Opinion ID: 1710883
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: In the second division of their written brief and argument defendants combine their three remaining assignments of error.

Text: Defendants admit the error asserted based on the court's statement of plaintiff's prayer in instruction 9 is not prejudicial unless it appears the verdict was excessive. We therefore first consider the claim of excessiveness. In this connection we must take the evidence in the aspect most favorable to plaintiff which it will reasonably bear. We must also give weight to the fact the trial court with benefit of seeing and hearing the witnesses, observing the jury and having before it all incidents of the trial did not see fit to interfere. Shover v. Iowa Lutheran Hospital, 252 Iowa 706, 718, 107 N.W.2d 85, 92; Miller v. Young, 168 N.W.2d 45, 52, (Iowa 1969). At time of accident plaintiff was 71 and at time of trial, 72. He had a life expectancy of 9.15 years. Plaintiff had been a truck driver most of his life driving for other truck owners. Since reaching 65, he had his own truck and worked for himself until January 1969, a few months before the accident giving rise to this lawsuit. The winter before the accident plaintiff had talked to a Mr. Holcomb about returning to work around May 1 as a truck driver. He was to work seven or eight months at $2.50 per hour and planned to work as much as 70 hours a week. In the accident he received a fractured cheek bone and a bruised chest. At the time of trial plaintiff was still experiencing some pain above the right ear which his doctor testified was permanent. He had incurred doctor and hospital bills and loss of wages. His specials totaled $6910.45 which left approximately $8000 for pain and suffering including face surgery and personal disability to the extent he could not perform manual labor as before the accident. In Mazur v. Grantham, 255 Iowa 1292, 1303, 125 N.W.2d 807, 813-814, we said: In considering the size of verdicts we have repeatedly referred to passion and prejudice, shock the conscience, failure to administer substantial justice, the rule of fair compensation, and lack of support in the evidence. [citing authorities] It seems fundamental the most important of these is support in the evidence. If the verdict has supports in the evidence the others will hardly arise, if it lacks support they may all arise. The real question in most cases, and here, is the amount and sufficiency of evidence to support the award made. Certainly where the verdict is within a reasonable range as indicated by the evidence the courts should not interfere with what is primarily a jury question. See also Mabrier v. A. M. Servicing Corporation of Raytown, 161 N.W.2d 180, 183, (Iowa 1968); Wilson v. Jefferson Transportation Co., 163 N.W.2d 367, 374, (Iowa 1968). The verdict is within a reasonable range as indicated by the evidence. We decline to interfere with what is primarily a jury question. Having arrived at the conclusion the verdict is not excessive, we do not reach defendants' other assignments of error. The case is Affirmed.