Opinion ID: 2584803
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficient evidence supports the jury's finding of causation.

Text: Lorenz argues that there was insufficient evidence to support the jury's finding that the fire was the source of the lead that contaminated Maddox's property. She makes two arguments. First, she argues that testing revealed that there was no contamination. Second, she argues that no evidence was presented to actually demonstrate that the fire was the source of any lead particles found on Maddox's property. Construing the evidence in the light most favorable to Maddox, we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it denied Lorenz's motion for a new trial. The jury's determination that Maddox's property was contaminated by lead is adequately supported by the evidence. The sample of ash that Maddox sent out for testing contained in excess of ten percent lead by weight. Initial testing by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services caused the EPA to conclude that the ash on Maddox's property contained lead in levels exceeding state and federal environmental standards. Maddox's expert testified that many samples taken from Maddox's property contained lead in amounts exceeding state and federal standards. While Lorenz argues that later testing by the EPA found that lead was no longer present in levels exceeding the cleanup standards, Maddox's expert directly addressed this later testing and both disputed Lorenz's interpretation of the results and criticized the EPA for using improper testing procedures. Lorenz also argues that blood tests conducted on Maddox and the dogs on his property revealed no elevated levels of lead. But this argument does not address Maddox's argument that his property was contaminated. Maddox never claimed and received no damages for personal injury. Lorenz's second argument  that there was insufficient evidence linking the lead on Maddox's property to the fire  involves a similar inquiry. Many of the samples taken by Maddox and the environmental agencies were of ash. Lorenz does not argue that this ash came from a non-fire source. The state's environmental report suggested that the ash from the fire contained high levels of lead. The state's report also explained that the prevailing wind would have blown this ash in the direction of Maddox's property. Moreover the EPA found elevated levels of lead in soil samples taken from the burn site of each fire. Lorenz argues that Maddox's expert could not rule out other sources of the lead on Maddox's property (she does not suggest what those sources might be) and did not know if Seward's soil naturally contained elevated levels of lead. She also points out that no one conducted a forensic investigation to determine the source of the lead. But these arguments ignore the applicable burden of proof and standard of review and are insufficient to warrant a new trial.