Opinion ID: 884504
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Did the District Court err in granting Anderson's motion for judgment as a matter of law on the issue of Anderson's comparative negligence?

Text: ¶ 30 We review a Rule 50(a), M.R.Civ.P. motion for judgment as a matter of law to determine whether the nonmoving party could prevail upon any view of the evidence including the legitimate inferences to be drawn therefrom. Cameron v. Mercer, 1998 MT 134, ¶ 8, 54 St.Rep. 531, ¶ 8, ___ Mont. ___, ¶ 8, 960 P.2d 302, ¶ 8. Courts will exercise great self-restraint in interfering with the constitutional right of trial by jury. Cameron, ¶ 8. Unless there is a complete absence of any credible evidence in support of the verdict, judgment as a matter of law is improper. Cameron, ¶ 8. In reviewing a motion for judgment as a matter of law, we adhere to the following well-established principles: We consider only the evidence introduced by the party against whom the directed verdict is granted. If that evidence, when viewed in a light most favorable to the party, tends to establish the case made by the party's pleading, we will reverse the directed verdict. The test commonly used to determine if the evidence is legally sufficient to withdraw cases and issues from the jury is whether reasonable persons could draw different conclusions from the evidence. Riley v. American Honda Motor Co. (1993), 259 Mont. 128, 131, 856 P.2d 196, 198 (citations omitted). ¶ 31 Werner/Freeman argues that the court erred in granting Anderson's motion for judgment as a matter of law on the issue of Anderson's comparative negligence. Werner/Freeman contends that reasonable persons could draw different conclusions from the evidence produced at trial, and that it was possible Werner/Freeman could establish Anderson's conduct as a proximate cause of the accident. ¶ 32 In arguing that Anderson was comparatively negligent, Werner/Freeman cites Nissen v. Johnson (1959), 135 Mont. 329, 333, 339 P.2d 651, 653, for the proposition that a driver has a duty to keep a proper lookout, and Moore v. Jacobsen (1953), 127 Mont. 341, 344, 263 P.2d 713, 715-16, for the proposition that a driver has a duty to take reasonable steps to avoid an accident. Werner/Freeman asserts that the following evidence shows Anderson was driving too fast for the conditions and failed to slow or stop his truck when he had time to do so: (1) several witnesses testified that the road where the accident occurred was extremely icy; (2) Anderson testified in his pre-trial deposition that he was driving 50 miles per hour prior to approaching Horseshoe Hill, and answered yes to the question, and you would have maintained that speed [50 miles per hour] then on through the point of collision with Mr. Freeman's truck?; (3) Bennett testified that when she lost control of her car and began sliding, she looked off in the distance, saw Anderson's oncoming headlights, and, based on her knowledge as a truck driver, her reaction was that Anderson was far enough away that he had time to stop; (4) Officer Schumacher testified that based on Bennett's testimony concerning where she lost control of her car on the road, Anderson would have been roughly the distance of two football fields away from Bennett when Bennett lost control; (5) Anderson testified at trial that he did not remember whether he applied his brakes upon seeing Bennett's spinning car; and (6) Ranger Seibert and Officer Schumacher testified that they did not see any skid marks on the road as evidence that Anderson applied his brakes to avoid the accident. ¶ 33 We reject Werner/Freeman's contention that reasonable persons could draw different conclusions from the evidence concerning Anderson's comparative negligence. First, there exists no evidence supporting Werner/Freeman's assertion that Anderson failed to keep a proper lookout while driving his truck. Second, the above items of evidence are completely lacking in either credibility or foundation to support Werner/Freeman's assertion that Anderson failed to take reasonable steps to avoid the collision. ¶ 34 With respect to whether Anderson was driving too fast for the conditions, both Ranger Seibert and Loren Davis, another trucker who was traveling in the same direction as Anderson but quite a distance behind him, testified that from West Yellowstone to midway up Horseshoe Hill, the road was dry. Ranger Seibert and Officer Schumacher testified that Anderson's speed of 50 miles per hour was prudent for those conditions. Although the road was icy from the crest of Horseshoe Hill to the point where Bennett lost control, Werner/Freeman offered no credible evidence that Anderson's truck was traveling at a rate of 50 miles per hour over this particular stretch of the road. Despite Anderson's pre-trial testimony that he would have maintained his pre-Horseshoe Hill speed of 50 miles per hour to the point of collision, he testified at trial that he could not remember his speed immediately before the collision, and that he would have maintained his speed of 50 miles per hour if he had not seen Bennett spinning out of control. Mr. Davis testified that he traveled the incline of Horseshoe Hill at 35 miles per hour and Officer Schumacher confirmed that, generally, northbound trucks are traveling very slowly by the time they reach the crest of Horseshoe Hill. ¶ 35 With respect to Anderson's ability to stop in time to avoid the collision, Werner/Freeman's evidence is speculative and lacks foundation. Bennett formed her opinion that Anderson had enough time to stop when it was dark and while she was spinning out of control. Bennett testified that she momentarily lost consciousness and never saw the collision. She admitted that everything happened very quickly. ¶ 36 With respect to whether Anderson applied his brakes, Anderson's statement that he could not remember applying his brakes does not prove that Anderson failed to apply his brakes. Similarly, the absence of skid marks does not prove that Anderson failed to apply his brakes. Officer Schumacher testified that the change in conditions caused by falling snow, other vehicles traveling by the accident scene, and sand being spread out on the highway immediately after the collision obliterated any skid marks that may have been left by Anderson. ¶ 37 Although a driver has a duty to keep a proper lookout and to take reasonable steps to avoid a collision, a driver does not have a duty to anticipate injury which comes about only as the result of the negligence of another. Green v. Hagele (1979), 182 Mont. 155, 158, 595 P.2d 1159, 1161. The record shows that Anderson could not have avoided the collision. At trial, Freeman testified: It's not conceivable, but the only thing he [Anderson] could have done that he didn't do was to come to a complete stop, but that would not have stopped the accident from happening. So I don't think there is a thing he could have done  there is nothing he could have done that he hadn't already done. That was clear to me. He was caught in a situation where there was nothing else he could do. ¶ 38 Considering Werner/Freeman's evidence, and viewing that evidence in the light most favorable to Werner/Freeman, we are convinced that reasonable persons could draw no other conclusion but that the facts did not support a causal connection between Anderson's actions and his injuries, and that Werner/Freeman could not prevail on a claim of comparative negligence. We hold that the District Court did not err in granting Anderson's motion for judgment as a matter of law on the issue of Anderson's comparative negligence.