Opinion ID: 1859163
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Should Sessoms be entitled to a new trial?

Text: As this Court has clearly stated in the case of Fitzner Pontiac-Buick-Cadillac v. Smith, 523 So.2d 324 (Miss. 1988), Our scope of review in such contexts is as limited as it is familiar. We consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the appellee, giving that party the benefit of all favorable inferences that may reasonably be drawn from the evidence. If the facts so considered point so overwhelmingly in favor of the appellant that reasonable men could not have arrived at a contrary verdict, we are required to reverse and render. On the other hand, if there is substantial evidence in support of the verdict, that is, evidence of such quality and weight that reasonable and fair minded jurors in the exercise of impartial judgment might have reached different conclusions, affirmance is required. See, e.g., Rester v. Morrow, 491 So.2d 204, 211-12 (Miss. 1986); Paymaster Oil Mill Co. v. Mitchell, 319 So.2d 652, 657 (Miss. 1975). Id. at 326. Sessoms is also appealing the jury's verdict in favor of Jessie White in her negligence suit against him, claiming that she is entitled to a new trial. Sessoms contends that she was prejudiced by not having access to the information sought from Allstate which could have been used in her suit against White. It is quite possible that if Sessoms had been given access to certain information, the outcome of the trial might have been different. However, in an attempt to bootstrap this assignment of error onto the bad faith issue, Sessoms failed to include the record from the trial against White as part of the record on appeal. The claims that Sessoms makes for a new trial against White do not cite any errors which occurred in the jury trial, but are based solely on Sessoms's action against Allstate. Since the jury verdict was the only thing included in the record of this bifurcated trial, we cannot consider this issue on appeal. Absent a record in support of an assignment, this Court need not consider the assignment. Jenkins v. State, 483 So.2d 1330 (Miss. 1986). Therefore, this Court does not consider this issue on appeal. Sessoms had her day in court against White, and the jury ruled against her. Sessoms argues that had she been granted more access to the information in Allstate's files, she would have prevailed in her suit against White. However, Sessoms was given as much access to the Sessoms and White files in Allstate's possession that the rules of discovery would allow. In summation, we do not find Allstate's actions constituted bad faith. Allstate lived up to its duties as set out in the insurance policy and there is no provision requiring Allstate to aid its insured in filing third-party claims. Allstate complied with the discovery orders, and the documents it held out as being privileged were viewed by the judge during an in camera inspection. Sessoms's medical bills were paid according to the policy provisions with the exception of $37.17, which Sessoms was told was still available. Allstate had a legitimate and arguable reason not to waive the collision deductible. Finally, Sessoms's appeal of the unsuccessful jury verdict in the White case neither addressed any assignments of error nor included any of the record and, therefore, this Court does not consider it. We therefore affirm the lower court's award of summary judgment to Allstate. AFFIRMED. HAWKINS, C.J., DAN M. LEE, PRATHER, P.JJ., and BANKS, ROBERTS and SMITH, JJ., concur. McRAE, J., dissents with separate written opinion joined by SULLIVAN, J.