Court Opinion

ID: 9670858
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:27:20.319711+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:06.866922
License: Public Domain

WUEST, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur with the majority opinion except for the remand to retry only the damage issue. There are occasions when it may be proper to remand a case to retry only one or two issues. See my writing in Centrol, Inc. v. Morrow, 489 N.W.2d 890, 898-99 (S.D.1992) (Wuest, J., dissenting). However, it has been generally stated that where “damages awarded are inseparable, or closely connected with other issues, a partial reversal on the question of damages is not permissible.” 5B C.J.S. Appeal and Error § 1918 n. 92 (1958). Likewise, when the issues in a case are intertwined, so that an error in one part of the trial may affect the entire result, it is not “in the interest of justice and would be unfair to the parties to retry the case piecemeal.” Kneip v. Unitedbank-Victoria, 734 S.W.2d 130, 137 (Tex.App.1987). I believe that this is one of those eases that would be difficult to retry on damages alone, as the jury would not have a proper view of the entire case. See also Prouse v. Ransom, 117 Idaho 734, 791 P.2d 1313, 1316 (Idaho App.1989) (stating that when “the precise effect of the error is difficult to quantify” and that the jury’s perception “might well have affected the award,” the entire judgment must be vacated); Roberts v. Mullen, 446 S.W.2d 86, 89 (Tex.Civ.App.1969) (noting the Texas Supreme Court’s holding that “issues of liability and damages in tort cases are indivisible and it is improper to reverse a judgment and remand the case for trial on the issue of damages only”). It is my opinion that in this case, it would be better for a jury to hear the entire evidence before attempting to make a determination of the proper measure of damages. I would remand for a new trial on all the issues.