Newman v. Simmons

466 S.W.2d 506, 62 Tenn. App. 610, 1970 Tenn. App. LEXIS 289
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedSeptember 10, 1970
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 466 S.W.2d 506 (Newman v. Simmons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Newman v. Simmons, 466 S.W.2d 506, 62 Tenn. App. 610, 1970 Tenn. App. LEXIS 289 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

OPINION

PURYEAR, Judge.

For convenience in writing this opinion we will refer to the parties as plaintiff and defendants, as they were designated in the trial Court. The suit arose out of a highway accident in which the plaintiff’s husband, Henry C. Newman, was killed and plaintiff brings this suit for her own use and benefit as surviving widow of the said Henry C. Newman.

The decedent, who was a 73 year old semi-retired farmer, was operating a farm tractor, pulling a farm wagon loaded with lumber, when the wagon was struck from the rear by a truck being driven by the defendant, John H. Simmons, as agent of Middle Tennessee Foods, Inc., and G. & W. Food Products of Ohio. Another defendant, Midwest Pizza Company, was also sued but a verdict was directed in favor of that particular defendant and judgment rendered on that verdict has become final and therefore, Midwest Pizza Company is not involved in this appeal.

The case was tried before the Circuit Judge and a jury and at the conclusion of all of the evidence, the trial Court directed a verdict in favor of plaintiff against the defendants, John H. Simmons and Middle Tennessee Foods, Inc., for compensatory damages; directed a verdict in favor of the defendant Midwest Pizza Company, on the question of liability, submitted the case to the jury on the issue of punitive damages, directed the jury to determine the amount of compensatory damages to be awarded, and also the amount of punitive damages, if any punitive damages should be awarded.

After argument of counsel and charge of the Court, the jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against the defendants, John H. Simmons, Middle Tennessee Foods, Inc., and G. & W. Food Products of Ohio, fixed plaintiff’s compensatory damages at $65,000.00, but awarded no punitive damages.

A motion for new trial was filed by the three defendants, who are the appellants here, upon consideration of which motion the trial Judge suggested a remittitur of $15,000.00, which was accepted under protest by plaintiff, and the motion for a new trial was overruled.

From the trial Court’s judgment overruling their motion for a new trial, the defendants, John H. Simmons, Middle Tennessee Foods, Inc., and G. & W. Food Products of Ohio, have appealed and filed six assignments of error.

The plaintiff, Mrs. Newman, has also appealed from the trial Court’s action in suggesting a remittitur of $15,000.00, which she accepted under protest, and has perfected an appeal with a single assignment of error in which she assails the action of [508]*508the trial Court in suggesting such remit-titur.

We will not discuss the assignments in the order in which they have been arranged by counsel. In their sixth assignment the defendants, John H. Simmons and Middle Tennessee Foods, Inc., insist it was error for the trial Court to direct a verdict against them on the issue of liability for compensatory damages.

In considering this assignment we are, of course, bound by the rule that where there is a dispute as to any material evidence or any legal doubt as to the conclusions to be drawn from the whole evidence, on the issues to be tried, there can be no constitutional exercise of power to direct a verdict. Nelson v. Rural Educational Association (1939), 23 Tenn.App. 409, 134 S.W.2d 181; General Motors Corp. v. Dodson (1960), 47 Tenn.App. 438, 338 S.W.2d 655; Poole v. Bank (1940), 29 Tenn.App. 327, 196 S.W.2d 563 and many other cases.

At the time the accident occurred, the decedent was operating a farm tractor on U. S. Highway 41A, proceeding in a southerly direction toward Nashville and he was pulling a farm wagon loaded with lumber. The defendant, John H. Simmons, was driving an International ton and a half or two ton refrigerated truck also proceeding in a southerly direction toward Nashville on U. S. Highway 41A.

There were only two eye witnesses to the accident, one of whom was the defendant, Simmons, and the other was a Mrs. Frances Jackson. Simmons testified as follows:

“Q. As you approached the scene where this accident happened, can you describe the type of roadway it was ?
A. Well, I was coming up a slight grade around a slight curve and after you bypass the curve, it is a fairly straight shot. As far as distance of the straight shot, I really don’t know.
Q. This was a segment of highway where there are two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, I take it?
A. That is right.
Q. Was there any traffic ahead of you?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What was the traffic? Was it heavy ?
A. If I am not mistaken, there were two or three cars. I know there were two.
Q. I hand you two color photos, and ask you if you will look at those, please, sir. Now as I understand it, you were going in a southerly direction toward Nashville, is that right?
A. That is right.
Q. Do those two pictures fairly represent the curve that you negotiated before you arrived at the scene of the accident ?
A. Yes, it does.
* * * * * *
“Q. About what speed were you going at that time?
A. Between 45 and 50 miles an hour.
Q. Were you going faster or slower than other traffic, or about the same?
A. About like the other traffic.
Q. As you were going around that curve approaching the area where the accident took place, would you describe the markings on the road itself?
A. Well, there’s a yellow line going down through there.
Q. Mr. Simmons, tell us in your own words what happened as you approached the accident scene?
A. As I approached the accident scene, as I said, I was going approximately 45 or 50 miles an hour and I was behind two or three cars. I saw the car in front of me all at once swerve. Well, when this car swerved — then, out there was the tractor and trailer, wagon, whichever one you want to call it. With no more time [509]*509than I had, I tried to apply my brakes and make the turn at the same time and, when I did, I do not know for sure whether he was hauling lumber or not, but it looked like to me it was. I hit the left rear wheel, of the wagon with the right front of the truck.” (B. of E. Vol. IV, pp. 502, 503, 504.)

Mrs. Jackson described the accident as follows:

“Q. And were you going the same direction the truck was?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you follow on along behind the truck ?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Now tell us what happened?
A. Well, all at once something flew up in front of the truck.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
466 S.W.2d 506, 62 Tenn. App. 610, 1970 Tenn. App. LEXIS 289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/newman-v-simmons-tennctapp-1970.