Koger v. Adcock

25 So. 3d 1105, 2010 Miss. App. LEXIS 21, 2010 WL 93102
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJanuary 12, 2010
DocketNo. 2008-CA-01187-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 25 So. 3d 1105 (Koger v. Adcock) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Koger v. Adcock, 25 So. 3d 1105, 2010 Miss. App. LEXIS 21, 2010 WL 93102 (Mich. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

CARLTON, J.,

for the Court.

¶ 1. On January 27, 2004, Donald Koger filed a complaint in the Hinds County Circuit Court against Austin Adcock, alleging negligence and gross negligence stemming from a June 3, 2002, automobile accident. After a two-day trial, the jury returned a [1106]*1106verdict in favor of Adcock. The trial court denied Roger’s post-trial motions, and he perfected the instant appeal.

FACTS

¶2. On the morning of June 3, 2002, Roger was driving his car north on Terry Road in Jackson, Mississippi. Roger’s wife, Patricia Roger (Patricia), rode in the front passenger seat. At the intersection of Terry Road and Highway 80, Roger’s vehicle collided with a truck driven by Adcock. The collision caused Adcock’s truck to flip, but neither Adcock nor his passenger, Brad Blackwell, suffered any injuries as a result of the accident. According to Roger and another witness, Ad-cock caused the accident by proceeding through the intersection despite having the red light.

¶ 3. Officer Melvin Bender, a patrolman for the Jackson Police Department, testified at the trial that police dispatchers sent him to the scene of the accident. Officer Bender interviewed the parties and other witnesses to the accident and wrote the accident report. According to Officer Bender, Adcock stated that he had attempted to stop at the intersection, but his car would not stop. Adcock told Officer Bender that his brakes had failed. Officer Bender testified that Brenda McCabe, who had witnessed the accident and remained at the scene, stated that she saw Adcock’s brake lights flash, as if he had pumped his brakes before proceeding into the intersection. Officer Bender testified that both McCabe and Adcock stated that Adcock’s traffic signal was red when Adcock entered the intersection. Officer Bender stated in his testimony that, based on the statements of Adcock and McCabe, he possessed no doubt that Adcock ran the red light.

¶ 4. Roger called Adcock as an adverse witness. Adcock testified at trial that as he approached the intersection of Highway 80 and Terry Road, the traffic light turned from green to yellow. Adcock stated that he approached the intersection traveling at approximately 40 miles per hour. He applied his brakes, but they failed to slow down his truck. He testified that he then downshifted to second gear in another attempt to reduce his speed and stop his truck. Adcock testified that the last time he saw the traffic light, he saw a yellow light. Further, Adcock denied noticing any problems with his brakes at any point prior to the accident. Lastly, Adcock testified that he first saw Roger’s vehicle when Roger’s vehicle hit his truck. However, Adcock admitted, during his testimony, that he had stated in his deposition that upon entering the intersection, he swerved to the right in an effort to avoid the collision with Roger.

¶ 5. Roger next called McCabe, who witnessed the accident. McCabe testified that she was traveling west on Highway 80, behind Adcock’s truck, just before the accident occurred. McCabe saw the traffic light turn yellow. She testified that Ad-cock seemed to be trying to stop his truck. Adcock failed to stop his truck, and the light turned red before he entered the intersection. McCabe testified that cars occupied the left-hand turn lane, so she could not see Roger’s vehicle until it collided with Adcock’s truck. Further, McCabe testified that she checked on Adcock and his passenger and Roger and his wife after the accident. She asked Roger if he or his wife had suffered any injuries, and Roger indicated that they had not.

¶ 6. Roger called Adcock’s father, Eugene Adcock (Eugene), as an adverse witness. Eugene testified that Adcock and his passenger, Blackwell, left Eugene’s office in Pearl to perform some work for his business in the McDowell Road area of Jackson. Shortly after the men left, Eu[1107]*1107gene received a call that they were involved in an accident. Eugene drove to the accident site. Eugene testified that he received no complaints before the accident regarding the truck’s brakes needing repair. He testified that Adcock told him the brakes seemed “spongy” when he applied them just before the accident. Eugene checked the brakes at some point after the accident. He testified that they seemed “spongy,” but they probably would have stopped the car. Further, Eugene testified that he spoke with Koger and Roger’s wife at the scene of the accident, and Koger indicated to him that they had not received any injuries as a result of the accident. According to Eugene, Koger told him that his back hurt, but it was not because of the accident.

¶ 7. Koger called Adcock’s passenger, Blackwell, to testify. Blackwell testified that he fell asleep in the truck as soon as they left Eugene’s office. He woke up when Adcock screamed, “They’re going to hit us!” He testified that he remembered Adcock swerving to the right just before the collision.

¶ 8. Patricia occupied the front passenger seat of Roger’s vehicle at the time of the collision. Patricia testified that she and Koger stopped at the intersection of Terry Road and Highway 80 when the traffic signal was red. The traffic signal turned green, and Koger proceeded into the intersection. Patricia looked up and saw Adcock’s truck headed toward their car, traveling at approximately 40 to 45 miles per hour. Koger stepped on his brakes, but he could not avoid the collision. Patricia testified that immediately after the accident, Koger told her his back “hurt, it burned, it was stinging.” Patricia testified that Koger declined treatment by medical personnel at the scene of the accident because of his concern for her. Patricia had recently undergone back surgery and, as a result, wore a heavy brace. Koger was driving her to a follow-up appointment with her physician when the accident occurred.

¶ 9. Koger testified that as he and Patricia approached the intersection of Terry Road and Highway 80, the traffic signal turned red. He stopped the car and waited for the signal to turn green. When the signal turned green, Koger glanced to his left and right and noticed that cars had stopped in the Highway 80 turn lanes. Those vehicles prevented Koger from being able to see all lanes of traffic on Highway 80. After checking for on-coming traffic, Koger proceeded through the intersection. Koger testified that as he accelerated through the intersection, he saw some movement “out of the corner of [his] eye.” When he looked up, he saw Adcock’s truck moving toward the intersection. Koger testified that he could tell by the truck’s speed that Adcock would not be able to stop before the intersection. Koger applied his brakes and braced himself for the collision.

¶ 10. Koger testified that he estimated Adcock’s speed just before the collision to be approximately 40 to 45 miles per hour. Koger estimated his own speed at approximately 10 to 15 miles per hour. Koger testified that after the impact, he immediately felt a “burning pain” in his back. Koger testified that following the collision, his primary concern was for Patricia’s welfare because of her recent back surgery. When Patricia asked Koger how he felt after the accident, he told her about the pain in his back. Koger chose not to ride in the ambulance for medical treatment following the collision because, as he asserts, he was focused on Patricia’s well-being. Rather than proceed to Patricia’s appointment, Koger and Patricia returned home and called Patricia’s doctor to schedule an appointment for the following day. [1108]

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Bluebook (online)
25 So. 3d 1105, 2010 Miss. App. LEXIS 21, 2010 WL 93102, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/koger-v-adcock-missctapp-2010.