Court Opinion

ID: 9626878
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:26:32.920182+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:35.683578
License: Public Domain

URBIGKIT, Justice,
dissenting.
Philosophically, as discussed in DeJulio v. Foster, Wyo., 715 P.2d 182 (1986), maintenance and continuation of the trial jury process in the American system of civil controversy adjudication is dependent upon the rationality and reasonableness of the results achieved. Protection of society from the infrequently occurring but unjustified or irrationally derived verdict, through the exercise of judicial oversight, is indispensable to preserve the civil trial jury within the justice delivery mechanism.
Rationally, practically, factually, and mechanically, there is no way that Mrs. Jones could have been 50 per cent negligent in the incident when the right front corner of the bus encroached from the designated driving lane into the adjoining lane, to occupy part of both, where it then struck the center of the side of her passenger automobile as she drove in her proper traveling lane.
Lacking a more efficacious characterization, simplistically, the bus driver drove the large vehicle into the passenger car in failing to properly and reasonably maneuver the bus on a common and very heavily traveled main intersection in the City of Riverton. Neither looking nor apparently caring, he did what he did.
For the reasons considered in DeJulio, more recently discussed in my dissenting opinion in England v. Simmons, Wyo., 728 P.2d 1137 (1986), following Toltec Watershed Improvement District v. Johnston, Wyo., 717 P.2d 808 (1986), I disagree with the decision of this court. Unfortunately, we fail in both directions: by granting too many summary judgments to obviate resolution by jury trial, and also by failing to afford correction, in the unusual, but nonetheless existent, unjustified jury conclusion. As Justice Hand said, in discussing the reversal of a jury verdict and as he considered a quantitative standard for the measurement of incommensurable factors, “It is plain * that we cannot properly devolve the entire responsibility for a decision upon a jury.” Conway v. O’Brien, 111 F.2d 611, 613 (2d Cir.1940), rev’d on a gross-negligence criterion, 312 U.S. 492, 61 S.Ct. 634, 85 L.Ed. 969 (1941).
Given the facts here existent, I respectfully dissent from this court’s decision to affirm the order denying the plaintiff a directed verdict, judgment notwithstanding the verdict, or a new trial.