends the trial court abused its discretion in signing the new-trial order because the jury's findings of 83% responsibility for the cyclist and 17% responsibility for the driver do not go against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. He asserts the trial court in its order incorrectly adopts the cyclist's view of the evidence as "uncontroverted facts." At this court's request, the cyclist responded to the driver's petition for mandamus relief.

III. MANDAMUS STANDARD

To obtain mandamus relief, a relator generally must show both that the trial court clearly abused its discretion and that the relator lacks an adequate remedy at law, such as an appeal. In re Prudential Ins. Co. of Am. , 148 S.W.3d 124, 135-36 (Tex. 2004) (orig. proceeding). A trial court clearly abuses its discretion if it reaches a decision so arbitrary and unreasonable as to amount to a clear and prejudicial error of law or if it clearly fails to analyze the law correctly or apply the law correctly to the facts. In re Cerberus Capital Mgmt. L.P. , 164 S.W.3d 379, 382 (Tex. 2005) (orig. proceeding) (per curiam). "In determining whether the trial court abused its discretion with respect to resolution of factual matters, we may not substitute our judgment for that of the trial court and may not disturb the trial court's decision unless it is shown to be arbitrary and unreasonable." In re Sanders , 153 S.W.3d 54, 56 (Tex. 2004) (orig. proceeding) (per curiam). In other words, under an abuse-of-discretion standard, we defer to the trial court's factual determinations if the evidence supports them, but we review the trial court's legal determinations de novo. In re Labatt Food Serv., L.P. , 279 S.W.3d 640, 643 (Tex. 2009) (orig. proceeding).

IV. ANALYSIS

A. Mandamus Review of Orders Granting New Trials

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Bluebook (online)
577 S.W.3d 293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-cambell-texapp-2019.