Opinion ID: 276959
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Appeal of Baker

Text: 14 a. The claim that Baker was not negligent. 15 The trial court found Baker liable on two theories. The first is that Baker negligently provided an inadequately trained instructor. The findings based upon this theory appear in paragraphs 36 and 38. The second theory is that Shima was himself negligent in taking off when he did. The second is the only theory on which the case was tried, argued and submitted. Baker correctly argues that the first theory was not presented in the pleadings or the pretrial order, and was not argued. It first appeared in the trial court's decision of June 21, 1965. On June 30, 1965, Mrs. Furumizo moved to amend the complaint and pretrial order to state the first theory and this motion was granted. Baker now vigorously argues that it should not be held liable on the first theory because it had no notice of it and therefore had no opportunity to meet it. It argues that it could have produced additional evidence that might have convinced the trial judge that Shima was fully and properly instructed as to the dangers of taking off in a small plane into the wake turbulence of a very large one. We are inclined to agree, although we do not decide this question. 16 Baker also argues that the court made no finding on the second theory, the one on which the case was tried. This is literally correct. Nowhere is there a direct finding that Shima was negligent. The trial judge thought that he had made such a finding, as is indicated by a colloquy between court and counsel on motion for a new trial. In that the court was mistaken, and such a situation would normally require a remand for further findings on the issue. Here, however, it is apparent from the record that the court intended to make the finding; presumably it would do so on remand. We think that such a remand is unnecessary here. All that Baker seeks, in relation to the first theory, is an opportunity to convince the trial judge that Shima was in fact fully informed about the danger of wake turbulence, thus showing that Baker was not negligent in employing him as an instructor. But if Baker succeeded in proving that, it would bring itself within the second theory, the one on which the case was tried. As the trial court said (paragraph 38): 17 Had Shima been an adequately trained pilot, and had he been adequately instructed and made fully aware of the dangers of large plane wake turbulence to small planes, the Court cannot believe that he would have taken off at the time and under the circumstances he did, the evidence indicating that he was a careful and prudent person, not one given to taking undue chances. A well-trained pilot, adequately schooled in the actual dangers to planes of the size of this Piper of turbulence created by planes of the size of the DC-8, would have done what the pilots of the C-47 did — wait until a reasonable time had elapsed to allow the most violent aspects of the turbulence to dissipate before taking off   . 18 To have done anything else would certainly have been negligent. In substance, then, the trial court's findings do embody the second theory. Remand for a more specific finding would be a triumph of form over substance. 19 b. The claim that decedent Furumizo was guilty of contributory negligence. 20 The trial court found that he was not, the finding on this issue being contained in paragraph 37. This finding is based on the proposition that Shima, as instructor, was in control of the takeoff, which he clearly was. It is also based on the failure of the defendants to show that Furumizo knew the danger. On this question, the evidence is in conflict, and we cannot say that this finding, embodied in the trial court's footnote 5, is clearly erroneous. 21 c. The claim that the damages awarded are excessive. 1. The estimate of future earnings. 22 The court's findings appear in paragraph 70. Baker first attacks subparagraph (c), in which the court determined that it was reasonably certain that Furumizo would have been promoted to Grade GS-11 within 10 years. It is urged that this is pure speculation. In a sense, of course, any prediction of this kind is speculative. If things were not as they are, they would be quite otherwise, but no one can be certain as to just how they would be otherwise. Nevertheless, in a wrongful death case, loss of future earnings must be estimated. In that sense, the court must speculate. All that is required is reasonable certainty, Condron v. Harl, 1962, 46 Haw. 66, 72, 374 P.2d 613, 617, an uncertain phrase used to limit what must inevitably be a decision lacking in certainty. It is not the law, as Baker seems to suggest, that the court cannot take into account probable promotions. Ginoza v. Takai Electric Co., 1955, 40 Haw. 691, 707, and see Rohlfing v. Moses Akiona, Ltd., 1961, 45 Haw. 373, 369 P.2d 96. The finding is not clearly erroneous. 23 Next, Baker attacks subparagraph (h) on the ground that, in multiplying present value of earnings between June 20, 1961, and June 20, 1965, by a factor of 1.15865 so as to eliminate the discount to present value as to that part of the earnings, the court did not apply the same factor to the deductions of income taxes (subparagraph (i)) and pension contributions (subparagraph (k)), for that period. Logically, Baker is correct. However, we must remember that the ultimate total damage figure awarded is the sum of a series of predictions, none of which involves mathematical certainty, and that it is the reasonableness of the ultimate figure that is really in issue in such a case as this. Since we are of the opinion that the final figure arrived at is not unreasonable, we decline to require the trial judge to modify it as Baker urges. Were we to do so, we think that we would be required to reopen the whole question of damages. 24 Third, Baker urges that the trial judge calculated decedent's personal expenses as 35% of salary less pension contributions and income taxes, rather than 35% of gross, whereas Mrs. Furumizo's estimates applied the 35% to the gross. The trial judge was not bound by this approach, and we cannot say that his approach is unreasonable. See subparagraph (k). 25 Finally, Baker says that $15,000 damages for decedent's pain and suffering is too much, because death was almost instantaneous (paragraph 71(a)). We do not find the award shocking. The question was primarily for the trial judge and we cannot hold that he erred. See Rohlfing v. Moses Akiona, Ltd., supra. 26