Opinion ID: 3180361
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Aaron Mize’s Trial Testimony

Text: Mr. Mize testified he began working for O.K. Farms in June 2012. His job was “to open and close doors . . . to keep the temperature inside those trailers at a range where the chickens would still be healthy.” Id. at 1061. Mr. Mize stated that, before the accident, he went into the chicken house. He further testified as follows: Q. What made you go in there? A. Because he said it was tight, so I offered—I said I will watch him. .... And make sure he didn’t hit the [water]line. .... Q. Could Troy see in front of him? . . . . - 15 - A. You have a blind spot right here. Q. To the right basically. A. Yes. Q. Front right, you can’t see, right? A. No. Q. He knew that, right? A. Yes. Q. You knew that, right? A. Yes. .... Q. This injury happened as Troy Ford is pulling forward; correct? A. Correct. Q. And you see this man who got run over at the last second; right? A. Correct. Q. And what was he doing? A. It looked like he was moving like to get over the line. Q. All right. Where were you located? A. Behind the Moffett on the right. Q. All right. You are behind the Moffett on the right; correct? A. Correct. Q. You are looking ahead; right? A. Correct. Q. You could see ahead of you; correct? A. Correct. Q. And you could look and see anything you wanted to in front of you, there is nothing obstructing your view; correct? .... A. True. .... Q. And the man who got run over, what did he look like he was doing? A. It looked like he was trying to step over the waterline. Q. And that’s when the Moffett hit him; correct? A. Yes, and that’s when I said whoa. Q. Okay. And Troy Ford stopped when you said whoa, didn’t he? A. Yes, but it was too late. .... A. . . . I was looking all around because I wasn’t—I wasn’t a full-blown spotter.[6] 6 Mr. Mize later explained that by “full-blown spotter” he meant “somebody that is actually trained to be a spotter.” Id. at 1000. When asked, “were you trained on any safety rules by O.K. farms?” he answered, “No.” Id. at 988. - 16 - ..... Q. . . . . So were you looking to the right? A. Yes. Q. Looking to the left? A. Yes. Q. Looking straight ahead? A. Yes. Q. Looking up? A. Yes. Q. Looking down? A. Yes. Q. So you really weren’t just looking at the waterlines, were you? .... A. I mean, I wasn’t—like I said, I wasn’t dead set on watching, watching, watching, watching, watching. . . . . .... Q. Isn’t it true that you have said in the past that Jimmy Hill came out in the front of it and that you couldn’t see him at first? A. Correct. .... Q. . . . .Where did he come from? Do you know? A. The front of the [Moffett]. Q. How do you know that if you couldn’t see him? A. Because of the way he was coming when I seen him. Q. Do you know if he was on the left side of the [Moffett] and walked in front of it? A. Yes. .... Q. So he must have come from the left, across the front and then stepped out. Does that sound fair? A. Yes. .... Q. Do you recall that there was an investigator . . . from J.B. Hunt that came to the scene pretty quickly after the injury? A. Yes. .... Q. Did you tell him that Jimmy Hill was standing on your side? A. Yeah. .... Q. Well, if he was standing on your side, he didn’t come out from in front of the Moffett, did he? A. I guess not. - 17 - Id. at 983-85, 989-90, 992-97, 1046, 1051.