Opinion ID: 1878856
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Evidence of Gross Negligence

Text: The trial court granted Coastal's motion for a directed verdict on the issue of gross negligence, thus disallowing Crown Central's claim for exemplary damages. In reviewing the granting of a directed verdict, we must determine whether there is more than a scintilla of evidence to raise a fact issue on the question of gross negligence. [2] Collora v. Navarro, 574 S.W.2d 65, 68 (Tex.1978). We consider all of the evidence in a light most favorable to the party against whom the verdict was instructed and disregard all contrary evidence and inferences; we give the losing party the benefit of all reasonable inferences created by the evidence. White v. Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 651 S.W.2d 260, 262 (Tex.1983). If the evidence supporting a finding of gross negligence rises to a level that would enable reasonable and fair-minded people to differ in their conclusions, it constitutes more than a scintilla of evidence and the case must be reversed and remanded for a jury determination. Moriel, 879 S.W.2d at 25. Coastal does not challenge the objective element of gross negligence C that the act or omission complained of must involve an extreme degree of risk, considering the probability and magnitude of the potential harm to others. Consequently, the question before us is whether the subjective element has been met. The subjective element of gross negligence requires evidence that Coastal was aware of the risk involved, but nevertheless proceeded in conscious indifference to the rights, safety, or welfare of others. Moriel, 879 S.W.2d at 23; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code § 41.003(a)(3), (b). Crown Central argues that evidence that Coastal failed to ensure that all defective probes were replaced is some evidence of conscious indifference. But the record reflects that the truck in question was sent for servicing shortly before the accident, and that the probe in question was replaced at that time. There is no evidence that Coastal was consciously indifferent to the repair request. Crown Central also argues that Coastal demonstrated conscious indifference by failing to ensure that it did not replace the probe with another defective probe. Coastal had obtained some new replacement probes after a 1989 spill, and the replacement probes were not thought to be defective at the time of the 1993 accident. Crown Central argues that Coastal may have replaced the probe with one of the older probes that was known to have problems, instead of using one of the replacement probes. In support of this argument, Crown Central cites testimony that the replacement probes were visually indistinguishable from the older-model probes, and that it was the usual practice in the industry for probes to remain in a transport company's inventory for three to five years prior to use. From this, Crown Central argues that a reasonable person could conclude that Coastal knowingly maintained older-model probes in its Houston inventory, and that it demonstrated conscious indifference by replacing the probe in question with one of these oldermodel defective probes. We disagree. While it is certainly possible that the probe was replaced by an older-model defective probe, there is simply no evidence that Coastal knowingly maintained such probes in its inventory and placed one in the truck that caused the explosion. It is true that there was testimony that the probe was replaced out of Coastal's inventory stock, and there was testimony that, industry-wide, it is not uncommon for probes to remain on the shelf for several years before use. But speculation that Coastal may have followed the general industry practice falls short of establishing conscious indifference and is no evidence of Coastal's actual awareness that a defective, older-model replacement probe would be placed in its truck. Because there was no evidence that Coastal had actual, subjective knowledge of defective probes in its inventory, and yet proceeded to act in conscious indifference to the risk posed by such probes, we hold that the trial court properly granted Coastal's motion for a directed verdict on gross negligence.