Court Opinion

ID: 9642126
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 17:49:08.943867+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:54:10.713559
License: Public Domain

CoNley Byrd, Justice, dissenting'. I dissent from that portion of the majority opinion that reduces the jury’s $5,000 punitive damage award to $2,500. The evidence fails to show any indication of prejudice or passion on the part of the jury, particularly in the awarding of. the compensatory damages in the amount of $2,500. Begarding the compensatory damages, the testimony shows that appellee had a pre-existing arthritis of his neck which was aggravated by the hyper-extension flexion injury of his neck, and that he also had a lumbosacral strain or a sprained back. The doctor testified that, although the accident happened on December 4, on December 21 the muscle spasm in appellee’s neck could be seen completely across the room. Appellee lost work from December 4 to February 18, incurred doctor bills of $461.50, and has a continuing drug bill of $18 per month. The $2,500 compensatory judgment for these damages is, most modest, and in fact appellant does not argue that it is excessive. In addition to the facts set out in the majority opinion, the record shows that appellant did not see appel-lee’s stopped car until he was within 60 feet of the rear thereof, even though he had an unobstructed view in excess of 150 feet before the point of impact. The facts surrounding appellant’s activities on that day, together with.his attitude which was observed by the jury, belie his “one-beer” story. It is true that he admits that he bought one quart of beer from a grocery store in the morning, which he says he drank from some time about 1:30 until around 5 o’clock. While so testifying about the one beer, he states that the reason for his having been out to do some target practicing was. that he had built up a gun which he wanted to test. On cross examination, however, he admitted that he had split his thumb the day before he went out to test the gun, and because of the sore thumb he was unable to try out the gun. Many other inconsistencies in appellant’s story could be shown from the record, including his failure to respond to pertinent questions put to him op cross examination. Viewing the record in its total perspective, it is my opinion that there was testimony from which the jury could have found that appellant had been drinking all afternoon immediately preceding the accident; that he was drunk at the time of the accident; that he ran into the rear of appellee’s car on one of the busiest streets in Little Bock; and that there was a lack of candor in his testimony in the court room, particularly with reference to the distance from which he could see the car and the tail lights on the car. In my opinion, a drunk in an automobile on either Markham Street or University Avenue in the vicinity of Park Plaza shopping center on a Saturday afternoon at or near 5 o’clock is. as hazardous as would be a lunatic firing a gun. When his drunken condition is considered along with his lack of candor in testifying, in my opinion the jury was. certainly justified in awarding a verdict of $5,000 for punitive damages. For these reasons I would affirm the judgment. George Rose Smith and Fogleman, JJ., join in this dissent.