Opinion ID: 1189073
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Judgment Calculation and the Comparative-Negligence Statute

Text: The jury found the tortfeasors' percentage of negligence to be: Kaiser, Inc. 5%; Centric Corporation 20%; Drake Building Corporation 35%; Gardner-Zemke Company 5%; Kirby Building Systems, Inc. 30%; Reichhold Chemicals, Inc. 0%; M.M. Sundt Construction Company 0%; Minerals Exploration Company and Union Oil Company of California 5%, and the sum that would reasonably compensate the plaintiffs for their damages to be $8,392,216.90. In calculating its judgment, the trial court took into account the 5% that the jury found the plaintiff to be negligent, together with the fact that the plaintiff had settled or executed a covenant not to sue with the following parties in consideration for the following dollar amounts: Party Amount Kaiser $185,000.00 Drake $250,000.00 Reichhold $600,000.00 M.M. Sundt $150,000.00 ___________ TOTAL $1,185,000.00 In preparation of his judgment, the trial judge reduced the verdict of $8,392,216.90 by the 5% which the jury found the plaintiff to have been negligent  i.e., $419,610.85, and by the total amount of the settlements and/or covenant-not-to-sue figure in the sum of $1,185,000.00, and entered judgment against Centric and Kirby jointly and severally for $6,787,606.05. For easy reference, the trial court's allocation of fault as directed by the jury's verdict, the settlement figures, the jury verdict, and the judgment against Kirby and Centric appear as follows: Party Fault % Settlement Drake 35 $250,000 Kirby 30 -0- Centric 20 -0- Plaintiffs 5 -0- Kaiser 5 185,000 Gardner-Zemke 5 -0- M.M. Sundt 0 150,000 Reichhold 0 600,000 ___ __________ Total: 100 $1,185,000 Jury verdict: $8,392,216.90 Reduced by plaintiff fault: -419,610.85 Reduced by total settlement: -1,185,000.00 _____________ Judgment against Centric and Kirby: $6,787,606.05 Kirby argues that it was erroneous calculation for the trial court to have deducted the plaintiffs' negligence and the settlement amounts. It contends that the verdict of $8,392,216.90 should have been reduced by the sum total of all actors' fault except the fault of Kirby and Centric, the only two tortfeasors from whom the plaintiffs could collect. That is, Kirby urges that the plaintiffs' judgment should have been reduced to a figure which is 50% of the verdict  namely, $4,196,108.45  for which it would, with Centric, be jointly and severally liable. As can be seen, Kirby's calculation would cause it to be liable to the plaintiffs in an amount which is $2,591,497.60 less than the judgment entered by the court. We cannot agree with the appellant's interpretation of Wyoming's law of comparative negligence and contribution among joint tortfeasors, and find that the trial judge calculated the judgment exactly as provided by the applicable statutes and case law of the state of Wyoming. We will affirm.