Title: Hoskins v. Albuquerque Bus Company

State: new-mexico

Issuer: New Mexico Supreme Court

Document:

382 P.2d 700 (1963) 72 N.M. 217 Mary Thelma HOSKINS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ALBUQUERQUE BUS COMPANY, Incorporated, and John Doe, Defendants-Appellants. No. 6949. Supreme Court of New Mexico. February 12, 1963. Rehearing Denied June 28, 1963. *702 Sutin & Jones, Albuquerque, for appellants. McAtee, Toulouse, Marchiondo, Ruud & Gallagher, Albuquerque, for appellee. CHAVEZ, Justice. Defendants-appellants, Albuquerque Bus Company, Incorporated, and John Doe, appeal from a judgment for plaintiff-appellee, Mary Thelma Hoskins, in the amount of $2500 for personal injury. Appellee was a passenger for hire of appellants on July 1, 1959. She was seated in the center of the bus about one seat from the center or rear door. Because she was late for work, she wanted to be the first one out at her stop. As the bus approached her stop, she left her seat and walked toward the rear door while the bus was still in motion. She descended to the last step in the stairwell, putting her right hand lightly on the door and keeping her left hand at her side. The bus stopped. Simultaneously, the door opened. The bus jerked and she was thrown from the bus to the ground. Appellants attack the trial court's finding of fact number III, saying: "I. Finding of fact No. III of the trial court that the conduct of the bus driver therein described was negligent is not supported by substantial evidence. The trial court's finding of fact number III reads: Appellants would inject into this finding a determination by the trial court that the driver was negligent. As the finding attacked does not include such a determination, this aspect cannot be considered. The only evidence relevant to this issue was presented by appellee. Appellants argue that because there was an apparent conflict in the testimony given by the two eyewitnesses testifying, that the finding is not supported by substantial evidence. A question of substantial evidence may not be so resolved. Merely because a conflict exists is not sufficient cause for us to hold that a resolution of the conflict by the trial court is not founded adequately so as to be grounds for reversal. Coseboom v. Marshall Trust, 67 N.M. 405, 356 P.2d 117. The trial court had the opportunity to listen to the evidence and to observe the demeanor of the witnesses. From this participation in the trial, the trier of facts is best able to resolve any conflict which may arise. Simply because this court may feel that it may have reached an opposite conclusion under the same circumstances will not permit us to reverse the trial court's decision. Coseboom v. Marshall Trust, supra; Jontz v. Alderete, 64 N.M. 163, 326 P.2d 95. We briefly review the evidence. Appellee testified as follows: On cross-examination, appellee testified: On redirect examination, with reference to her statements made at the time her deposition was taken on February 13, 1960, appellee was asked: Dr. Myron Gordon Rosenbaum testified that he examined appellee on July 2, 1959, and that appellee told him that the bus stopped to let her out, the door opened, the bus jerked, she was thrown to the curb and fell on her hands and knees trying to protect her face. Luther Smith, Jr., called as a witness on behalf of appellee, testified in part as follows: On cross-examination, Mr. Smith testified: On redirect, Mr. Smith testified: We hold that there is substantial evidence to support the trial court's finding of fact number III. Appellants' point II is without merit. It asserts that finding of fact number III, even if supported by substantial evidence, does not support the finding and conclusion of law that the bus driver was negligent. Appellants contend under this point that when a bus driver brings a bus to a sudden stop with a jerk, it does not constitute negligence of the bus driver. Appellants argue that there is no breach of duty in this case only by reason of "a kind of jerk," "a sudden jerk," "a jerk," "a big hard jerk," or "a hard stop." Appellants say that adjectival descriptions of the nature of the sudden start or stop cannot be found legally to constitute negligence unless some definite factual incident occurs as a result thereof, which is abnormal and extraordinary and which deviates from the normal operation. The trial court found that appellee was a passenger on a bus owned and operated by appellants; that appellee gave the usual signal to appellants' driver that she wanted off; that appellee arose from her seat and was standing in front of the rear door of the bus, waiting to disembark, when the bus driver brought the bus to a sudden stop with a jerk and simultaneously opened the rear door, resulting in appellee being pitched out of the bus. There is evidence that the bus, prior to the accident, was going fast and that when the bus driver brought the bus to a sudden stop with a jerk, he simultaneously opened the rear door, causing appellee to be thrown out of the bus. Immediately thereafter, the driver closed the door and pulled off. Thus, there is evidence of acts other than the mere proof of a "jerk," or a "sudden stop with a jerk," sufficient to sustain the trial court's findings of fact. Under the rules, evidentiary findings are not required. All that is necessary is that the trial court make such ultimate findings of fact as are necessary to determine the issues in the case. Section 21-1-1(52)(B)(2), N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp. Ultimate findings of fact were made by the trial court and that is sufficient. The issue raised by appellants' point III is whether the trial court made material findings of fact so that its conclusion of law, that appellee was not contributorily negligent, is supported by substantial evidence. This court has repeatedly held that a trial court is not required to make findings of fact on evidentiary facts to bolster its findings of ultimate facts. Jontz v. Alderete, supra; Morrow v. Martinez, 27 N.M. 354, 200 P. 1071. In Fraser v. Bank, 18 N.M. 340, 137 P. 592, this court said: The findings of fact pertinent to this point are: We believe that all questions of fact material to the conclusion of law of the trial court were decided and proper findings of fact made. Even if omissions were made, it is the rule in this jurisdiction that a failure by the trial court to find a material fact must be regarded as a finding against the party having the burden of establishing such fact. Coseboom v. Marshall Trust, supra; Farrar v. Hood, 56 N.M. 724, 249 P.2d 759. As appellants had the burden of asserting and establishing the contributory negligence of appellee, Moss v. Acuff, 57 N.M. 572, 260 P.2d 1108, it must be assumed that the trial court's conclusion of law is consonant with its findings. Appellants' point IV contends that the trial court's conclusion of law, that appellee did not assume the risk of injury to herself, is not sufficiently supported by findings of fact material thereto. Appellants would have this court make a broad pronouncement that a passenger on a common carrier, who leaves his seat and stands waiting to disembark before the carrier comes to a complete stop, assumes the risk of all dangers involved. This we cannot do. The rule is well established in this jurisdiction that so long as the relationship of passenger and carrier exists, it is incumbent upon the carrier to exercise the highest degree of care in promoting the safety of its passengers. What constitutes a compliance with the duty to observe the highest degree of care for the safety of its passengers must depend upon the facts and circumstances of each particular case. Thompson v. Anderman, 59 N.M. 400, 285 P.2d 507. A passenger who voluntarily stands in a moving bus assumes the consequences of ordinary jerks and lurches incident to the ordinary movement of the carrier; however, we do not believe that a standing passenger assumes the consequences of jerks, or sudden stops, or other movements of the bus which are unusual, or so extraordinary that they do not usually happen in the course of the normal operation of the carrier. No fixed rule can be propounded as to what sudden stops or jerks, combined with the simultaneous opening of the door of a conveyance, will give rise to an inference of negligence in its operation, or lay a sufficient basis for the finding of negligence on the part of the carrier. At which point such violent movements lose their character, as incidents reasonably to be expected during the course of travel and assume the status of actionable negligence, is a question of fact to be determined by the trier of the facts in the light of the surrounding circumstances. See, Annotation, 57 A.L.R.2d 5; 9 A.L.R.2d 938. We, as an appellate court, must take into consideration all of the evidence presented to the trial court and the findings of fact based thereon, and then determine whether the findings are supported by substantial evidence. The question of whether appellee assumed the risk under the evidence was properly before the trial court for determination. The trial court considered the evidence and made an ultimate finding of fact and conclusion of law that appellee was free of contributory negligence and did not assume the risk of her injury. We have long adhered to the rule that this court must view the evidence in the most favorable light to support the trial court's findings, or a verdict of a jury, and that before reversing we must be convinced that the findings or verdict cannot be sustained by evidence or inferences therefrom. Padilla v. Winsor, 67 N.M. 267, 354 P.2d 740. We have reviewed the record and hold that there is substantial evidence to support the trial court's conclusion of law that appellee did not assume the risk of her injury. Finally, appellants contend that the damages awarded appellee were excessive. In order to give credence to this argument, it must be shown that the amount of $2500 is so excessive as to indicate that it was reached as a result of passion or prejudice, or that the verdict is so grossly out of *707 proportion to the injury as to shock the conscience of the court. Morrison v. Rodey, 65 N.M. 474, 340 P.2d 409; Montgomery v. Vigil, 65 N.M. 107, 332 P.2d 1023. Dr. Rosenbaum, who first examined appellee on July 2, 1959, the day immediately following the injury, testified that appellee showed a swollen, tender right foot with tender arches. The pain, tenderness and swelling was in her right foot, mostly below the ankle and in the arches of the same foot. The pain was of such extent that appellee used a crutch for the first few days. Her injury consisted of tears of ligaments in muscles and her foot, which caused internal hemorrhaging and some edema. At her next visit to the doctor, on July 4, 1959, appellee complained of pain in her middle back. Examination showed muscle tenderness in the middle back. She was given treatment of both her foot and back. Appellee received physical therapy and reexamination at intervals of twice weekly or less often. There was recurrent pain in the shoulders and the middle and low back. Her foot and ankle remained tender. The doctor saw appellee on September 11, 1959, at which time she told him that she was still having trouble with her foot and that she still suffered from recurrent pain. The doctor estimated that around October 1, 1959, would be the first time she could have gone back to work without suffering too much discomfort to her foot and back. On February 16, 1960, the doctor again examined appellee, at which time she complained of recurrent pain in her right foot when she was standing or walking, although she had been working steadily. The doctor reexamined appellee on November 25, 1960, when she complained of some moderate pain in her right foot and throbbing. The doctor estimated appellee's future medical expenses to be about $75 to $100. Her medical expenses, to the date of the trial, were $261.63. Appellee's weekly earnings were about $25. From the evidence of record, we cannot say that the amount of the trial court's verdict shocks the conscience of this court. Neither is there any showing indicating that the amount of the verdict resulted from passion or prejudice. The judgment is affirmed. IT IS SO ORDERED. CARMODY and NOBLE, JJ., concur. COMPTON, C.J., and MOISE, J., not participating.