Court Opinion

ID: 9541454
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:25:35.71687+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:02:55.096330
License: Public Domain

On Petition for Rehearing
Bierly, J.
— This action was commenced by appellee, Vaughn, to recover damages for personal injuries and property damage resulting from a collision of an automobile and a truck. Appellants appealed to this court from a judgment for appellee in the sum of $90,000.00. Appellee filed a motion to dismiss or affirm alleging certain defects in the transcript and brief of appellant. On January 31, 1966, we affirmed the judgment of the trial court holding that appellants’ brief *411failed to conform to Supreme Court Rule 2-17, thereby not presenting error to this court.
Appellants have filed their petition for re-hearing and allege in essence that their brief is in substantial compliance with Rule 2-17, and that this court applied the wrong standard in determining the sufficiency of the appellants’ brief.
At the outset we wish to correct any misunderstanding or ambiguity which may have arisen from the majority opinion. Appellee in his brief in support of his motion to dismiss or affirm set forth a numerical quantity of the pages of evidence in the transcript and contrasted that with the number of pages of evidence set forth in appellants’ brief. Appellee used this as an illustration that we set forth in the majority opinion as being a part of faeit of appellee’s argument. We did not base our ruling upon the application of a simple mathematical ratio or formula. We are cognizant of the ambiguities and the problems which would emanate from such a construction of Supreme Court Rule 2-17. Further, the application of a simple mathematical formula would lead to hardship upon the attorneys as Rule 2-17 requires only the evidence that is essential to a full understanding of the questions presented. We adhere to this rule and is incumbent upon us to determine whether there has been substantial compliance with Rule 2-17 to permit a full understanding of the questions presented without aid of the transcript.
Further, appellant may not bolster his argument by asserting that appellee had the duty to fill in any omission or omissions. Where there is a want of substantial compliance with Rule 2-17, as opposed to minor omissions, requiring appellee to fill in an omission would foist upon the appellee duty of perfecting appellants’ appeal. Appellee may rely upon the Supreme Court Rules and move the court to dismiss or affirm the appeal. This principle was enunciated in Gray v. James (1935) 100 Ind. App. 257, 263, 194 N.E. 203:
“Appellants do not deny that this evidence is omitted but say that in the event they have omitted any part of the *412evidence that it is the duty of appellees to supply the omitted parts. In this contention appellants are mistaken as it is not the duty of appellees to supply the omissions in appellants’ brief, but appellees have the right to assume that the rule above mentioned, which requires an appellant to set out a condensed recital of the evidence, in narrative form, will be uniformly enforced by the court . . .” (Our italics)
Keeping in mind the requirements set forth above for compliance with Supreme Court Rule 2-17, we have completely reviewed all the evidence produced in this cause as compared to that set forth in appellants’ brief under the heading of Condensed Recital of Evidence. While the evidence set forth in appellants’ brief is not as full and complete as is desired for a full understanding of the issues presented, we have concluded to grant appellants’ Petition for Rehearing in order that appellants be given an opportunity to present their case on its merits. We prefer to determine appeals on the merits whenever possible.
Appellants’ Petition for Rehearing is now granted, and the action of this court in affirming the judgment of the trial court is hereby rescinded. Appellee’s motion to dismiss or affirm is now reconsidered and the same is denied.
Appellee is now granted thirty (80) days to file his answer brief from the date of the filing of this opinion in the office of the Clerk of this court.
No oral argument will be heard on the Petition for Rehearing nor on appellee’s objections filed thereto.