Opinion ID: 1276685
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Ms. Moschgat has Settled her Claim against Speedway

Text: The final point I wish to make in this dissent involves Ms. Moschgat's efforts to resolve the claim she filed against Speedway. The majority opinion, in an apologetic way, acknowledges that a settlement was reached by Ms. Moschgat in the claim she filed against Speedway. This settlement was contingent upon this Court affirming the dismissal of the claim brought by Ms. Savilla against Speedway. As a result of the majority's decision, the settlement has been removed from the table. Ms. Moschgat's potential recovery now rests in the hands of a plaintiff who does not want her to have a single penny. One of the bedrock principles that permeates our civil litigation system is the lofty goal of encouraging parties to settle. Indeed, it has been recognized that [t]he Supreme Court has made clear that the policy of the law is to encourage settlements. Cleckley et al., Litigation Handbook, § 16(a)(5), at p. 482. See Syl. pt. 1, Sanders v. Roselawn Mem'l Gardens, Inc., 152 W.Va. 91, 159 S.E.2d 784 (1968) (The law favors and encourages the resolution of controversies by contracts of compromise and settlement rather than by litigation; and it is the policy of the law to uphold and enforce such contracts if they are fairly made and are not in contravention of some law or public policy.). Justice Albright expressed the great importance of settlement in Riner v. Newbraugh, 211 W.Va. 137, 141, 563 S.E.2d 802, 806 (2002), when he wrote that, [i]n those instances where a settlement agreement was reached but not signed by the parties, the agreement may still be enforced provided the parties produce sufficient evidence concerning the attainment of an agreement and the mutually agreed upon terms of the agreement. In the instant proceeding, the majority has destroyed our heretofore unbending commitment to encouraging and ratifying settlements. Speedway has attempted to buy its peace with Ms. Moschgat. In turn, Ms. Moschgat has accepted Speedway's offer to buy peace. There is nothing in the record to indicate that the conditional settlement agreement reached between Speedway and Ms. Moschgat is somehow unfair to either party. Even so, the majority opinion has destroyed that agreement and forced Speedway to endure a trial with a party who has absolutely no interest in the action against it. Where is the logic in this situation? I have noted on several occasions that `[w]isdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late.' Bass v. Rose, 216 W.Va. 587, 593 n. 1, 609 S.E.2d 848, 854 n. 1 (2004) (Davis, J. dissenting) (quoting Henslee v. Union Planters Nat'l Bank & Trust Co., 335 U.S. 595, 600, 69 S.Ct. 290, 293, 93 L.Ed. 259, 264 (1949) (per curiam) (Frankfurter, J., dissenting)). Accord State v. Harris, 207 W.Va. 275, 281 n. 1, 531 S.E.2d 340, 346 n. 1 (2000) (Davis, J., concurring). Because of the grave negative impact of the majority decision, I would urge the majority to reconsider the unwise precedent set out by its opinion.