Sanders v. Mincey

879 S.W.2d 398, 317 Ark. 398, 1994 Ark. LEXIS 397
Supreme Court of Arkansas·Decided June 27, 1994·No. 93-1399·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Steele Hays, Justice.

Appellant Marvella Sanders brought this action against Ms. Nancy Mincey for damages arising out of an automobile accident. After a jury verdict for the plaintiff the trial court granted a motion by Ms. Mincey for judgment n.o.v. On appeal we find the trial court erred in setting aside the jury verdict.

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on March 25, 1992 Ms. Marvella Sanders was travelling north on State Highway 5 in Baxter County, Arkansas. It had been misting that morning, and there was a heavy fog. As she entered a curve in front of the residence of Ms. Mincey, Ms. Sanders observed three white guinea hens on the highway. Ms. Sanders applied her brakes at approximately the same time as the first guinea hen struck the grill of her Blazer. As her vehicle began skidding, Ms. Sanders felt the impact of the second guinea hen and lost control of her vehicle. Ms. Sanders’ vehicle crossed the center line and collided with an on-coming vehicle.

Ms. Sanders brought suit alleging that Ms. Mincey was negligent in failing to keep her guinea hens off the highway. The jury returned a ten-person majority verdict in favor of Ms. Sanders in the amount of $35,000. In granting the judgment n.o.v. the trial court found: (1) there was no proof showing Ms. Mincey knew her guineas were ever on the highway in front of her house; (2) there was no proof that Ms. Mincey should have known the guineas would get on the highway; and, (3) there was no proof that Ms. Mincey knew or should have known guineas posed a likely danger of injury or damage to others. In addition, the trial court concluded the verdict was clearly contrary to the evidence and conditionally granted Ms. Mincey’s motion for new trial should judgment for Ms. Mincey be reversed on appeal. Ms. Sanders appeals from that order.

In reviewing the granting of a judgment n.o.v., as with a directed verdict, we will affirm only if there is no substantial evidence to support the jury verdict. Yielding v. Chrysler Motor Co., 301 Ark. 271, 783 S.W.2d 353 (1990). We review the evidence and any reasonable inferences deducible therefrom in the light most favorable to the party against whom the judgment n.o.v. was entered. Id. Substantial evidence must be of sufficient force and character to compel a conclusion one way or another; it must force or induce the mind to pass beyond suspicion or conjecture. Id.

Pursuant to AMI Civil 3rd. 1601 (1989), the jury was instructed as follows: “A person having custody of guineas has a duty to use ordinary care to keep her animals from running at large, when she knows or reasonably should know that such animals are likely to cause injury or damage to others.” The trial court found there was no proof that Ms. Mincey knew or should have known her guineas were ever on the highway in front of her house and there was no proof that Ms. Mincey knew or should have known guineas posed a likely danger of injury or damage to others. ''

The evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to Ms. Sanders, is as follows: Ms. Mincey testified she owned ten guineas on March 25, 1992. She stated the guineas had not been kept in a pen or enclosure since November or December of 1991. Ms. Mincey’s horse had damaged the chicken roost in which the guineas were kept. Ms. Mincey testified she attempted to catch the guineas; however, the chicken roost was never repaired. She stated the guineas left the premises and she considered them wild.

Although Ms. Mincey considered the guineas wild, she testified “I saw them from time to time on our property, but for three to four days at a time not on our property.” In addition, she testified “[t]hey would just maybe walk across the property through the horse pasture and then I would always see them head toward the back, the rear of the property.” Mr. Don Callentine, a neighbor of Ms. Mincey’s, testified he had observed guineas roosting in the trees on and off Ms. Mincey’s property. Further, Mr. Jim Shaw testified he had seen guineas in the highway in front of Ms. Mincey’s house prior to the accident.

There was no proof that Ms. Mincey knew the guineas had been in the road; however, we find that allowing the guineas to run at large raised a reasonable likelihood of injury under common law. In Bolstad v. Pergeson, 305 Ark. 163, 806 S.W.2d 377 (1991), the Bolstads’ dog crashed into the plaintiff’s vehicle while the dog was chasing a squirrel. In affirming the judgment in favor of the plaintiff, we noted that it is not necessary to foresee a particular injury, but only to foresee that the general act or omission is likely to cause injury. We emphasized that, although the dog had not exhibited a penchant for crashing into cars, the dog had run at large before and chased squirrels. Further, we stated: “we cannot say that a dog running at large and chasing squirrels, with all the disruption that entails, either in a parking lot or on a city street did not raise a reasonable likelihood of injury under common law.”

It is well established that the owner of livestock is liable when damage results from his intentionally or negligently permitting animals to run at large. Smith v. R.A. Brooks Trucking Co., 280 Ark. 510, 660 S.W.2d 1 (1983). In Van Houten v. Pritchard, 315 Ark. 688, 870 S.W.2d 377 (1993), we noted that “owners of cattle, horses, and other large farm animals that could cause substantial damage if allowed to run at large have a duty to control their animals.” (Emphasis supplied.) Indeed, our cases which have addressed the liability of a livestock owner have involved the owners of large farm animals such as cattle and horses. Smith v. R.A. Brooks Trucking Co., 280 Ark. 510, 660 S.W.2d 1 (1983); Cosby v. Oliver, 265 Ark. 156, 577 S.W.2d 399 (1979); Prickett v. Farrell, Adm’r, 248 Ark. 996, 455 S.W.2d 74 (1970). However, Ark. Code Ann. § 5-62-122 (Repl. 1993) provides in part:

(a) A person commits the offense of permitting livestock to run at large if, being the owner or person charged with the custody and care of livestock, he knowingly permits such livestock to run at large.
(b) For purposes of this section, livestock includes horses, mules, cattle, goats, sheep, swine, chickens, ducks, and similar animals and fowl commonly raised or used for farm purposes.

(Emphasis supplied.) Based upon this statute, chickens and similar fowl commonly raised or used for farm purposes are considered livestock. The violation of a statute prohibiting livestock from running at large is evidence of ordinary negligence. Rogers v. Stillman, 223 Ark. 779, 268 S.W.2d 614 (1954).

In Oliver v. Jones, 239 Ark. 572, 393 S.W.2d 248 (1965), we concluded there was sufficient testimony of a cattle owner’s negligence to take the case to the jury.

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Sanders v. Mincey, 879 S.W.2d 398, 317 Ark. 398, 1994 Ark. LEXIS 397 (Ark. 1994).

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