Court Opinion

ID: 9530687
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:02:45.398414+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:13.211306
License: Public Domain

STRUCKMEYER, Justice
(dissenting).
It is my opinion that the majority erroneously interpret the trial court’s minute entry of December 28th, 1959, relative to its reason for granting defendants’ motion for a new trial. By minute entry of December 22nd, 1959, the court ordered a new trial as to the issue of the amount of damages only. Thereafter on December 28th it specified pursuant to Rule 59(m), Rules of Civil Procedure, 16 A.R.S., the basis for its order:
“That the order of December 22, 1959 granting a new trial herein was made for the reason that the court was of the opinion that there were improper remarks of the plaintiffs’ counsel which conveyed to the jury the fact that the defendants were insured as to their liability and these remarks influenced to some extent the amount of the verdict; * * (Emphasis supplied)
With this statement the trial court unequivocally indicated that the improper remarks concerning insurance influenced the amount of the verdict.
*25It is the duty of both this Court and a trial court where it appears that the verdict was a result of extrinsic considerations on the part of the jury to set aside the verdict and order a new trial. Medlock v. Florian, 42 Ariz. 558, 28 P.2d 621. Here, the trial ■court concluded that extrinsic considerations, the remarks of plaintiffs’ counsel inferring insurance, did influence the amount of the verdict.
After its statement that the remarks influenced the amount of the verdict the trial •court added:
“ * * * in the absence of such remarks, the court would not have granted a new trial by reason of the size of the verdict alone”
meaning that the size alone in this case was not sufficient reason for upsetting the verdict. This is consistent with the principle repeatedly adhered to by this Court that where prejudicial matters do not occur in the course of a trial, in order to set aside a jury’s verdict it must appear at first blush so excessive as to strike mankind as being beyond all measure, unreasonable and •outrageous. Stallcup v. Rathbun, 76 Ariz. 63, 258 P.2d 821; Standard Oil Co. v. Shields, 58 Ariz. 239, 119 P.2d 116; United Verde Copper Co. v. Wiley, 20 Ariz. 525, 183 P. 737. The majority, however, ignore the unqualified pronouncement that “these remarks influenced to some extent the amount of the verdict” in seizing upon the latter statement of the trial court upon which to rest the decision. A verdict may be within the amount of the damages asked and be sustainable as within the outer limits of the evidence, yet to an unprejudiced observer seem unrealistically large in the light of all the evidence. The trial judge did not say “the size of the verdict was warranted by the evidence”. He said he “would not have granted a new trial by reason of the size of the verdict alone.” The order of the trial court should be affirmed.
There are two further points which should be enlarged upon since I consider the treatment by the majority as inadequate and tending to further confuse an admittedly difficult area of the law.
First, it is argued by plaintiffs that it was defense counsel’s own statement which provoked the remarks and therefore the error was invited. Defense counsel was urging the jury “to hold the plaintiffs to their proof * * * for this is a serious case”, when he immediately thereafter stated that “$8,-600.00 is a lot of money to the plaintiffs” and “$8,600.00 is a lot of money to the defendants”. In the light of the nature of the argument it is questionable whether the innuendo which plaintiffs’ counsel sought to draw from the statement was in fact conveyed to the jury. I note that the trial judge who heard the argument and had the feel of the case did not consider defense counsel’s statement as improper. *26Rather, he considered improper the subsequent remarks of plaintiffs’ counsel. Here, the trial court in the exercise of its discretion believed that what occurred did influence the outcome of the case and appropriately ordered a new trial on the question of damages.
But if it be assumed that defense counsel’s statement tended to imply there was no insurance, it still should not have been used as a springboard by plaintiffs’ counsel to advise the jury that defendants did have insurance. Objection could have been made to the argument as improper without disclosing the fact of insurance to the jury. The trial judge could then have decided the appropriate action to be taken even to the extent of granting a new trial to plaintiffs if he believed the verdict was influenced thereby.
Two wrongs do not make a right. As the Supreme Court of Kansas said in discussing an analogous situation:
“ * * * it is not always safe to follow an opponent in argument into forbidden territory.” Pool v. Day, 141 Kan. 195, 40 P.2d 396.
It has repeatedly been held error for counsel to enlarge upon the forbidden area of argument of liability insurance. Vineyard v. Storm, 185 Ark. 1148, 51 S.W.2d 860; Pool v. Day, supra; Davis v. F. M. Stamper Co., 347 Mo. 761, 148 S.W.2d 765; Messinger v. Karg, 48 Ohio App. 244, 192 N.E. 864; D. & H. Truck Line v. Lavallee, (Tex.Civ.App.) 7 S.W.2d 661.
Second, it is true that in the recent decision of Muehlebach v. Mercer Mortuary and Chapel, Inc., 93 Ariz. 60, 378 P.2d 741 it was emphasized that a mistrial should not always result from the mere mention of insurance and the court did point out that where its discussion is of a nature as to be prejudicial the trial judge must grant a mistrial or new trial. Where irrelevant matters are brought into the case if they have no adverse effect on the outcome of the trial they are treated as inconsequential and harmless. Arizona Eastern R. R. Co. v. Bryan, 18 Ariz. 106, 157 P. 376, affirmed 242 U.S. 621, 37 S.Ct. 241, 61 L.Ed. 532. But here, where the trial judge specifically found that the plaintiffs’ remarks conveying liability insurance to the jury influenced the amount of the verdict the irrelevant matter is neither inconsequential nor harmless.
Prior to Muehlebach it had been the repeated holding of this Court that if a plaintiff alluded to insurance the defendant was entitled to a mistrial for the reason that the fact of insurance was apt to create prejudice in the minds of the jury resulting in a miscarriage of justice. The rule was then simple. The plaintiff was absolutely-forbidden to refer to the fact that the defendant had insurance out of which damages could be paid. Muehlebach changed the rule suggesting that the time had come when a *27reference to insurance is not always to be automatically considered as prejudicial but that the trial judge must use his discretion in determining whether in fact the defendant was prejudiced. In the instant case this is exactly what the trial court did.
Now this appeal was perfected on an agreed statement of the case. There is no transcript of evidence before this Court. The effect of this Court’s finding “that the rights of the defendants were not materially affected” can find no support in the evidence and is therefore arbitrary, and overrides the sound discretion of the trial judge.
I am not only in disagreement with the majority as to the application of the decision in Muehlebach v. Mercer Mortuary and Chapel, Inc., supra, but I am in disagreement with the decision itself. The decision there rested upon the fact that the defendant was the first to allude to insurance. That fact was the only fact necessary for the decision. Twice before we have held that a defendant can not take advantage of his own misconduct and demand a mistrial by reason thereof. Northern Arizona Supply Co. v. Stinson, 73 Ariz. 109, 238 P.2d 937; Holbrook Light & Power Co. v. Gordon, 61 Ariz. 256, 148 P.2d 360.
By dicta, however, the principle was suggested :
“That a reference to insurance by a plaintiff is not always to be considered as prejudicial.”
Such is contrary to the express holdings of the courts of last resort in forty-four states — every state in the United States which has passed upon the question. See collation of cases 4 A.L.R.2d 767 et seq. The basis of the decision of every other state is that knowledge of the fact of insurance might create prejudice in the minds of the jury. Common sense alone dictates that where insurance is injected into a case, if there is doubtful liability, the liability may be resolved in favor of the plaintiff and that in the case of clear liability issues of damages may be more favorably resolved in his favor. The prejudicial content of a reference to liability insurance is not “largely a thing of the past”. Indeed, if the mention of insurance were not apt to influence the verdict why, as here, was plaintiffs’ counsel so insistent that the jury be advised of insurance?
The dicta of Muehlebach instead of improving on a difficult situation makes it worse ! It tempts a plaintiff to inject insurance into the case because now he may convince the trial judge that it is not or will not be prejudicial. A rule that the mention of insurance by the plaintiff is not always prejudicial, places the trial judge in the intolerable position of having to decide when prejudice results. Then this Court is put in the position on appeal, as in this case, of having to decide whether the trial court’s discretion was in fact properly exercised. The Court now does *28so without reason simply by disregarding the plain language of the trial judge. My only comment is that the test now seems to be whether the members of this Court are more clairvoyant than the trial judge.
It is my opinion that the trial court should be affirmed.