Opinion ID: 1154745
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: background events

Text: On May 26, 1990, Billy Ray Stevens was driving through a residential area in Petal, Mississippi and drove past the home of Jim Guthrie. Stevens, in a deposition stated: Whenever I went through there I heard a lawn mower and I looked over and I looked back ahead of me and then something hit me. Stevens testified he suffered an injury to his left eye. The report of Stevens' doctor supported that Stevens suffered significant loss of vision and that his chance for recovery of sight was very minimal. Subsequent interviews by the Guthries' insurance representative, Rachel Cole, revealed the Guthries' son, David, age 11, and a friend both mowed the lawn and shot a BB gun across the road that same day; at one point they heard a car slow down. Later a man came to the Guthries' home and reported that someone had been shot in the eye. A chronology of relevant events, taken largely from Rachel Cole's investigation of this claim, appears as follows: May 26, 1990  Hospital records indicate Billy Ray Stevens seen at the emergency room of Forrest General Hospital at approximately 1315 hours, or 1:15 p.m., following an incident in which he suffered an eye injury. Report indicates Stevens suffered significant loss of vision with minimal chance of recovery in his left eye. March 12, 1991  R. Cole interviews Jim Guthrie's wife, Sherrye, and son, David, concerning the events leading to the claim of injury by Billy Ray Stevens. May 26, 1990  According to Sherry Guthrie, she remained inside the Guthrie's residence while her son, David, went outside to mow the lawn. David began mowing and was joined by his neighbor/friend, Ashley McAlexander. Sherry Guthrie stated the boys mowed the yard before lunch up until about 12 o'clock. The boys then came into the house, ate lunch, and then rested. They later went back outside to play. Later Sherrye discovered from Ashley McAlexander's father that the boys had been shooting a bb gun while they were playing. When questioned, David admitted to his mother it was possible they had shot a man with the bb gun. David Guthrie, recalled that he, then age 11, and Ashley McAlexander mowed the lawn on May 26, 1990. Afterwards, the boys got tired and went inside to get some water. They next went back outside to play at their clubhouse, found the bb gun and began shooting across the road. David stated the boys at one point heard a car slow down, got scared, and hid both themselves and the gun. They went back inside and later a man in a white truck came to the Guthries' door and reported that earlier that day someone had been shot in the eye nearby. By letter dated July 17, 1990, Attorney Michael B. McMahan, representing Stevens, the plaintiff, wrote a letter to the defendant, Jim Guthrie, requesting information about Guthrie's lawn mower in order to investigate the possibility of a suit against the lawn mower manufacturer. McMahan also wrote to Guthrie's insurance company, State Farm, requesting an interview with Guthrie. McMahan informed State Farm he would like to just lay everything out on the table, and to freely exchange facts. Ultimately suit was filed against Guthrie on behalf of Stevens for $25,000 alleging negligent operation of the lawn mower, resulting in serious injury to Stevens' eye. On March 8, 1991, Attorney Jack Land informed McMahan that he had been employed to defend Guthrie in this cause. Correspondence between the two attorneys, McMahan and Land, concerning the case continued, with depositions scheduled and with McMahan continuing to request information about the lawn mower. The deposition of the plaintiff, Stevens, was taken by Land on April 3, 1991. In the deposition the only theory discussed of what hit Mr. Stevens in the eye was Mr. Stevens' belief that a rock had hit him as he drove past the Guthrie residence. Stevens recalled a lawn mower being operated in the Guthrie's yard at that time. Stevens' attorney filed a motion for protective order on April 18, 1991, to have the depositions of additional plaintiff's witnesses postponed until depositions of defendant Guthrie and his son could be taken. The next day, Land filed a motion for protective order on behalf of Guthrie to preclude plaintiff from taking the deposition of or obtaining the claim file from Guthrie's insurance representative, Rachel Cole. Land asserted this file contained privileged information, not discoverable.