Opinion ID: 1788754
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: damage to vehicle's parts

Text: There is no dispute regarding the damage to the Jackson vehicle caused by the rollovers during the accident. (See App., Ex. D-29). The damage to the axle parts and surrounding mechanical components on the Jackson vehicle conclusively proves that the axle broke as a result of severe impact upon the left rear wheel during rollover. The photographs admitted in evidence clearly point out what General Motor's experts described about each relevant part's appearance and condition, following examination subsequent to the accident. All affected parts had a flattened area on the exterior portions, indicating extreme left side force. The left rear (See App., Ex. D-29) and the right rear (See App., Ex. P-3-L) wheel rims were bent due to extreme force during rollover. The axle shaft was bent downward and from the left side, which under normal laws of physics, indicates extreme force from the left side. It had Brinell marks (dents) both in the bearing area and on the button (inside) end. The bearing surface was bent in similar left side fashion. Reynolds in testimony showed the jury how eight of the roller ball bearings were bent or flattened on one side due to the tremendous force that came down from the left side upon the axle. (See App., Ex. D-27-1-59). The bearing oil seal was similarly damaged. The wheel bearing cage was flattened and the bearing flattened at the edge. (See App., Ex. D-27-1-59). Indentation markings were on the outer race bearing. The outer edge of the axle tube was bent. The flange itself was similarly bent. There was an indentation on the button end of the shaft. The wheel rim was bent in similar fashion. The brake drum was bent sideways from a downward tremendous left side force. The brake backing plate was not worn off on the bottom. This is very significant. This part of the Jackson vehicle would be the first metal part to make contact with the pavement if the wheel had just come off under normal driving conditions. This wearing off of the brake backing plate was clearly demonstrated in the General Motors video. As previously noted, in order to demonstrate the impossibility of the Jackson version, General Motors filmed a video of a GMC Jimmy vehicle, with an axle previously cut at the spot on the flange area where the Jackson axle had fractured. During normal 55 mile per hour driving of the test vehicle, the left rear axle eventually fractured after driving approximately 17 miles and the left rear wheel of that vehicle went flying off to the left side ending up on the left side of the roadway, some 700 feet down range from the point of breakage. In the case at bar, the wheel ended up on the right side of the roadway out into the edge of the pond within 12 feet of the vehicle, indicating along with the other facts, that the General Motors version is the probable cause of this accident. In the General Motors demonstration video, when the wheel left the vehicle, the brake backing plate struck the pavement and immediately began to leave a long straight scrape mark, which subsequently turned black due to the brake fluid that began to drain on it. In the case sub judice, the brake backing plate was not sheared off from dragging on pavement, it was bent inward, conclusively showing a tremendous left side force. In the General Motors demonstration test vehicle, there was damage of shearing or dragging to the U-bolts where the nuts were screwed on the bolts. (See App., Ex. 27-1-59). U-bolts are what hold the rear leaf springs in place and by necessity, as in the General Motors video demonstration, there were drag marks on the pavement and wearing on the bottom portion of the U-bolt parts, due to their making contact with the asphalt. The Jackson vehicle was totally devoid of any wearing off of the U-bolts. Additionally, there was an absence of drag marks on the pavement in either the westbound (north) lane or the eastbound (south) lane. The only markings in the eastbound (south) lane after the yaw markings of the tires are spaced out metal scrape markings, not tire markings, indicating rollover and nothing more. These spaced out metal scrape markings continue on across the westbound (north) lane, as the vehicle rolled over several times as it headed for the ditch and pond area where it came to rest. (See App., Ex. 28-3 and Ex. 27-2-21). Additionally, the driver never lost control of the vehicle in the General Motors video demonstration, the vehicle simply lost power and shut down. However, under the Jackson version, when the left wheel came off the vehicle during normal driving in the westbound lane of traffic, Linda Jackson totally lost control of the vehicle. Dr. Edward Reynolds testified regarding his metallurgy examination of the parts through magnification; he found the point of origins on the fracture face, he found a problem with the compression chip and he found that the fracture area did not contain quench cracks, but rather contained secondary cracks which follow any fracture from the origin to the surface. The overwhelming factual physical evidence supports General Motors version of what caused this accident. Linda Jackson took her eyes off the road momentarily to check her baby and either ran slightly off the right side edge of the pavement or drifted out of her proper lane. Linda Jackson testified that she felt a bump. She quickly jerked the steering wheel in order to compensate for her error and found herself in an oversteer situation, within the wrong lane of traffic. She would have had to make a sharp right hand turn on the steering wheel to get back into her proper west bound lane of traffic in order to get her vehicle into that type of yaw or fishtail left slide as depicted by the photographs. Linda Jackson testified that it seemed like she was in deep gravel. To a driver experiencing this oversteer sensation, it could well have felt like she was in deep gravel. The sensation is a top heavy, rear end fishtailing effect. Rhoades even admitted on cross-examination, that after Linda Jackson left her westbound (north) lane and entered the improper eastbound (south) lane, her vehicle of necessity would have had to be in a southward angle while in the eastbound lane. Rhoades also had to admit that Linda Jackson would have had to make a right turn on the steering wheel while she was in the eastbound lane, in order to position the vehicle in a left sideways slide. Rhoades testified as follows: A. Mrs. Jackson's vehicle had a very slight angle towards the south before she left the westbound lane and entered the eastbound lane. Q. And you admit, do you not, that she had to make, Mrs. Jackson had to make a right turn to get into the yaw position skidding? A. Well, I think you need to explain that. Q. Well, I'm asking you to explain it. A. I'll be glad to explain it. Q. All right. A. I've testified that she had a right steering input... Q. When she made her right steer is when the car started to skid, is it not? A. It is indeed. What Rhoades cannot account for is Linda Jackson's claim that she lost control in the westbound lane when the axle broke and the wheel came off and no markings of any type were left on the pavement in either lane until she went into a left sideways slide in the eastbound lane. This case is not about an award of seven million dollars against General Motors. The damages in the case sub judice were not even disputed by General Motors. The damages were very substantial and will last a lifetime for the Jackson family. Each family member involved suffered severe harm as a result of this accident. Nothing can restore the lives they had before this accident. The issue in this case is causation. General Motors cannot be held liable for the damages suffered by the Jacksons unless there is proof that something it did or failed to do was the direct proximate cause of the accident. The verdict is against the overwhelming weight of the evidence where the physical facts totally contradict the plaintiff's version of causation, and overwhelmingly support the defendant's version. A second important issue is the guarantee of a fair trial for all litigants in this state's civil justice system. This Court has stated on many occasions, that a litigant is entitled to a fair and impartial trial, but not a perfect one. This case was neither perfect, nor fair. Therein lies the problem. Fairness and equal treatment under the law are all anyone ever desires of our judicial system. Because of the distinct facts, which overwhelmingly support General Motors' theory of the cause of this accident, and rebut the Jacksons' theory, and because of the numerous, significant errors pertaining to issues of law set out in the dissenting opinion of my colleague, Chief Justice Hawkins, I too am compelled to dissent. I would reverse and remand this case, granting to General Motors the fair trial to which they were initially entitled, but failed to receive. I respectfully dissent. HAWKINS, C.J., and PRATHER, P.J. join this opinion.