Opinion ID: 2402987
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the trial court erred in submitting the issue of conscious pain and suffering to the jury.

Text: Witness Gerald Clayton observed the accident and immediately went to the scene. Although he could not see the driver's eyes, he did see him making twisting and jerking movements and heard him making different noises through his mouth and nose. He indicated that when it would become more difficult for the victim to breathe through the mouth, he would change to the nose and when that became difficult, he switched back to breathing through his mouth. There is some evidence, from the witness's observation, that the deceased was conscious. The emergency room doctor testified that it would have been most unlikely that Mr. Mackey experienced any conscious pain and suffering. The doctor's statement does not rule out the possibility that the decedent actually suffered conscious pain. Therefore, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the appellee, we cannot say that there was no substantial evidence supporting this instruction and that it should not have been presented to the jury. This is one of those issues which may not develop exactly the same at a second trial. Although the evidence in the matter was very meager, we think it rose to the level of that found in the case of Ashcraft v. Jerome Hardwood Lumber Company, 173 Ark. 135, 292 S.W. 386 (1927). Our cases have dealt with the facts and circumstances of each case and relied heavily on the nature and extent of the injuries when determining whether conscious pain and suffering are recoverable. A question for the jury was established in this case.