Title: Alabama Power Co. v. Brooks

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

479 So. 2d 1169 (1985)
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
v.
George Thomas BROOKS.
84-46.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
September 20, 1985.
Rehearing Denied November 8, 1985.
*1171 S. Allen Baker, Jr. and Dan H. McCrary of Balch & Bingham, Birmingham, for appellant.
David H. Marsh and Kenneth W. Hooks of Emond & Vines, Birmingham, for appellee.
SHORES, Justice.
Alabama Power Company appeals from a judgment entered on a jury verdict in favor of George Brooks in this action to recover damages for personal injuries. We affirm.
George Brooks filed suit in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County against Alabama Power Company, Inc. (APCo),[1] alleging that it negligently and/or wantonly maintained its electrical power lines and failed to warn him of the resulting danger. The trial court directed a verdict on the wantonness count in favor of APCo, and the issue of negligence was submitted to the jury, which returned a verdict for Brooks in the amount of $452,496.00.[2] The trial court subsequently denied APCo's motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, in the alternative, a new trial, and it appeals.
On September 25, 1975, Brooks received serious injuries[3] while on the job, when the mast or "boom" on the mobile drilling rig he was operating came into contact with a 7,200-volt uninsulated power line, which had been installed and maintained by APCo. The contact occurred while he was checking the hydraulic fluid, which was located in a container underneath the boom. At the time he suffered his injuries, he was employed by Mitchell-Neely Mining Company at its Lanco Pit, operating in Tuscaloosa County. The drilling rig which Brooks was operating was a Chicago Pneumatic T650. It consisted of a truck and body supporting an erectable drill boom. This particular rig had been located at the Lanco Pit operation of Mitchell-Neely for several weeks. The company that owned and operated the pit prior to Mitchell-Neely was also in the business of strip mining. Such an operation generally requires the use of drilling rigs of this type.
Two days prior to the date Brooks was injured, bad weather caused the Lanco Pit operation to shut down in the middle of the day, and all of the workers were sent home. At that time, Brooks drove the drilling rig to the shop area and parked it under a dusk-to-dawn light. This light, which was attached to the same utility pole that supported the line eventually contacted, was the only such light located in that area. Brooks parked the drilling rig approximately 15 feet from a gas pump used to fuel the equipment utilized in the mining operation.
On the date of his injury, Brooks arrived at work shortly before 6:00 a.m. It was customary for him to conduct the preshift servicing of the equipment prior to daylight. The boom, which was located on top of the rig, had to be raised to check the hydraulic fluid. Before raising the boom, Brooks backed the rig a short distance *1172 from the utility pole to avoid striking the light. He then let the truck jacks down to stabilize the rig and began raising the boom. He watched the back of the boom to insure that it did not strike the truck and cause damage to the arms that raised and lowered it. Prior to reaching its fully-extended position, the boom came into contact with the line. The electric current traveled through the boom and operating controls and into Brooks.
Because it was dark when the contact occurred, Brooks could not see the line; however, he knew it was there. He testified at trial that he associated no danger with what he was doing that morning. He had seen the boom in the raised position around that line and had worked on the drill with the boom in the extended position around the line on prior occasions. It was not readily apparent to him that the boom could reach the line which was contacted.
The lines which ran through the shop area were installed by APCo in 1966, to provide electrical service to the AlCo Mining Company, predecessor to Mitchell-Neely. APCo made the decision concerning the positioning of the line in question and had the authority at any time during or subsequent to its installation to heighten, bury, or insulate it. Later that year, APCo received notice that certain types of equipment having access to the shop area necessitated its raising some power lines to provide adequate clearance. An APCo work order indicated that taller utility poles were installed in the area to accommodate certain types of large equipment traveling on a driveway to and from the pit. Although the particular span of lines raised at that time did not contain the line that Brooks eventually contacted, the driveway leading to the pit also provided access to the shop area. Brooks parked the rig in this driveway, which ran through the shop area between the gas pump and the power line in question. A work order dated January 5, 1967, reflects that APCo returned again to the shop area and conducted additional work. Extra lines were added to accommodate additional load requirements necessitated by the use of certain power tools there, such as a lathe, saw, and welder.
APCo first contends that the trial court committed reversible error by not granting its motion for a directed verdict and later refusing its motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict. It argues that it had no duty to insulate its lines in the shop area or to take any precautionary measures with respect thereto because it had no notice, actual or constructive, of any activity on, around, or under the subject lines, which would have indicated that persons might come into contact with them. We disagree.
In Bush v. Alabama Power Co., 457 So. 2d 350, 353 (Ala.1984), the Court restated the duty of a power company with regard to the use and location of uninsulated electrical lines:
See also Alabama Power Company v. Smith, 273 Ala. 509, 142 So. 2d 228 (1962), and Alabama Power Co. v. Irwin, 260 Ala. 673, 72 So. 2d 300 (1954).
*1173 William Dow, an APCo engineer, testified as follows:
The line which Brooks contacted was installed by APCo in the shop area in 1966 to provide electrical service to the AlCo Mining Company, predecessor to Mitchell-Neely. AlCo, like Mitchell-Neely, was engaged in strip mining operations which require the use of large machinery, including the type of drilling rig used by Brooks. There was a gas pump located approximately 15 feet from the point where Brooks parked the rig prior to the contact. This pump was used regularly to refuel the mining equipment. Brooks testified that he had seen and worked with the boom raised around the line in question on previous occasions and was not aware that the boom could reach the line. At the time of contact, the rig was parked in part of a driveway which ran through the shop area between the gas pump and the line in question. Part of this driveway ran beneath the line contacted. APCo raised an adjacent span of lines to allow adequate clearance for large trucks traveling on this driveway to and from the pit. Although the adjacent lines raised did not include the one actually contacted by Brooks, the driveway passing under them provided access to the shop area where he was injured. Extra lines were added in the shop area to accommodate the use of certain power tools generally associated with maintenance work. APCo representatives worked in the shop area on at least three occasions prior to the date of Brook's injury, and an inspection, according to the testimony of William Dow, probably occurred shortly before the date of contact.
In light of the above evidence, reasonable men could differ as to whether APCo had sufficient notice so as to have anticipatd *1175 that employees of Mitchell-Neely might operate, service, refuel, or repair their mining equipment, including the subject drilling rig, in the shop area within close proximity to the uninsulated line. "Where the facts upon which the existence of a duty depends, are disputed, the factual dispute is for resolution by the jury." Alabama Power Company v. Alexander, 370 So. 2d 252, 254 (Ala.1979). Therefore, we find no error on the trial court's part in submitting the notice issue to the jury.
APCo also raises numerous points of error on the part of the trial court in support of its argument that it was entitled to a new trial. It contends that the trial court erred in refusing its requested jury charges 11, 12, and 20, which read as follows:
Again, we disagree. Charge 11 is a correct proposition of law, but was properly refused because, as framed, it might easily have misled the jury as to the primary issue in this case and point intended to be emphasized, viz., that APCo is under an obligation to insulate its lines so as to prevent injury only where it may reasonably be anticipated that persons may come into contact with them. Torian v. Ashford, 216 Ala. 85, 112 So. 418 (1927).
APCo's duty to safeguard and insulate arises in the presence of notice, actual or constructive, that persons "may" come into contact with its uninsulated lines, Bush v. Alabama Power Co., supra, not pursuant to notice that persons would "likely" or "probably" come into contact with them. Therefore, it was not error to refuse charge 12. Charge 20 was also properly refused because it would require APCo to have notice of the specific activity of "drill raising" in order to establish a duty. The activity that places APCo on notice that persons may come into contact with its lines does not have to be the same activity involved in the injury-producing accident. Alabama Power Co. v. Smith, supra.
APCo also contends that the trial court erred by admitting into evidence several published articles (Exhibits 1-3) and certain excerpts therefrom (Exhibits 5-7). It argues that the articles are hearsay, not being properly authenticated under the "learned treatise" exception to the hearsay evidence rule and that the excerpts are not relevant to any issue in the case.
In the recent case of Johnson v. McMurray, 461 So. 2d 775, 779 (Ala.1984), the Court stated:
*1176 David MacCullum, a consulting safety engineer, testified as follows:
Predicates to the admission of the remaining exhibits were laid in substantially the same form. APCo does not dispute the qualification of MacCullum as an expert in the field, only that the predicates were insufficient in that they did not also refer to each of the exhibits as being "standard." However, as previously noted in Johnson v. McMurray, supra, it is sufficient that the article is authenticated by a properly qualified expert as being a trustworthy authority on the subject. Therefore, the trial court did not err in admitting Exhibits 1-3.
APCo, relying on Murray v. Alabama Power Co., 413 So. 2d 1109 (Ala.1982), further insists that the excerpts from the articles (Exhibits 5-7) were irrelevant and, thus, inadmissible because they contain statistical information concerning prior electrical contact injuries incurred across the country. It argues that there was no showing that these accidents were not too remote or occurred under substantially the same conditions and circumstances as existed in the present case.
The Court in Murray v. Alabama Power Co., supra, was following the general rules stated by McElroy:
C. Gamble, McElroy's Alabama Evidence § 83.01(1) (3d ed. 1977).
Id. at § 64.04(1).
In the present case, the statistical information in question was not introduced to prove that the shop area of the Lanco Pit operation was, in fact, dangerous or unsafe at the time of the accident or that APCo knew or should have known that such a dangerous condition existed there. Its purpose was to show the existence of national, industry-wide evidence of a serious problem resulting from certain types of equipment contacting uninsulated power lines, and it was relevant as to the degree of care exercised by APCo in the inspection and maintenance of its lines. There was no error in the admission of Exhibits 5-7.
APCo also attacks the verdict as being a quotient verdict. In support of its contention in this respect, it submitted to the trial court the affidavits of S. Allen Baker, Jr. (counsel for APCo), Charles L. Logsdon, Richard I. Allison, and Shari Womack. Mr. Baker's affidavit shows that the day after the rendition of the verdict and dismissal of the jury, he contacted Mr. Logsdon, the foreman of the jury, and apparently questioned him as to the method by which the jury had arrived at the sum of $452,496.00. At his request, Mr. Logsdon mailed to him a number of pieces of paper containing notes and calculations indicating the method of computation utilized by the jury. In his affidavit, Mr. Logsdon stated, in pertinent part, as follows:
The affidavits of Allison and Womack are substantially similar.
Brooks moved to strike these affidavits on the ground that they disclosed confidential jury room deliberations and sought to impeach the verdict. The trial court reserved its ruling on the motion to strike. Brooks then offered into evidence six juror affidavits contra to those submitted by APCo. One of the affidavits, that of Letitia D. Hasberry, in pertinent part, reads:
The remaining affidavits submitted by Brooks were similar in content.
Neither testimony nor affidavits of jurors are admissible to impeach their verdicts; however, such evidence is admissible to sustain them. Maring-Crawford Motor Co. v. Smith, 233 So. 2d 484 (Ala. 1970), and cases cited therein. The juror affidavits submitted by APCo were for the obvious purpose of impeaching the verdict and, consequently, were inadmissible.[4]*1179 The affidavit of S. Allen Baker, relative to his receipt of the pieces of paper from juror Logsdon, was also inadmissible, as it would indirectly permit that to be done which could not be done directly. Maring-Crawford Motor Co. v. Smith, supra.
Those affidavits introduced by Brooks in support of the verdict were properly before the trial court and affirmatively show that there was no agreement among the jurors to be bound by a verdict reached pursuant to a predetermined method of calculation as argued by APCo. Proof of such an agreement is essential before a verdict may be declared a quotient verdict. Maring-Crawford Motor Co. v. Smith, supra. Because APCo has failed to meet its burden of proof in this regard, we find no basis for disturbing the lower court's order denying its motion for a new trial on the ground that the verdict was a quotient verdict.
During trial, Dr. William Stewart, a vocation rehabilitation specialist, testified for Brooks concerning his potential lost earning capacity. APCo contends that the trial court erred in admitting his testimony on the ground that he did not reduce the dollar amount of Brooks's future lost earnings to a present cash value. In connection with this alleged error, it argues that the trial court's reference to "present cash value" in its charge regarding the loss of future earnings was meaningless to the jury.
APCo failed to timely object to that portion of Dr. Stewart's testimony concerning the loss of future income and, therefore, any alleged error was not properly preserved and presented for our review.[5]Costarides v. Miller, 374 So. 2d 1335 (Ala.1979); Wilkinson v. Duncan, 294 Ala. 509, 319 So. 2d 253 (1975); American Fire & Casualty Co. v. Archie, 409 So. 2d 854 (Ala.Civ.App.1981).
APCo next argues that the trial court erred in limiting its cross-examination of Brook's expert witness, Charles Point, an electrical engineer, concerning certain provisions contained in the 1981 National Electric Safety Code (NESC). It was undisputed at trial that the 1961 NESC is authoritative in the electric utility industry and governed the installation of the lines in the present case. However, there was a dispute over which sections contained therein were controlling. APCo's expert witness, William Dow, testified that § 232 was applicable. Brooks's expert witness testified that the applicable sections were 200(B) and (C), 210, and 211. By reference to the 1981 NESC and for purposes of strengthening Mr. Dow's opinion testimony, as well as impeaching that of Mr. Point, APCo sought to show that in the later edition §§ 200 (B) and (C), 210, and 211 were deleted.
In Carlisle v. Miller, 275 Ala. 440, 444, 155 So. 2d 689, 691 (1963), the Court observed:
In the present case, it cannot be said that the trial court abused its discretion in limiting the cross-examination. The publication of the 1981 NESC followed the date of the accident by approximately seven years, the date of the installation of the lines in question by fifteen years, and the date of publication of the controlling NESC by twenty years. The subsequent deletion alone of §§ 200(B) and (C), 210, and 211 from the 1981 NESC is not relevant to show that they were not previously controlling.
Finally, we disagree with APCo's contention that the trial court erred to reversal by refusing its requested jury charge 16, which reads as follows:
APCo argues that United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company (USF & G), the workmen's compensation insurance carrier of Mitchell-Neely Mining Company, waived its right of reimbursement for benefits previously paid to Brooks under § 25-5-11(a), Ala. Code 1975, as additional consideration for the release of William Mitchell. By an amendment to its answer, APCo pleaded USF & G's waiver of this right as a setoff against a potential verdict and alleged its value to be $13,882.70, reserving the right to prove both at trial.
The trial judge initially charged the jury that they should determine from the evidence the amount of damages suffered by Brooks and then give credit for the amount of $212,000.00, representing the cash settlement of Chicago Pneumatic Equipment Company and William Mitchell. APCo's requested charge, which reflects the waiver of USF & G's right of reimbursement,[6] assessing its value at $13,882.70, was properly refused because it was premature. Valuation of the right of reimbursement in this case required knowledge of both the jury's verdict and Brooks's liability for attorney fees and other litigation expenses. See Fitch v. Insurance Company of North America, 408 So. 2d 1017 (Ala.Civ.App.1981). Moreover,' the responsibility for crediting the verdict in this regard rested with the trial judge after he advised the jury that he would deduct the $212,000.00 from the verdict.[7] This new instruction was in response to a jury question that came after several hours of deliberation and was agreed to by counsel for both APCo and Brooks.
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
*1181 TORBERT, C.J., and MADDOX, FAULKNER, BEATTY and ADAMS, JJ., concur.
[1]  Chicago Pneumatic Equipment Company and William Mitchell were also named as defendants, but prior to trial settled for $175,000.00 and $37,000.00, respectively.
[2]  The trial court credited against the verdict the sum of $212,000.00, which represented the consideration for the case settlements of Chicago Pneumatic Equipment Company and William Mitchell.
[3]  Brooks suffered severe burns which resulted in the amputation of his right leg and portions of his left foot and hand.
[4]  Alabama Fuel & Iron Co. v. Powaski, 232 Ala. 66, 166 So. 782 (1936), relied upon by APCo as providing for the admissibility of the affidavits under an exception to the general rule, is distinguishable. In that case, the Court adhered to the longstanding rule that affidavits concerning the debates and discussions of the case by the jury during deliberations are inadmissible for the purpose of impeaching the verdict. The Court did acknowledge that a verdict may be impeached through proof of extraneous facts, Alabama Fuel & Iron Co. v. Rice, 187 Ala. 458, 65 So. 402 (1914) (wherein there was an improper and coercive communication made by the bailiff to the jury), and that, under certain circumstances, jury room deliberations are admissible to corroborate a prima facie showing of such extraneous facts or events occurring outside the jury room which affected the verdict (e.g., juror's acceptance of a bribe in consideration for a vote or willful concealment of information during voir dire). In the present case, the affidavits offered by APCo (which include the papers attached thereto) do not concern extraneous facts and, therefore, are not within the rule of Powaski, supra.
[5]  Counsel for APCo did not object to this portion of Dr. Stewart's testimony until the following day during a conference in the trial judge's chambers. At that time, counsel for APCo was instructed that he would thereafter have the opportunity to cross-examine Dr. Stewart as to what method he used in calculating the lost earnings. The record shows that, on cross-examination, Dr. Stewart did, in fact, testify as to the present value of Brooks's future lost earnings:

"Q. Now, you did notyou cannot take thator did you take that $499,000 figure and determine what figure represents the present value of that money?
"A. Only in terms of the way I just explained it.
"Q. You are not an economist now?
"A. No, I am not.
"Q. You are not an actuary that works with insurance companies?
"A. No, I am not.
"Q. You gave us a figure then that the present worth of that $499,000 figure is, what it's worth today?
"A. Based on the way I calculated the figures, it would be that amount."
[6]  $225,882.70 = $212,000.00 + $13,882.70.
[7]  The first opportunity which APCo had to prove the value of USF & G's right of reimbursement was subsequent to the jury's verdict, prior to entry of judgment by the trial court. We note from the record that APCo never attempted to do so.