Court Opinion

ID: 9716943
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 06:54:21.598087+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:50.215224
License: Public Domain

Mr. JUSTICE GREEN, dissenting: I disagree with the majority’s analysis of whether the “law of the case” doctrine is applicable here. I conclude that it is and that it requires us to affirm. Accordingly, I dissent. On the first appeal, this court held that a jury question existed as to (1) whether defendant was under a duty to either provide devices to prevent trucks on the ramp from rolling backward or to provide procedures or devices to keep persons from standing in or around the ramp in dangerous places, and (2) whether defendant had breached that duty. The majority now holds that under the rationale of Restatement (Second) of Torts, sections 343 and 343 A, and cases in conformity therewith, defendant had no such duty because any danger in the ramp and its operation was obvious to plaintiff’s decedent. I deem neither the additional evidence at the second trial nor the different posture of the case on this appeal to remove the case from the doctrine of the “law of the case” and to permit a different determination as to the duty of the defendant. The new evidence of substance at the second trial was the testimony of the defendant’s expert that the grade of the ramp’s incline was only 4.19 percent and that the ramp and dump met usual and customary safety standards. This evidence concerned the question of whether the ramp was dangerous. If it had been conclusive on that question, we would be free to hold, as a matter of law, that the ramp was not dangerous and, therefore, defendant did not tortiously injure plaintiff’s decedent. However, no contention is made that a fact question did not exist as to whether the ramp was dangerous. Rather, reversal is ordered upon the basis that defendant owed no duty because any danger in the ramp was obvious. The new evidence did not speak to that question. While defendant was appellee on the first appeal aiid is now appellant, the issue of whether defendant owed a duty arose from the original complaint and not from any affirmative defense or counterclaim. It was before the trial court when it made its original determination to direct a verdict at the close of the plaintiff’s case. The issue was before this court on the first appeal, and defendant could have argued and the court could have deemed applicable the quoted provisions of the Restatement (Second) of Torts and the theory of the supporting cases at that time. The issue is not one which would have been raised by cross-appeal. Courts adjudicate issues and not reasons. The issue before us has been adjudicated at the appellate level previously in this case. We cannot make a different adjudication of that issue merely because reasons which were previously either (1) not presented, (2) rejected, or (3) overlooked are now deemed to require a different adjudication. To the extent that my views differ from those expressed in Noe v. Chicago Great Western Ry. Co. (1970), 130 Ill. App. 2d 36, 263 N.E.2d 889, I am in obvious disagreement with that opinion.