Title: Whitmore v. Burge
Citation: 512 So. 2d 1320
Docket Number: N/A
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: July 31, 1987

512 So. 2d 1320 (1987)
Sandra F. WHITMORE
v.
Herman Stanley BURGE.
85-1370.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
July 31, 1987.
*1321 Jon B. Terry of Bains and Terry, Bessemer, for appellant.
Jackie M. McDougal, Bessemer, for appellee.
BEATTY, Justice.
Appeal by plaintiff, Sandra F. Whitmore, from a judgment for defendant, Herman Stanley Burge, based upon a jury verdict in plaintiff's action against defendant arising out of an intersection collision between their automobiles.
Plaintiff's complaint alleged negligence and wantonness and prayed for damages for personal injuries and property damage. The defendant's answer denied either negligence or wanton conduct, and alleged contributory negligence.
On trial, each party moved for a directed verdict at the close of plaintiff's evidence. These motions were denied. At the close of the defendant's evidence, each party again moved for a directed verdict, and, again, each motion was denied. Additionally, after considering arguments of counsel, the trial court dismissed plaintiff's count alleging wanton conduct, and submitted the case to the jury upon the theories of negligence and contributory negligence. Ultimately, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant. Plaintiff's post-trial motions for a new trial or JNOV and to amend or *1322 alter the verdict were denied, and this appeal followed.
On appeal, plaintiff insists that the trial court erred in refusing to grant her motions for a directed verdict and for JNOV, that it erred in refusing to submit to the jury the issue of wantonness, and that it also erred in admitting into evidence certain testimony of defendant's wife referable to a posed photograph.
The facts of the case are undisputed. According to the plaintiff, she was traveling east on Warrior River Road within the City of Hueytown, approaching the intersection of High School Road and Cherry Avenue. She had a cup of coffee in one hand and was driving with the other. Travelling between 35 and 40 m.p.h., in a zone with a speed limit she knew to be 35 m.p.h., she could see the front of defendant's vehicle sitting in the intersection for a distance of one-quarter of a mile. At the time in question, the intersection was controlled by an improperly functioning traffic signal that was flashing "caution [yellow]" in plaintiff's direction and "stop [red]" in the direction of defendant's vehicle, which was stopped at the intersection. According to plaintiff:
The defendant described his movements at the time and place in question as follows:
Burge testified that his car had reached a speed of 10 to 12 m.p.h. when the collision occurred. He did not see the plaintiff coming, and did not look in her direction after he entered the intersection.
An investigating officer, Richard Waldron, testified that the accident occurred "more or less in the middle of the intersection on High School Road and Cherry Avenue, but on the eastbound lane of Warrior River Road." Waldron testified to the presence of several signs and a utility pole that could obstruct the view of one in the position of defendant: "If you're sitting back from the intersectionI'll say the intersection is the line that comes across hereit forms a square. And if you're sitting back away from the intersection, they could." He added that one could see both ways by pulling up to the point of the intersection. Waldron also testified that he was acquainted with defendant Burge, and that Burge had trouble seeing "a little bit." He based his conclusion on an occasion five years before in Mr. Burge's business when Burge told him "he couldn't see too good close up."
An eyewitness to the accident, Jimmy Hayes, testified that he saw Mr. Burge "sitting at the red light," and then saw that Burge "approached out slowly and then approximately about halfway across the lane, he speeded up." According to Hayes, both vehicles entered the intersection at the same time. He added:
Hayes testified to observing plaintiff's automobile approaching the intersection at from 35 to 45 m.p.h; his best estimate was 45 m.p.h. He also saw Burge before he pulled out in the intersection:
Plaintiff contends that defendant abandoned his plea of contributory negligence by acknowledging through the following testimony that plaintiff had the right of way:
Contrary to plaintiff's argument, it was plaintiff's counsel's question, not defendant's answer, that suggested who would have had the right-of-way at the time. Defendant Burge did not answer the question *1325 dealing with the right-of-way. His answer to the next question was, at least, unresponsive.
Plaintiff also contends that the following testimony of Burge was an "admission" that plaintiff was not at fault:
We respectfully suggest that this postulation was simply an assumption of hypothetical circumstances, and consideration of it along with defendant's other testimony does not lead to the reasonable conclusion that defendant had abandoned his defense. At most, it was only other testimony to be considered by the triers of fact.
On motion for a directed verdict, the entire evidence must be viewed in a light favorable to the opponent, and when a reasonable inference may be drawn adverse to the proponent, a directed verdict motion is properly refused. Hickox v. Vester Morgan, Inc., 439 So. 2d 95 (Ala.1983). In a civil case, a jury question is presented when any reasonable inference from the evidence supports the non-moving party. Draughon v. General Finance Credit Corp., 362 So. 2d 880 (Ala.1978).
The gist of plaintiff's claim against the defendant was that the defendant negligently or wantonly entered the intersection, in violation of the rules of the road,[1] crossed into her lane of travel, and struck her automobile. Insofar as her negligence claim is concerned, under the defendant's defense of contributory negligence, she maintains that she was free from any negligence that proximately contributed to the accident. But it is shown that she was steering with one hand, travelling between 35 and 45 m.p.h., had observed the defendant's vehicle at the intersection from a quarter of a mile away, that her entrance to the intersection was controlled by a flashing "caution" signal, that she did not sound her car horn, did not stop even though she was concerned that defendant's vehicle was going on through the intersection, and, in fact, speeded up instead of attempting to stop. This evidence, we respectfully observe, made a jury question on the issue of contributory negligence. Indeed, the jury could have concluded from this evidence that, under the circumstances, even if Mr. Burge negligently entered the intersection, nevertheless, a reasonable person in plaintiff's position would have averted the apparent danger by some warning *1326 or appropriate slackening of speed to avoid a collision. Williams v. Roche Undertaking Co., 255 Ala. 56, 49 So. 2d 902 (1950). As stated in Cox v. Miller, 361 So. 2d 1044, 1048 (Ala.1978):
Accordingly, we find that the trial court did not err in refusing to grant a directed verdict or JNOV to plaintiff on the negligence count.
Did the trial court err in refusing to submit the issue of Burge's wantonness to the jury?
In Rosen v. Lawson, 281 Ala. 351, 356, 202 So. 2d 716, 720 (1967), wantonness is explained:
This principle was applied in Hommel v. Jackson-Atlantic, Inc., 438 F.2d 307 (5th Cir.1971). The facts of that case disclose that:
To the plaintiff's contention on appeal that the trial court erred in granting defendant's motion for a directed verdict on the issue of wantonness, the Court of Appeals responded:
Although that conclusion was not based upon the application of the scintilla rule, which is applicable in Alabama state courts, nevertheless the conclusion reached in that case, in regard to the requirements of wanton conduct, is equally applicable here. Burge here did not see plaintiff's car before the collision, and did not know or even suspect that his vehicle would collide with hers. To the contrary, Burge "waited *1327 and waited," looking to the right and to the left, observing while other cars behind him passed him into and across the intersection. He proceeded into the intersection, and plaintiff's vehicle also entered the intersection at the same time, when it was too late to avoid the collision.
In Griffin Lumber Co. v. Harper, 247 Ala. 616, 618, 25 So. 2d 505, 506 (1946), this Court explained:
Under the facts and circumstances here, we conclude that the trial court did not err in refusing to submit the issue of Burge's wanton conduct to the jury.
To the plaintiff's further argument that the verdict is contrary to the preponderance of the evidence, we conclude that it cannot be set aside for that reason. While there was evidence from which the jury might have concluded that plaintiff should prevail, there was also evidence supporting the jury's finding for the defendant. McGehee v. Frost, 268 Ala. 23, 104 So. 2d 905 (1958).
Finally, plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in allowing certain testimony from Cora R. Burge, the wife of the defendant, concerning a photograph taken by her and later admitted into evidence. She testified as follows:
Contrary to plaintiff's contention, Mrs. Burge's testimony was not hearsay. The position she took, indeed, was the one he told her he had taken. Thus, her testimony was only an explanation of her reason for taking that position in order to take the photograph, not testimony that what he told her was true. Thus, her description was admissible over the hearsay objection; C. Gamble, McElroy's Alabama Evidence, § 273.01 (3d ed. 1977); Cleary, McCormick on Evidence, § 246 (2d ed. 1972).
Let the judgment be affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
MADDOX, ALMON, ADAMS and HOUSTON, JJ., concur.
[1]  Specially, plaintiff cites us to Code of 1975, §§ 32-5-34(a)(1) and 32-5-112(b). It suffices to state here that the trial court instructed the jury on each of these statutes, along with the following additional instructions:

"I will now charge you on the Alabama rules of the road. The Alabama rules of the road consist of a number of statutes enacted into law by your legislature regulating the flow of traffic upon the highways of this state. The violation of certain of these rules of the road by a person using the public highways is prima facie negligence only. This means that the violation of such a rule is presumed to be negligence, but such violation is not, under all circumstances, negligence. And it is a jury question whether such a violation in a particular case is negligence.
"Should you determine that the violation of such a statute is negligence, such negligence, in order to be actionable on the part of the plaintiff or a defense on the part of the defendant, must proximately cause or proximately contribute to the injuries complained of by the plaintiff.
"I will now read certain of these statutes to you. The fact that I read these statutes to you is no indication that any of these statutes have been violated or that such a violation is negligence or that any such violation proximately caused or proximately contributed to the injury complained of by the plaintiff. It is for you to decide whether or not the statutes are applicable and then whether or not they have been violated, and whether or not such a violation is negligence, and whether or not any such violation proximately caused or proximately contributed to the injury complained of by the plaintiff, depending on what you find the facts to be."