Court Opinion

ID: 7820750
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:53:57.77303+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:43.975888
License: Public Domain

John I. Purtle, Justice. Appellee was awarded judgment in the Polk County Circuit Court for damages to automobiles allegedly caused by the negligence of the Kansas City Southern Railway Company. The appellant contends the court should have directed a verdict at the close of the appellee’s case and, further, that the verdict is not supported by substantial evidence. Appellant’s motion for a directed verdict was renewed at the close of all the evidence and again denied. The two questions to be answered by this Court are whether the court erred in refusing to grant appellant’s motions for directed verdict and whether or not the verdict was supported by substantial evidence. We find that the court did not err in refusing to grant a verdict in favor of appellant but there was error in the manner of awarding the judgment. Therefore, the case will be reversed and sent back for further proceedings. Appellee claims his automobiles were damaged during the summer of 1977 by the agent, servants, or employees of the railway causing gravel and railroad spikes to be thrown from their track into the windshield and the bodies of three automobiles. The automobiles were situated about 75 feet from the railroad in Mena, Arkansas. At this point the track is about 25 feet higher than the lot. The automobiles, which have been described as special interest automobiles, were apparently damaged when gravel and spikes from the railroad were thrown into them. Two of the automobiles were 1939 models and one was a 1957 model. There is no dispute that the spikes and gravel were in, on and around the automobiles when inspected by the appellee in October of 1977. Neither is it disputed that the gravel was the same type as that on the nearby railroad or that the spikes were those commonly used in the maintenance and upkeep of railroads. The evidence relating to damages is quite confusing. The automobiles apparently were not antiques but were what is termed special interest vehicles. This would tend to increase their value over automobiles which were not of special interest. During the trial evidence of the estimated cost of repairs was introduced. Also testimony from witnesses giving a value of the automobiles some two or three years prior to the accident and up to one year after the accident was presented. At the close of the appellee’s case the appellant moved for a directed verdict which was denied. Thereafter the appellant presented testimony which, in fact, showed the railroad had operated a bush hog along its tracks in that area about one month before the damages were discovered. We first discuss the question of whether the court erred in failing to direct a verdict for the appellant. The motion was first made at the close of the appellee’s testimony. The motion was overruled by the court. Thereafter the appellant presented evidence in defense of the claim. On appeal it is not important whether the court was right or wrong in refusing to grant the first motion for a directed verdict because the appellant subsequently presented evidence. If there were evidence produced by the appellant, or which grew out of the defense of the case, sufficient to support a verdict, the court was correct in overruling the motion for a directed verdict at the close of all the evidence. Such an issue was considered by this Court in the case of Grooms v. Neff Harness Co., 79 Ark. 401, 96 S.W. 135 (1906). In a rehearing on the Grooms case this Court stated: The defendant may, however, at the close of the plaintiff’s evidence, test its legal sufficiency by a request for a peremptory instruction in his favor. If, after a denial of the request, he introduces evidence which, together with that introduced by the plaintiff, is legally sufficient to sustain the verdict, he waives the error of the court in refusing to give the instruction. To the same effect see Granite Mountain Rest Home v. Schwarz, 236 Ark. 46, 364 S.W. 2d 306 (1963). The appellant introduced evidence showing it had operated a bush hogging machine in the area shortly before the damages were discovered by the appellee. Facts introduced by the appellee indicated the vehicles were damaged by spikes and gravel from the railroad. These facts, and other evidence, are sufficient to support a verdict even though the facts were all circumstantial. It is not necessary to have direct evidence in order to support a verdict. We have on numerous occasions held that a well-connected train of circumstances is as valuable to the jury in reaching a verdict as that of direct evidence. We have even stated that such circumstantial evidence sometimes outweighs opposing direct testimony and any issue of fact may be established by circumstantial evidence when the circumstances are such that reasonable minds might draw different conclusions. Woodward v. Blythe, 246 Ark. 791, 439 S.W. 2d 919 (1969). We have also held, in determining the legal sufficiency of evidence, the testimony of a party to an action who is interested in the result will not be regarded as undisputed. Bridges v. Shapleigh Hardware Co., 186 Ark. 993, 57 S.W. 2d 405 (1933). We view the evidence on appeal in the light most favorable to the appellee and under the circumstances we cannot say as a matter of law that the evidence in this case is insufficient to support a verdict. The measure of damages used by the court presents a different situation. The trial court, sitting as a jury, was obviously aware of the correct measure of damages and stated it to be the value of the vehicles immediately before the loss, less the value of the vehicles immediately after the loss. However, in reaching a decision on the amount of damages, the court failed to abide by this rule. We are not sure as to the exact method used by the court in reaching the verdict on damages. However, there was evidence concerning the value of the automobiles two or three years prior to the accident and their value a year after the accident. Also, there was evidence of the cost of repairs. At one point the court sustained the objection of the value prior to the accident because of remoteness in time. However, in reaching a decision it appears this testimony was actually considered. We do not find anywhere in the testimony evidence of the value of the vehicles immediately before and immediately after the accident. Ark. Stat. Ann. § 75-919.1 (Supp. 1977) provides that in all cases involving damages to motor vehicles the measure of damage shall be the difference between the value of the vehicle immediately before the damage occurred and after the damage occurred, plus a reasonable amount of damage for loss of use of such vehicle. We have reaffirmed this measure of damages in cases too numerous to mention. We have no alternative but to reverse the case on the measure of damages. Reversed and remanded for a new trial on all issues. Harris, C.J., and Fogleman and Hickman, JJ., concur in part and dissent in part.