Court Opinion

ID: 9759057
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 00:01:47.275735+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:58.619564
License: Public Domain

Donald L. Corbin, Justice, concurring in part and dissenting in part. While I agree with the majority opinion affirming the grant of a default judgment in the instant case, I respectfully dissent with regard to the reversal of damages awarded by the trial court. It is well settled that when reviewing an allegation that a damages award was excessive, this court reviews the proof and all reasonable inferences most favorably to the appellees and determines whether the verdict is so great as to shock the conscience of this court or demonstrate passion or prejudice on the part of the trier of fact. See Houston v. Knoedl, 329 Ark. 91, 947 S.W.2d 745 (1997); Collins v. Hinton, 327 Ark. 159, 937 S.W.2d 164 (1997). In the instant case, however, the majority completely ignores the evidence presented by Appellees that supports the damages awarded by the trial court. In reversing the damages award, the majority relies on Volunteer Transport, Inc. v. House, 357 Ark. 95, 162 S.W.3d 456 (2004), for the proposition that the testimony of the appellee is insufficient evidence to support a damages award. In that case, however, we also pointed out that the testimony of an injured party alone, in some cases, can provide a sufficient foundation for the introduction of medical expenses incurred. Id.; see also Eggleston v. Ellis, 291 Ark. 317, 724 S.W.2d 462 (1987); Bell v. Stafford, 284 Ark. 196, 680 S.W.2d 700 (1984). Clearly, this court has not heretofore established a bright-line rule that the testimony of the injured party alone is insufficient evidence, and I think this case is a perfect example of how such testimony can suffice. At the damages hearing, Mr. Jones testified about his ankle surgery and the subsequent pain in his calf. He explained that because of that pain, he initially saw Dr. Coker, his surgeon, who referred him to a radiologist, Dr. Pope. The radiologist did a Doppler scan of the leg and determined that Mr. Jones had a blood clot. The radiologist then sent Mr. Jones back to Dr. Coker, but Dr. Coker referred Mr. Jones to his family doctor. Because his family doctor was out of town, Mr. Jones ultimately scheduled an appointment with Dr. McGraw. Dr. McGraw examined Mr. Jones’s leg and told him that he needed to consult with Dr. Coker and Dr. Pope. Thereafter, Dr. McGraw returned and told Mr. Jones that the blood clot was superficial and prescribed some pain medicine for him. Later, Mr. Jones collapsed and was taken to the hospital where doctors discovered a pulmonary embolism. He was ultimately transferred to Washington Regional Medical Center, where he was in and out of the critical care unit. According to Mr. Jones, this incident rendered him unable to work for thirty days and then once he returned to work, he could only stay for a little while at a time. He testified that he fears that the time off will affect his career. He explained that he tires more easily and cannot do all the things that he did before. Lizabeth Jones testified about her husband’s ordeal and stated that he no longer helps her with routine household chores and that such things are now left for her to do. She also stated that her husband is fearful of engaging in intercourse and that their relationship has changed since the embolism. She also testified that she suffers from Epstein-Barr Syndrome, which was aggravated by the stress that she was under because of her husband’s embolism. In sum, the Joneses’ testimony is evidence supporting the trial court’s award of damages. It is axiomatic that a trial judge, as fact-finder, is the sole evaluator of credibility and is free to believe or disbelieve the testimony of any witness. Young v. Barbera, 366 Ark. 120, 233 S.W.3d 651 (2006); Schueck v. Burris, 330 Ark. 780, 957 S.W.2d 702 (1997). Here, he clearly believed the Joneses’ testimony and determined that the damages requested were warranted. The majority opinion is doing nothing more than second guessing the trial court’s decision in this regard. For this reason, I dissent. Hannah, C.J., and Gunter, J., join in this dissent.