Opinion ID: 1822971
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficiency of Evidence: Negligence and Nuisance

Text: ¶ 15. The jury found that WEPCO was negligent in providing electrical service to the Hoffmann farm and that its distribution of electricity to the farm constituted a nuisance. The jury found that WEPCO's negligence and the nuisance were each a cause of the damages sustained by the Hoffmanns. [12] It is undisputed that the Hoffmanns were having problems with the health and milk production of their dairy herd. Rather, the point of contention between WEPCO and the Hoffmanns is whether WEPCO's delivery of electricity to the Hoffmann farm was a cause of these problems. ¶ 16. Both WEPCO and the Hoffmanns produced various expert witnesses who testified regarding the effect of electricity on the health and milk production of dairy cows. In Wisconsin, a witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education may give his or her expert opinion if his or her scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or determine a fact in issue. See Wis. Stat. § 907.02. In cases where there is conflicting expert testimony, it is up to the jury, as the trier of fact, to determine weight and credibility. Schultz v. State, 87 Wis. 2d 167, 173, 274 N.W.2d 614 (1979). As Judge Kirk commented in his decision on motions after verdict, the jury determines the weight of expert testimony and, in this case, the jury chose the Hoffmanns' experts. ¶ 17. During the course of the trial, the Hoffmanns and their witnesses testified that non-traditional stray voltage, or ground currents, resulting from WEPCO's deteriorated, underground, bare-concentric electrical distribution cable, was a cause of the problems with the Hoffmanns' dairy herd. The PSC made findings in Dockets 106 and 115 [13] that dealt with the effect of traditional stray voltage on cows; however, in Docket 108, the findings of the PSC were inconclusive with respect to the effect of ground currents or non-traditional stray voltage on cows. Although the PSC's findings were inconclusive regarding the effect of ground currents, the Hoffmanns' expert witnesses testified that there can be negative effects on the health and performance of dairy cows when electrical currents are flowing through their environment, regardless of the magnitude of cow contact measurements for traditional stray voltage. [14] Thus, the Hoffmanns argued that despite WEPCO's assertions to the contrary, cow contact measurements do not tell the whole story about the negative impact of electrical current on dairy cows. ¶ 18. The Hoffmanns' expert witnesses also disputed studies introduced at trial by WEPCO's expert witnesses regarding the effect of electricity on cows. The Hoffmanns' expert witnesses testified that there is a significant difference between controlled laboratory studies, where cows are exposed to electricity for only short periods of time, and constant, long-term exposure to electrical currents, which is what the Hoffmanns contended that their cows had experienced. ¶ 19. The Hoffmanns' witnesses further testified that the substantial electrical current on the Hoffmann farm was due to WEPCO's deteriorated, underground cable. There was testimony that in testing the electrical current on the farm using a ground ring, there was an increase in earth current when the electrical load on WEPCO's underground line was increased, rather than an increased return current on the primary neutral, where the current was supposed to be. In contrast, when the same increased load was placed on a farm generator, there was no increase in earth current. There was also trial testimony that WEPCO employees had told the Hoffmanns that this particular bare-concentric cable had been causing problems for years, but WEPCO had not done anything about it. ¶ 20. The Hoffmanns also presented evidence that WEPCO was negligent in failing to address the problems caused by non-traditional stray voltage on their farm. The Hoffmanns argued that WEPCO was negligent when it realized that the underground, bare-concentric cable was deteriorating at a faster rate than expected due to corrosion, but yet failed to remove and replace the line. One of the Hoffmanns' expert witnesses, William English, P.E., testified that this kind of cable was originally thought to last 25-30 years, but that they have generally only lasted 10-15 years. Moreover, Mr. English testified that this kind of cable is no longer generally used in the utility industry due to its inadequate performance. Consistent with Mr. English's testimony, when WEPCO re-tested the cable shortly before trial, it showed further deterioration from the first time it was tested in 1989. ¶ 21. In addition, the Hoffmanns themselves testified regarding their extensive efforts to address the problems with their dairy herd, which were largely to no avail. The Hoffmanns, with the assistance of their herd veterinarian and nutritionist, explored and exhausted possible causes of the poor health and reduced milk production of their cows, and ultimately concluded that electricity was the only source that had not been eliminated. ¶ 22. Based on all the above, we agree with Judge Kirk that the entire evidentiary picture [as] painted by the plaintiffs' experts and [the] plaintiffs personally .. . is sufficient to sustain the verdict. As the trier of fact, the jury determines the weight and credibility of the evidence presented, and we will uphold their findings if there is any credible evidence to support their verdict. In light of the substantial testimony of the Hoffmanns and their witnesses, we conclude that there was ample evidence for the jury to find that non-traditional stray voltage resulting from WEPCO's deteriorated, underground, bare-concentric electrical distribution cable was a cause of damage to the Hoffmanns' dairy herd.