Opinion ID: 1189073
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence To Establish Reasonableness and Necessity

Text: In reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a jury's verdict, this court has held that    It is axiomatic in this jurisdiction that the evidence most favorable to the prevailing party must be considered, that every favorable inference be given to it, and that if it is sufficient the determination of the trier of fact will not be disturbed. Berry Refining Company v. Pinsky, Wyo., 443 P.2d 521, 523 (1968). The standard by which we review a substantial-evidence question concerning issues pertaining to proof of damages was expressed in Douglas Reservoirs Water Users Association v. Cross, Wyo., 569 P.2d 1280, 1283 (1977), as follows: In matters of evidence on review, we apply the monotonously repeated rule that an appellate court must assume evidence in favor of a successful party to be true, leave out of consideration the conflicting evidence of the unsuccessful party and give the evidence of the successful party every favorable inference which may be reasonably drawn from it. Oedekoven v. Oedekoven, Wyo. 1975, 538 P.2d 1292   . Kirby does not contend that Union's accounting records are inaccurate or that the moneys that they reflect were not spent for reconstruction. In fact, Kirby's own accountant testified that Union and Minerals Exploration    have an accounting system that is designed to accurately record the costs. Kirby's only objection to Union's damage evidence centers around its contention that the appellee failed to introduce sufficient evidence that the amount expended for reconstruction was reasonable and necessary. In South Cheyenne Water and Sewer District v. Stundon, Wyo., 483 P.2d 240, 243 (1971), we said: The measure of damages to property which can be repaired and substantially restored to its former condition is the reasonable cost of repair or restoration. Allied Hotels, Limited v. Barden, Okl., 389 P.2d 968, 973; Parker v. Harris Pine Mills, 206 Or. 187, 291 P.2d 709, 717, 56 A.L.R.2d 382; Burr v. Clark, 30 Wash.2d 149, 190 P.2d 769, 774; Natural Soda Products Co. v. City of Los Angeles, 23 Cal.2d 193, 143 P.2d 12, 17, certiorari denied 321 U.S. 793, 64 S.Ct. 790, 88 L.Ed. 1082, rehearing denied 322 U.S. 768, 64 S.Ct. 942, 88 L.Ed. 1594. The testimony pertaining to reasonableness and necessity of the costs for reconstruction in the case at bar may be summarized as follows: The resident engineer at the Sweetwater Uranium Project testified to the type and extent of damage caused by the fire and to the necessity of replacing certain equipment in the mill. This witness related that he regularly observed the progress of the reconstruction effort and that the work was done efficiently, without wasted time or effort. He said that no equipment was replaced which did not need replacing. Concerning the Kaiser charges for the reconstruction, which accounted for $5,230,246.50 of plaintiffs' damage claim, the actual progress billings, including backup invoices and Kaiser time cards, were introduced. Plaintiffs sought to recover for the charges on only the first 13 Kaiser billings, even though another 18 were sent to and paid by Union. The record reveals that the plaintiffs eliminated from their claim all questionable costs, including travel expenses, office supplies and vehicle maintenance. The Sweetwater Uranium Project manager, Larry Dykers, who holds a degree in mining and engineering, testified to the reasonableness and necessity of the reconstruction effort. This witness had been appointed to head the reconstruction management and coordination team and was intimately involved in all phases of the job. He reviewed and developed the reconstruction and cleanup plan, personally inspected the work on the project numerous times each day, and participated in the daily planning regarding equipment replacement and work-force assignments. Mr. Dykers testified regarding the type of damage which was suffered and the extent of the necessary cleanup and repair. He related that the labor was performed with a high degree of efficiency and that no equipment was replaced which did not need to be replaced. He testified that there were instances of equipment damage warranting replacement but the items were not replaced as a matter of expediency. Mr. Dykers explained that the work performed and equipment replaced in the reconstruction effort was necessary to repair the mill. He further stated that the amount claimed by Union as damages for repair of the fire damage was reasonable. This testimony was supported by the fact that Mr. Dykers had prepared an estimate that the reconstruction would cost approximately $8,000,000 as part of his duties as project manager. The $6.4 million claimed by plaintiffs for the reconstruction-cost element of their damage claim is well within the reasonable range of this estimate. The jury was instructed that an award for the property damage caused by the fire should be the reasonable expense of necessary repair. Including the claim for lost profits, Union introduced evidence indicating a total loss of $11,571,672.50 as a result of the fire. Given this and other record testimony and evidence, we find that the jury's award of $8,392,216.90 was well within the range of damages supported by the evidence pertaining to the issue of reasonableness and necessity.