Court Opinion

ID: 7822257
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:58:52.314627+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:46.085513
License: Public Domain

John I. Purtle, Justice, dissenting. I dissent because I think there was sufficient evidence presented from which the jury could have found International Paper Company guilty of negligence which proximately caused the damages suffered by the appellants. Herman Lasiter, agent of International Paper and Tony Nelson, the truck driver, both testified that the accident would not have happened if: (1) the truck were properly loaded, (2) the load were properly tied down, and (3) the truck were properly driven. All parties admit the appellants were not at fault in any manner. Neither is it disputed that the load spilled from the truck and proximately caused appellants’ injuries. The foreman for International Paper, who was responsible for loading the billets stated, according to the abstract: “I didn’t load this load. I wasn’t standing there every minute the load was being loaded. I am reasonably sure nothing went wrong in the loading.” It is true that the mere happening of an accident is not evidence of negligence on the part of anyone. However, when there is testimony that one of three things could cause an accident and an accident happens in a manner consistent with one of the three then there is evidence of negligence, in my opinion. Only the jury could determine whether the truck was improperly loaded and driven or whether the pulpwood was properly stacked. Under the testimony presented one of the three acts of negligence occurred. It is up to the finder of facts to decide which of these acts, if any, caused the accident. It seems to me that the majority of this court, like the trial judge, took it upon themselves to weigh the evidence and decide the jury questions. Therefore, I would reverse and remand for a trial by the jury.