Court Opinion

ID: 9763339
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:41:57.613347+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:56:36.111399
License: Public Domain

Steele Hays, Justice, dissenting. This personal injury case was defended throughout on the theory that the plaintiff Todd became a licensee rather than an invitee when he left the Jacuzzi plant by a route he was not authorized to use. Beginning with its answer alleging that the plaintiff had “trespassed into an area of the premises in which he was not authorized to be present,” to its answers to interrogatories asserting that Todd had left the area he was áuthorized to use, to its request for a jury trial asserting the same grounds, to the testimony of witnesses that Todd disregarded yellow lines leading out and used an “emergency” exit he had never previously used, Jacuzzi’s position was clear. This is a familiar issue and the law is settled: We have said that when one crosses the boundaries of the invitation, he ceases to be an invitee and becomes either a licensee or a trespasser. Husted v. Richards, 245 Ark. 987, 436 S.W.2d 103. This is in keeping with the general rule recognized by the authorities. It is said that one who enters a building as an invitee for a business purpose is an invitee only while he remains in a portion of. the building in which he had a legitimate errand, but if he leaves a place of safety and goes to a place where his business does not require him to be, deliberately placing himself in a position where he is injured by a defective appurtenance, he acquires a less favored status. 62 Am. Jur. 2d 286, Premises Liability, § 47. It is necessary that an employee of a subcontractor, in order to recover as a business invitee of the general contractor, show that, when he was injured, he was using a part of the premises reasonably within the contemplation of the employer’s contract or accepted by defendant as being so. Annot., 20 ALR 2d 868, 914. Daniel Const. Co. v. Holden, 266 Ark. 43, 585 S.W.2d 6 (1979). In this case most of the trial testimony and evidence centered on whether Todd was an invitee, express or implied, in the area where his injury occurred and clearly a question of fact on that issue was created by the proof. When the testimony was concluded and instructions were under discussion Jacuzzi objected to AMI 1104, which told the jury categorically that Floyd Todd was an invitee: In this case Floyd Todd was a business invitee upon the premises of Jacuzzi Brothers, Inc. Jacuzzi Brothers, Inc. owed Floyd Todd a duty to use ordinary care to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition. In lieu of AMI 1104, Jacuzzi asked that AMI 1106 be given, which instructed the jury to decide whether Todd was an invitee or a licensee and explained the duty owed to each. On appeal, the majority rejects Jacuzzi’s contention, not for lack of merit, but because the argument was waived when counsel for Jacuzzi failed to give a reason why AMI 1104 should not be given, and failed to give a reason why AMI 1106 should be given. I submit the appellant preserved the point for review by objecting to AMI 1104, which told the jury that the plaintiff was an invitee as a matter of law, and proffering AMI 1106, which submitted that issue to the jury. The reason for the request could hardly have been clearer and I have no doubt but that the trial judge understood what he was being asked to do. It is, of course, error for an instruction of the trial court to assume a disputed fact which the jury should decide. Porter v. Lincoln, 282 Ark. 258, 668 S.W. 2d 11 (1989); Thiel v. Dove, 229 Ark. 601, 317 S.W.2d 121 (1958). The majority relies on Gilliam v. Thompson, 313 Ark. 698, 856 S.W.2d 877 (1993). The last paragraph of that opinion ostensibly supports the majority. But if that is what this court meant to say in Gilliam then we were wrong and we should make haste to correct the error. This court has never held that when a correct jury instruction is proffered, consistent with the proof, it must also be accompanied by a statement as to why it should be given. Notably, Gilliam cites no authority for such a rule, because there is none. Gilliam refers to Viking Ins. Co. v. Jester, 310 Ark. 317, 836 S.W.2d 371 ( 1992), but not for that reason. The Viking case, in fact, directly refutes Gilliam. There we wrote: In accordance with [Rule 51], we have said no party may assign as error the giving or the failure to give an instruction unless he objects thereto before or at the time the instruction is given, stating distinctly the matter to which he objects and the grounds of his objection, and no party may assign as error the failure to instruct on any issue unless such party has submitted a proposed instruction on that issue. [My emphasis.] That language, of course, is taken verbatim from ARCP Rule 51, which says nothing about a supporting statement when an instruction is refused. A careful reading of Rule 51 leads to the conclusion that the rule has three elements: one) objections to instructions must be made before or at the time an instruction is given; two) an objection to the giving of an instruction must be specific; and three) no error may be assigned to the failure to instruct on any issue unless the party has submitted a proposed instruction. In this case the appellant objected to the trial court deciding the issue of Todd’s status as a matter of law and proffered an AMI instruction which submitted that factual issue to the jury. That is sufficient. One may search our cases in vain for any decision in which we have held that for error to be preserved for the refusal to give a proper instruction, the proffer must be accompanied by supporting argument. Certainly when one objects to an instruction, a specific reason must be stated. Rule 51 makes that clear. But there is no requirement that when a correct instruction is requested and refused, a statement must be made as to why it should be given. If Gilliam is the law, Rule 51 is seriously misleading. Our cases, and there are many, hold uniformly that when one objects to an erroneous instruction and proffers a correct instruction, the point is preserved for purposes of appeal. In St. Louis Southwestern Ry Co. v. Ellis, 169 Ark. 682, 276 S.W. 996 (1925), we reversed because the appellant objected properly to the instruction given and “asked for an instruction in the precise language approved by this court.” That was sufficient for purposes of appellate review. Where the point is not preserved it is either because the appellant failed to submit a correct instruction or the proof was lacking, but not for want of supporting argument. See, e.g., Kelly v. Medlin, 309 Ark. 146, 827 S.W.2d 655 (1992); Burnette v. Morgan, 303 Ark. 150, 794 S.W.2d 145 (1990); City of Little Rock v. Weber, 298 Ark. 382, 767 S.W.2d 529 (1989); People’s Bank and Trust Co. v. Wallace, 290 Ark. 589, 721 S.W.2d 659 (1986), South Arkansas Oil Co. v. Livingston, 250 Ark. 374, 465 S.W.2d 119 (1971); Johnson v. Truck Insurance Exchange, 285 Ark. 470, 688 S.W.2d 728 (1955); Trisha v. Savage, 219 Ark. 80, 239 S.W.2d 1018 (1951); Ozark Packing Co. v. Stanley, 211 Ark. 749, 202 Ark. 352 (1947); Newman v. Peay, 117 Ark. 579, 176 S.W. 143 (1915): Boone v. Boone, 114 Ark. 69, 169 S.W. 779 (1914); Williams v. Clark, 105 Ark. 157, 150 S.W. 568 (1912); Allison v. State, 74 Ark. 444, 86 S.W. 409 (1905). We have long held that a party is entitled to have his/her theory presented to the jury and it is error to refuse a proper instruction when there is any evidence tending to support it. Findley v. State, 307 Ark. 53, 818 S.W.2d 242 (1991) (“even the slightest evidence”); Dunlap v. State, 303 Ark. 222, 795 S.W.2d 920 (1990) (“slightest evidence”); Cain v. Songer, 176 Ark. 551, 3 S.W.2d 315 (1928) (“it was error to refuse an instruction presenting plaintiff’s theory that the contract was one of sale”); Life & Casualty Insurance of Tenn. v. Gilkey, 255 Ark. 1060, 505 S.W.2d 200 (1974) (“Since the trial court judge is under a duty to instruct as to the law applicable in the case, it was error not to give the instruction”). The fact is Gilliam stands alone among our cases — a radical departure from decades of trial and appellate practice. If that is to be the law, it ought to come only after fair warning and a revision of Rule 51. I respectfully dissent. Newbern, J., joins in this dissent.