Case Name: Jackie TENTONI, Individually, and As Next Friend on Behalf of Her Minor Children, Melanie Tentoni, Johnathan Tentoni and Phillip Tentoni, Appellant v. Warren W. SLAYDEN, Appellee
Court: Mississippi Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 2006-12-12
Citations: 968 So. 2d 492
Docket Number: No. 2005-CA-00529-COA
Parties: Jackie TENTONI, Individually, and As Next Friend on Behalf of Her Minor Children, Melanie Tentoni, Johnathan Tentoni and Phillip Tentoni, Appellant v. Warren W. SLAYDEN, Appellee.
Judges: KING, C.J., LEE and MYERS, P.JJ., IRVING, CHANDLER, ISHEE AND ROBERTS, JJ„ CONCUR. SOUTHWICK, J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION JOINED BY BARNES, J.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 968
Pages: 492–500

Head Matter:
Jackie TENTONI, Individually, and As Next Friend on Behalf of Her Minor Children, Melanie Tentoni, Johnathan Tentoni and Phillip Tentoni, Appellant v. Warren W. SLAYDEN, Appellee.
No. 2005-CA-00529-COA.
Court of Appeals of Mississippi.
Dec. 12, 2006.
Rehearing Denied April 24, 2007.
Joseph S. Gatlin, III, attorney for appellant.
Shelly G. Burns, attorney for appellee.

Opinion:
GRIFFIS, J.,
for the Court.
¶ 1. Jackie Tentoni, individually and on behalf of her minor children Melanie, Johnathan, and Phillip, filed suit against Warren "Wynn" Slayden in the Circuit Court of Madison County for personal injuries arising from a car accident. The jury found for Slayden. Jackie appeals and argue (1) she was entitled to a peremptory instruction on liability, and (2) the verdict is against the overwhelming weight of the evidence and is a product of passion, prejudice, or bias. We reverse and render as to liability, and we remand for a new trial on damages.
FACTS
¶ 2. On January 1, 1999, Jackie was operating her sports utility vehicle in the right, southbound lane on Interstate 55 in Carroll County. Melanie was in the front passenger seat, Phillip was in the back middle passenger seat, and Johnathan was lying down in the cargo area. Slayden was operating his vehicle in the left, southbound lane. It was raining, and the road was wet. Slayden was traveling about sixty-eight miles per hour, and had overtaken the eighteen-wheeler that was traveling behind Jackie.
¶ 3. Slayden's vehicle hydroplaned when it ran over standing water. The Slayden vehicle went over into the right lane, striking Jackie's vehicle's left front bumper with its right front bumper. Slayden's vehicle then spun around, hitting Jackie's vehicle's right rear bumper. This second impact knocked Jackie's vehicle off the right side of the Interstate. Jackie's vehicle ran over fallen logs, small trees, and was stopped when it slammed into a tree. The second impact also caused Slayden's vehicle to run off the left side of the Interstate, coming to rest in the median.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
¶4. We review issues of law de novo. Russell v. Performance Toyota, Inc., 826 So.2d 719, 721(¶ 5) (Miss.2002). When reviewing the denial of a directed verdict, we consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the appellee. Harrah's Vicksburg Corp. v. Pennebaker, 812 So.2d 163, 170(¶ 28) (Miss.2002). If the facts are so overwhelmingly in favor of the appellant that a reasonable juror could not have arrived at a contrary verdict, this Court must reverse and render. Id. On the other hand, if substantial evidence exists in support of the verdict, that is, evidence of such quality and weight that reasonable and fair-minded jurors in the exercise of impartial judgment might have reached different conclusions, then this Court must affirm. Id.
ANALYSIS
I. Was Jackie entitled to a peremptory instruction on liability?
¶ 5. Jackie argues she was entitled to a peremptory instruction on liability, because Slayden was negligent per se, and he admitted causation and certain damages. Slayden does not dispute causation and the damages admitted at trial. Rath er, he maintains that negligence was a jury question.
' ¶ 6. In Barkley v. Miller Transporters, Inc., 450 So.2d 416, 419 (Miss.1984), the supreme court affirmed a peremptory instruction on negligence when an eighteen-wheeler hydroplaned while attempting to pass another driver. The defendant driver Hiram Roberts admitted that it was raining and the roads were wet. Id. He admitted knowing of the danger that wet roads pose. Id. He admitted that he lost control of his truck. Id. The court held that Roberts had a duty of care while passing other vehicles under Mississippi Code Annotated Sections 63-3-609 and 63-3-611. Id. The court further held:
it is the duty of every driver to "see that which is in plain view, open, and apparent; to take notice of an obvious danger; and to be on the alert so as to avoid a collision with objects, vehicles, and others using the highway. Moreover, it is the duty of the driver of an automobile to take reasonably proper steps to avoid an accident or injury to persons or property after having knowledge of the danger."
Id. at 419-20 (quoting Shideler v. Taylor, 292 So.2d 155, 156-57 (Miss.1974)). Because Roberts "ignored the danger he knew lay ahead, and as a result lost control of his truck" the peremptory instruction on negligence was appropriate. Id. at 420.
¶ 7. Barkley instructs our decision. Slayden admitted that it was raining and the road was wet. He admitted that he was aware of the dangers of hydroplaning. Nevertheless, he testified that he did not slow down. He maintained a speed near the posted speed limit. He admitted that he lost control of his vehicle when his car hit a patch of standing water. He ignored the danger and as a result lost control of his car. This testimony went undisputed. We find that Jackie was entitled to a peremptory instruction on negligence. Additionally, since Slayden admitted causation, Jackie was entitled to a directed verdict on liability.
¶ 8. Nevertheless, Slayden points to Shields v. Easterling, 676 So.2d 293, 295 (Miss.1996), in which the court denied a peremptory negligence instruction. That case involved a one vehicle accident in which a truck skidded over a patch of ice. Id. at 294. C.W. Easterling was driving a truck in which Flora Shields was a passenger. Id. It was dark outside, there was no precipitation, and the temperature was below freezing. Id. As the truck passed over the first bridge, it hit a patch of ice, and began to slip. Id. Easterling managed to regain control of the truck without incident. Id. He then slowed down his speed to forty-five miles per hour. Id. Ten to fifteen miles down the road, the truck passed over a second bridge, where it hit another patch of ice. Id. This time the truck fishtailed, and the trailer it was hauling jackknifed and flipped the truck. Id. The court denied the peremptory negligence instruction, because there was a jury question as to whether Easterling's speed caused the accident. Id. at 295. The court also rejected Shields's contention that "where an accident occurs involving no other vehicle, the driver . is hable as a matter of law." Id.
¶ 9. Shields is readily distinguishable. Easterling recognized that the bridges were icing over and took precautionary measures. Since he had a minor incident, he slowed down. It was a jury question as to whether it was reasonable for him to foresee that he would nevertheless have a major incident at the slower speed he chose. In the case sub judice, however, Slayden recognized the danger but did not slow his speed.
¶ 10. Therefore, we reverse and render as to liability. We remand for a new trial to assess the proper damages.
II. Was the verdict against the overwhelming weight of the evidence or the product of bias, passion and prejudice?
¶ 11. Jackie raised an alternative argument. We address this issue, because it will be instructive on remand. Jackie argues that the verdict was the product of bias, passion and prejudice. As evidence, she points to the defense counsel's appeal for sympathy for Slayden and vilification of Jackie. Slayden argues that there was no objection to counsel's comments, and they did not influence the jury.
¶ 12. During closing argument, Slay-den's attorney stated:
But here's the problem and here's why. This has been going for Wynn Slayden and Brenda Slayden for six years. For six years, he has been carrying this burden and all the uncertainty and insecurity and stress that has been going along with this. He's survived two heart attacks. And he's sitting there with Nitroglycerine in his pocket right now.
Wynn Slayden has been the object of [Jackie's] fixation and her obsession for six years. We ask that you return a verdict in his favor today and set him free from that at long last.
¶ 13. An attorney is afforded wide latitude in closing arguments, so long as she keeps fairly within the evidence. Eckman v. Moore, 876 So.2d 975, 986(¶ 38) (Miss.2004). When she "departs entirely from the evidence . or makes statements intended solely to excite the passions or prejudices of the jury, or makes inflammatory and damaging statements of fact not found in the evidence, the trial judge should intervene to prevent an unfair trial." Id. (quoting Clemons v. State, 320 So.2d 368, 371 (Miss.1975)). "Appeals to passion or prejudice are always improper and should never be allowed." Id. at 987(¶ 40). Furthermore, a jury's verdict may not be the product of sympathy. Forbes v. State, 771 So.2d 942, 949(¶ 18) (Miss.Ct.App.2000).
¶ 14. At the hearing on the motion for new trial, Slayden's attorney admitted that the comments were irrelevant to the issue of liability. We agree. These statements were neither relevant nor based on the evidence. It is possible that the statements were made inadvertently and in the heat of the moment of closing argument. However, on their face, this statement appears to be intended to ignite the jury's passions in favor of Slayden and against the Tentonis-Jackie, in particular. On remand, Slayden's counsel is instructed not to repeat this conduct.
¶ 15. THE JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MADISON COUNTY IS HEREBY REVERSED AND RENDERED AS TO LIABILITY AND REMANDED FOR A NEW TRIAL ON DAMAGES. ALL COSTS OF THIS APPEAL ARE ASSESSED TO THE AP-PELLEE.
KING, C.J., LEE and MYERS, P.JJ., IRVING, CHANDLER, ISHEE AND ROBERTS, JJ" CONCUR. SOUTHWICK, J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION JOINED BY BARNES, J.