Opinion ID: 1652921
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Negligent Act or Intentional Tort?

Text: The court found that while Johnson gave Ritter a general order to bring his truck to the weigh station, he did not specifically order Ritter to turn the truck around on the face of the dam, and that he suggested Ritter bring the truck back up to the highway by another route which he mistakenly believed to be open. The court concluded that Johnson was not guilty of negligence in so acting. Negligence is the failure to exercise the ordinary care which a reasonable person would exercise under similar conditions. Lovell v. Oahe Electric Cooperative, 382 N.W.2d 396, 398 (S.D.1986); Wittmeier v. Post, 78 S.D. 520, 526, 105 N.W.2d 65, 68 (1960); Granflaten v. Rohde, 66 S.D. 335, 339, 283 N.W. 153, 155 (1938). What constitutes due care and other questions relating to negligence ... are generally questions of fact for the jury. Lovell v. Oahe, Id. at 399 ( citing Hitzel v. Clark, 334 N.W.2d 37, 38 (S.D.1983); Stoltz v. Stonecypher, 336 N.W.2d 654, 657 (S.D.1983)). Here, the trial court was acting in place of the jury as fact finder. There was some disagreement in the testimony about exactly what Johnson said to Ritter just before Ritter tried to turn the truck around. However, the trial court's findings as to what Johnson said are supported by the record and will not be disturbed because they are not clearly erroneous. We defer to the trial court's evaluation of witness credibility. State v. Pfaff, 456 N.W.2d 558, 561 (S.D.1990); Langerman v. Langerman, 336 N.W.2d 669, 670 (S.D.1983). On the basis of the facts found by the court, we affirm the court's conclusion that Johnson's acts were not negligent. Ritter contends that the court erred in concluding that because Johnson's acts were ministerial in nature, he could not have been negligent. However, there is nothing in the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law to support this interpretation of the court's ruling. In separate Conclusions of Law, the court held that Johnson's act in ordering Ritter to the weigh station was both (1) ministerial and (2) not negligent. On the record, neither conclusion is erroneous. Ritter also suggests that Johnson was guilty of committing an intentional tort. Again, there is nothing in the record which supports that contention and we affirm.