Court Opinion

ID: 9734374
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 17:33:13.265824+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:48.315726
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(concurring).
Some 12 years ago, Bonesteel was birthed under the hand of this writer. Cited often since 1981, it has stood the test of time. Negligence is its subject.
Four lessons are to be learned therefrom. “Three necessary elements of actionable negligence are:
1. A duty on the part of defendant;
2. A failure to perform that duty;
3. And an injury to the plaintiff resulting from such a failure.” Bonesteel at 119.
Approving of the language in Mulder (now 22 years on the books) and Williams (now 12 years old), in Bonesteel at 119, we certainly adopted the foreseeable consequence test, as reflected in Williams at 1040, 1046.
Muschs would have us adopt some composed thoughts, disregarding precedent, from a law review article, namely 17 S.D.Law Rev. No. 2 316, 317. A quote therefrom rings an academic bell:
The battle between the foreseeability faction and those following Smith was joined by the proponents of other theories. When the smoke clears, foreseeability may be the victor — but the others have not surrendered. (Id. at 317).
Perhaps they have not surrendered. But in South Dakota, they are flying at half mast. You can go back to the days of the Dakota Territory and see where South Dakota has treated foreseeability as part of proximate cause. Yes, more than a century ago. See, Pielke v. Chicago, M. & Mt. P. Ry., 5 Dak.Rptr. 444, 41 N.W. 669 (1889).
Thus, we turn to lesson 4 in Bonesteel:
“4. For proximate cause to exist, the harm suffered must be found to be a foreseeable consequence of the act complained of; the negligent act must be a substantial factor in bringing about the harm.”
I hazard the law, in South Dakota, is not muddled. We did not adopt the Restatement of Torts in Bonesteel and we do not adopt it now. Said Restatement is a type of secondary authority. We need only to apply our legal precept, developed by stare decisis, over a period of one century, to the fact situation before us. I do not suggest, for a moment, that this is a pure mechanical application.
Frankly, in my opinion, the substantial factor test is “out” and the foreseeability test is “in.” And has been for a long time. Bonesteel simply reinforced it.
Here, ‘twasn’t the absence of a guard which caused the injury; it was the sudden darting and bolting of the calf and horse. Circumstances dictated no time nor space, which would have caused a guard to avert the accident. Justice has been served.
With the above thoughts in mind, I concur.