Lorenz v. Wolff

173 N.W.2d 129, 45 Wis. 2d 407, 1970 Wisc. LEXIS 1129
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 9, 1970
Docket102
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 173 N.W.2d 129 (Lorenz v. Wolff) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lorenz v. Wolff, 173 N.W.2d 129, 45 Wis. 2d 407, 1970 Wisc. LEXIS 1129 (Wis. 1970).

Opinions

Heffernan, J.

The basic question, of course, is whether the aneurysm was caused by the accident, or to state it alternatively whether a pre-existing aneurysm was aggravated by the accident. There was evidence by competent medical witnesses whose opinion it was that the [412]*412aneurysm and the subsequent disability were the result of the automobile accident injury. Other physicians expressed the contrary opinion.

Dr. Merrick, in a letter which was placed in evidence, concluded sometime prior to trial that the aneurysm was not caused by the trauma, inasmuch as he believed that severe manifestations would have developed within a very short time of the accident had such been the case. It was his opinion that almost all aneurysms were the result of congenital conditions which resulted in improper development of the arteries. Subsequently, on trial, however, a hypothetical question was posed to Dr. Merrick. In addition to the information which Dr. Merrick originally had, the hypothetical question placed in evidence additional facts which were not at Dr. Merrick’s disposal when he gave his original opinion in the letter. This evidence consisted of testimony by Lorenz and others that he suffered severe headaches from the time of the accident until the severe seizure on April 25th and that he did have a period of temporary blindness within a few days of the accident.

At least five other witnesses, some of whom were Lorenz’s fellow workmen, testified that Lorenz had complained of a “terrible headache.” One of the witnesses, who came upon the scene of the accident, saw Lorenz at a nearby store and stated that Lorenz complained he had an “awful headache.”

After being apprised of this additional history, Dr. Merrick stated, “to a reasonable medical probability,” that the headaches were related to the aneurysm and that the aneurysm was enlarged as a result of the accident of January 14th.

Dr. Edward A. Post, in response to a hypothetical question containing the same information, concluded that the accident of January 14th started the chain of events which weakened the wall of the aneurysm, caused the headaches, and caused the difficulty which became acute in April, 1963.

[413]*413Dr. Abraham Falk testified that the trauma of the accident caused the aneurysm, or caused the aneurysm previously present to increase in size, and that the aggravated condition of the aneurysm caused the partial paralysis and blindness.

While there is some discrepancy of opinion in the testimony of all plaintiff’s medical experts in respect to whether or not the aneurysm was probably present before the accident, all agreed that the enlarged condition of the aneurysm, which resulted in blindness and paralysis, was caused by the accident.

The defense called medical witnesses who testified that in their treatment of Oliver Lorenz, both before and after the accident, he did not evince symptoms that they would have attributed to an aneurysm.

One of these physicians stated that the plaintiff had originally complained to him of pain in his lower back and neck, but he did not complain of headaches.

Another physician called by the defense testified that as early as 1961 Lorenz had seen him complaining of severe headaches, but that when he had seen him on February 9,1963, he complained about a pain in his neck and upper back. He diagnosed Lorenz’s problem at that time as being a “muscular ligamentous strain of the cervical thoracic spine.”

Under these circumstances, it is clear that there was evidence from which a jury could have concluded that the aneurysm or aggravation of that condition was caused by the accident and resulted in the partial blindness and partial paralysis. On the other hand, there was some testimony from which the jury could have concluded that the aggravation of the aneurysm and the manifestations of blindness and paralysis were coincidental and not related to the accident. The fact of the matter is that plaintiff’s witnesses were of the opinion to the required degree of medical certainty that the disability was the result of the accident, while defendants’ witnesses merely disavowed any knowledge that there was evidence of [414]*414an aneurysm or disability therefrom prior to the April 25th seizure. Under ordinary circumstances we would therefore conclude, although plaintiff’s evidence seems more convincing, that since there was credible evidence to support the jury’s verdict, this court will not set aside that verdict in the interest of justice.

We conclude, however, from a review of the transcript, that certain conduct during the course of trial may have so prejudiced the jury that it failed to impartially and unprejudicedly evaluate the truth and veracity of Oliver Lorenz.

The principal contention of the plaintiff is that defense counsel indulged in improper and prejudicial questioning and argument, the purpose of which was to undermine the credibility of Lorenz’s testimony and in fact unfairly did so.

Sec. 251.09, Stats., provides:

“251.09 Discretionary reversal. In any action or proceeding brought to the supreme court by appeal or writ of error, if it shall appear to that court from the record, that the real controversy has not been fully tried, or that it is probable that justice has for any reason miscarried, the supreme court may in its discretion reverse the judgment or order appealed from, regardless of the question whether proper motions, objections, or exceptions appear in the record or not ... as shall be deemed necessary to accomplish the ends of justice.”

We have frequently said that reliance upon sec. 251.09, Stats., is discretionary with this court and before it will exercise its discretion:

. . it must be convinced that there has been a miscarriage of justice. This means [in the mine-run case] the evidence and the law must be such that the plaintiff probably should have won and should therefore be given another chance.” Savina v. Wisconsin Gas Co. (1967), 36 Wis. 2d 694, 704, 154 N. W. 2d 237.

While such is the usual rule, this court in its discretion is not necessarily confined to such a mechanistic formula for the determination of whether justice has miscarried. [415]*415The statute cited above provides, in addition, that there may be a discretionary reversal when it is “probable that justice has for any reason miscarried.”

On the basis of the facts as set forth hereinabove, it is apparent that we cannot say, using the mechanistic rule of Savina, that on a retrial the plaintiff would probably win. The causal relationship between the accident and the blindness and paralysis is hotly disputed, and it is one upon which reasonable juries, under the state of the evidence of record, might have come to different conclusions. We are concerned, however, that in the totality of the circumstances of the case the evidence may not have been fairly weighed.

The essence of the plaintiff’s case was that he had been injured in the automobile accident; that he had almost immediately thereafter sustained the onset of severe headaches; that he had a period of temporary blindness; that this condition culminated in the severe intracranial accident on April 25th; and that he has been permanently disabled thereafter.

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Bluebook (online)
173 N.W.2d 129, 45 Wis. 2d 407, 1970 Wisc. LEXIS 1129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lorenz-v-wolff-wis-1970.