Opinion ID: 1831327
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: past and future mental anguish and distress

Text: Prior to the accident, Mrs. Walton held a responsible position as outside salesperson for American Waste for eight years. She testified that her job was very important to her. Dr. Jensen testified that Mrs. Walton's job was a stabilizing factor in her life. Mr. Charles Dees, her supervisor, testified that she was a good, stable and loyal employee and she displayed no psychiatric problems on the job. Dr. Braud testified that although Mrs. Walton had suffered prior depressive episodes requiring hospitalizations in the past, when she last saw Mrs. Walton in 1984, she was successfully married with a child and a family life and very thin and attractively dressed. After the accident, Mrs. Walton's emotional condition gradually deteriorated. She became anxiety ridden, suffered from insomnia and excessive weight gain and gradually became unable to cope with her household activities or to keep up with her work responsibilities. She finally quit working about a year and a half after the accident. She has been treated by Dr. Jensen, a psychiatrist, since June of 1987 on a regular basis. She currently suffers from severe depression and is overweight and overmedicated. Dr. Jensen was of the opinion that Mrs. Walton was unemployable in her present condition. The opinions of Drs. Jensen, Culver and Braud, psychiatric experts, are not in dispute. All three testified that Mrs. Walton suffered from a psychiatric disorder known as a borderline personality which would manifest itself under traumatic events. Thus, given her past history, all agreed that an event such as the automobile accident that Mrs. Walton suffered could trigger a major depressive episode. As to her future prognosis, they agreed that she could benefit from intensive psychiatric treatment. While it is highly unlikely that Mrs. Walton can return to her former position with American Waste, given the right treatment, she would be able to return to sedentary employment in the future. After a review of the record, we find that the trial judge abused his discretion in awarding $300,000 for past and future mental anguish and distress. We consider the maximum amount reasonably within the discretion of the trial judge to be $150,000. Accordingly, we find that the court of appeal erred in reducing the award to $50,000.