Court Opinion

ID: 9767072
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 05:08:09.853839+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:28.138313
License: Public Domain

BLACKMAR, Judge,
concurring.
I agree that the case should be retrans-ferred to the Court of Appeals, Eastern District, for consideration of the trial errors asserted by the plaintiff-appellant. The issue between the parties was presumptively settled by a jury in defendants’ favor. The plaintiff faces a substantial burden in order to obtain a retrial.
Issues of submissibility require careful scrutiny of the entire record. The strong presumption is in favor of allowing the jury to decide the case. In the case before us the question of submissibility seemed important enough to commend our review, after the Court of Appeals found no sub-missible case. Even if we were to decide that the plaintiff had made a submissible case, however, we would still be required to deal with the claims of trial error before we could accord the plaintiff the relief sought.
A question of submissibility in a case of this kind is not a clear-cut question of law. It requires careful consideration of the evidence and of the precise manner of expression employed by the expert witnesses. I am reluctant to reach a question of this kind unless it is clearly necessary.
I would not, however, write so broadly as the principal opinion does. The respondent on appeal is entitled to raise any available argument in support of the judgment appealed from. Martin v. Fulton Iron Works Co., 640 S.W.2d 491, 495 (Mo.App.1982); Cascio v. Garrett, 535 S.W.2d 272, 274 (Mo.App.1976); Senter v. Ferguson, 486 S.W.2d 644, 648 (Mo.App.1972). A plaintiff is not entitled to a new trial, no matter how grievous the trial error, if there is no submissible case. Appellate courts have generally had discretion to decide cases on controlling issues, while pre-termitting decision of issues not necessary to the result reached. I would content myself by saying that an appellate court should hesitate to decide a case on the issue of submissibility when the trial court has submitted the case to the jury and the appeal might be finally resolved by ruling other issues. I would not circumscribe the discretion of the Court of Appeals as the principal opinion does. I would also assert, emphatically, that this Court has the discretion to decide any appeal on any ground which is sufficient to rule the entire case.