Title: Amick v. Watson
Citation: 280 Or. 641, 572 P.2d 317
Docket Number: N/A
State: Oregon
Issuer: Oregon Supreme Court
Date: December 20, 1977

572 P.2d 317 (1977)
280 Or. 641
Linda AMICK, Appellant,
v.
Loris Evonne WATSON, Respondent.

Supreme Court of Oregon, Department 2.
Argued and Submitted October 5, 1977.
Decided December 20, 1977.
Daniel J. Gatti of Gatti, Ward &amp; Gatti, Salem, argued the cause and filed a brief for appellant.
J.D. Bailey, Hillsboro, argued the cause for respondent. With him on the brief were Schwenn, Bradley &amp; Batchelor, Hillsboro.
Before DENECKE, C.J., BRYSON and LINDE, JJ., and GILLETTE, J. Pro Tem.
BRYSON, Justice.
Plaintiff brought this action to recover damages for injuries sustained as a result of an automobile accident. Plaintiff alleged special damages in the amount of $466.50 and general damages in the amount of $35,000. The jury awarded plaintiff special damages of $466.50 and general damages of $1,000. Judgment was entered accordingly. Plaintiff, being dissatisfied with the amount of the verdict, appeals.
Plaintiff's sole assignment of error is that "[t]he court erroneously overruled plaintiff's objections to statements made by the *318 defense counsel about the professional ability and conduct of plaintiff's expert witness."
After both parties rested, the trial court allowed plaintiff's motion for a directed verdict as to defendant's liability and instructed the jury that their only duty would be to determine the amount of special and general damages, if any.
The plaintiff also moved "for a directed verdict in relation to the special damages that were incurred." The court stated:
Prior to final argument and while arguing the above motions to the court, plaintiff raised the matter of prospective jury argument as follows:
Plaintiff made no further objection regarding this matter and did not move for a mistrial. Dr. Bolin is a chiropractic physician; Dr. Becker is an orthopedic surgeon. Both treated plaintiff and were called as plaintiff witnesses.
Plaintiff principally argues that defendant's counsel personally attacked plaintiff's expert, Dr. Bolin, "in a manner which implied that he felt chiropractors were mere charletons [sic] who cared more for the money than for their patients."
The argument of defendant's counsel which plaintiff complains of, as set forth in the brief, is as follows:
The evidence disclosed that plaintiff saw Dr. Becker, the orthopedic surgeon, twice and one of those occasions was just before trial. Plaintiff saw Dr. Bolin, the chiropractic physician, three times a week for several weeks and then once a month for ten and one-half months for a period of 10 to 15 minutes on each visit.
Assuming that plaintiff's objection was sufficient to cover the argument of defendant's counsel here complained of, we do not feel that such argument could call for reversal in this instance. See Highway Commission v. Callahan, 242 Or. 551, 558, 410 P.2d 818 (1966). Defendant's argument is *319 not a model for presenting the defendant's view of the evidence. However, it is well established that the trial court is in the best position to evaluate the effect upon the jury of claimed prejudice because of an attorney's argument. Usually, these matters are left largely to the discretion of the trial court, subject to reversal only for an abuse of that discretion. Plourd v. Southern Pac. Transp. Co., 272 Or. 35, 534 P.2d 965 (1975).
This case is further complicated by the fact that plaintiff failed to move for a mistrial when the argument objected to was presented to the jury. This court has stated:
There are photographs in evidence which indicate the impact to plaintiff's car was not severe. Dr. Becker, orthopedic surgeon, testified that plaintiff's cervical and low back injuries were "very minimal." Dr. Bolin testified the injuries were of a more severe nature.
Under the circumstances in this case, defendant's jury argument was certainly not abusive or only calculated to cause prejudice  at least the jury was not convinced, as its verdict allowed plaintiff special damages in the amount prayed for, including Dr. Bolin's charges. We conclude there was no error by the trial judge.
Plaintiff also assigned as error the trial court's denial of plaintiff's motion for a new trial but withdrew this assignment at the time of argument.
Affirmed.