Court Opinion

ID: 9781444
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 16:38:21.515462+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:34:26.638018
License: Public Domain

Justice HUDSON
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I concur with the majority’s holding that the use of the word “party” in N.C.G.S. § 99B-3(a) does not limit that defense to alterations or modifications by parties to the lawsuit. Because I disagree with the majority’s decision to address additional issues, and particularly the majority’s assertion that, from the evidence presented, the jury could properly conclude that Gordon Stark modified the Taurus by placing the seat belt behind Cheyenne, I respectfully dissent from the majority’s ultimate holding. I would instead reverse the Court of Appeals’ decision on the availability of the section 99B-3 defense without reaching any additional issues, and remand for consideration of those issues.
*482First and foremost, I believe the majority here improperly engaged in the sufficiency of the evidence analysis found near the end of the opinion. In its opinion the Court of Appeals held that Gordon Stark was not a “party” under section 99B-3; therefore, that court did not analyze the evidence regarding modification by Gordon Stark. The entire discussion of this matter in the Court of Appeals’ opinion is as follows:
Plaintiff next addresses Defendant’s argument that Gordon Stark or Tonya Stark modified the seatbelt by improperly placing Cheyenne in the seat with the shoulder belt behind her back. Plaintiffs argue that Cheyenne was still entitled to a directed verdict because neither Gordon Stark nor Tonya Stark was “a party” to the action, as required by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 99B-3.
N.C.G.S. § 99B-3 provides in pertinent part that:
No manufacturer or seller of a product shall be held liable in any product liability action where a proximate cause of the personal injury, death, or damage to property was either an alteration or modification of the product by a party other than the manufacturer or seller, which alteration or modification occurred after the product left the control of such manufacturer or such seller. . . .
N.C.G.S. § 99B-3 (emphasis added).
Defendant argues that the trial court’s judgment, based on the jury’s verdict, was supported by evidence that Gordon Stark misused the rear seatbelt by putting Cheyenne in the backseat and buckling her seatbelt with the shoulder belt behind her back. Defending against Plaintiffs’ motion for directed verdict, Defendant argued at trial that “[m]ore importantly, what is the specific evidence in this case about who used Cheyenne Stark’s belt; Gordon Stark. He put her in that belt on that day. He is the one who affixed her to this vehicle. He’s the one who used the product.” Plaintiffs argue that N.C.G.S. § 99B-3 is inapplicable to any alleged alterations or modifications performed by either Tonya Stark or Gordon Stark in placing Cheyenne in the seatbelt improperly, because neither Tonya Stark nor Gordon Stark is a party to this action.
At the time of trial, neither Tonya Stark nor Gordon Stark were parties to the action.
*483Because Defendant asserts that the modification was performed by Gordon Stark, who is not a party to the action in this case, Defendant is unable to establish an N.C.G.S. § 99B-3 defense as to such an alleged modification.
In light of our holding, we need not address Plaintiffs’ arguments concerning judgment notwithstanding the verdict, entry of judgment, or motion for a new trial.
Stark ex rel. Jacobsen v. Ford Motor Co., 204 N.C. App. 1, 9-10, 12-13, 693 S.E.2d 253, 258-59, 260-61 (2010).
It is the practice of this Court to reach only those issues passed upon by the Court of Appeals and to remand for consideration of any issues beyond those necessary for our decision. See, e.g., N.C. R. App. P. 16(a) (stating that “[r]eview by the Supreme Court after a determination by the Court of Appeals ... is to determine whether there is error of law in the decision of the Court of Appeals”); Va. Elec. & Power Co. v. Tillett, 316 N.C. 73, 76, 340 S.E.2d 62, 64-65 (1986) (“Giving proper deference to the Court of Appeals, we decline to address the remaining issues raised by the parties but not addressed by that court in its opinion in this case. Instead, we remand the case to the Court of Appeals so that it may address those issues initially on appeal and prior to their being decided by this Court.”). In my view, the majority incorrectly identifies our task here: after reversing the Court of Appeals’ decision on section 99B-3, the majority states that “to resolve the directed verdict inquiry, we must now consider whether there is sufficient evidence, or some factual basis, to support a determination that someone other than Ford modified the Taurus.” Contrary to this assertion, it is not our task to “resolve the directed verdict inquiry,” which by its nature requires weighing of evidence and drawing of inferences. Rather, we need only review the decision below for error of law, as required by Rule 16(a). Because the Court of Appeals did not assess in any way the sufficiency of the evidence of Gordon Stark as modifier, that issue is not properly before this Court.
The only error of law shown in the decision below relates to the interpretation of section 99B-3, and the majority here reverses the Court of Appeals’ interpretation of the. word “party” in that section. It should have done no more than so holding and remanding for the Court of Appeals to consider the evidence. Because I would remand upon deciding that the Court of Appeals misinterpreted section 99B-3, I dissent to the extent that the majority’s opinion goes beyond that point.
*484The Court of Appeals first, and now the majority here, resolve this case only on Issues I and II as presented in plaintiffs’ brief to the Court of Appeals. Because of its resolution of Issues I and II, the Court of Appeals did not reach issues III or IV, which argued alternative grounds for relief, or Issue V regarding costs. None of the latter three issues were presented to this Court, and as such, they have not yet been addressed by any court. Accordingly, I would specifically hold that on remand, the Court of Appeals should address these remaining issues.
Our proper role, in my opinion, is to ask the Court of Appeals to review the sufficiency of the evidence whether Gordon Stark modified the Taurus before we undertake that matter. Nonetheless, because the majority decided to engage in that analysis — incorrectly, in my view, holding the evidence sufficient — I include the following discussion of why I conclude the opposite.
It is undisputed that Ford bears the burden of proof on its affirmative defense under N.C.G.S. § 99B-3. “In the case of an affirmative defense ... a motion for directed verdict is properly granted against the defendant where the defendant fails to present more than, a scintilla of evidence in support of each element of his defense.” Snead v. Holloman, 101 N.C. App. 462, 464, 400 S.E.2d 91, 92 (1991) (citations omitted). On the other hand, we are reviewing the denial of a directed verdict sought by plaintiffs; therefore, “[defendant’s] evidence must be taken as true and all the evidence must be considered in the light most favorable to the [defendant], giving him the benefit of every reasonable inference to be drawn therefrom.” Manganello v. Permastone, Inc., 291 N.C. 666, 670, 231 S.E.2d 678, 680 (1977) (citations omitted). We also “must ignore that which tends to establish another and different state of facts or which tends to contradict or impeach the testimony presented by [defendant].” Morgan v. Great Atl. & Pac. Tea Co., 266 N.C. 221, 222-23, 145 S.E.2d 877, 879 (1966). “But, when the evidence is so considered, it must do more than raise a suspicion, conjecture, guess, surmise, or speculation as to the pertinent facts in order to justify its submission to the jury.” Jenrette Transp. Co. v. Atl. Fire Ins. Co., 236 N.C. 534, 539, 73 S.E.2d 481, 485 (1952) (citing Denny v. Snow, 199 N.C. 773, 774, 155 S.E. 874, 874 (1930) (per curiam)).
With these standards in mind, I now examine the evidence. Both sides presented expert testimony on the design of the seat belt and the injuries to the children. Based on their evaluations of the injuries and the condition of the seat belts after the accident, defendant’s *485experts testified that the shoulder belt must have been behind Cheyenne’s back at the time of the accident. Taking this evidence as true, Manganello, 291 N.C. at 670, 231 S.E.2d at 680, I must assume that the shoulder belt was, in fact, behind Cheyenne at the time of the accident. Because N.C.G.S. § 99B-3 does not on its face accord any significance to the identity of the party that alters or modifies the product, except that the party be someone “other than the manufacturer or seller,” N.C.G.S. § 99B-3(a) (2011), that showing alone would ordinarily survive directed verdict against the section 99B-3 defense. Present here, however, are special circumstances which require us to evaluate precisely how or by whose hand the shoulder belt came to be behind Cheyenne. Specifically, because Cheyenne was only five years old, I conclude, as the Court of Appeals did, that she was incapable as a matter of law of altering or modifying the Taurus within the meaning of the statutory defense. As a result, the defense is only available to Ford if it can show that someone other than Cheyenne modified or altered the Taurus.
While the text of the statute does not generally require that the modifying or altering party be identified, the statute does specifically use the phrase “proximate cause.” It is a long-standing rule of construction that “when a statute makes use of a word, the meaning of which was well ascertained at common law, the word will be understood in the sense it was at common law.” Smithdeal v. Wilkerson, 100 N.C. 66, 67, 100 N.C. 52, 53, 6 S.E. 71, 71 (1888) (citing Kitchen v. Tyson, 7 N.C. 232, 233, 7 N.C. [3 Mur.] 314, 315 (1819); accord Standard Oil Co. of N.J. v. United States, 221 U.S. 1, 59, 31 S. Ct. 502, 515 (1911) (stating that “where words are employed in a statute which had at the time a well-known meaning at common law or in the law of this country, they are presumed to have been used in that sense”). As such, unless otherwise stated, the statute incorporates common law principles associated with proximate cause. See Ridge Cmty. Investors, Inc. v. Berry, 293 N.C. 688, 695, 239 S.E.2d 566, 570 (1977) (noting that “[i]n interpreting statutes.... it is always presumed that the Legislature acted with full knowledge of prior, and existing law”) (citations omitted).
As the Court of Appeals properly discussed, under the common law, “[fjoreseeability of some injurious consequence of one’s act is an essential element of proximate cause, though anticipation of the particular consequence is not required.” Hastings ex rel. Pratt v. Seegars Fence Co., 128 N.C. App. 166, 170, 493 S.E.2d 782, 785 (1997) (citing Sutton v. Duke, 277 N.C. 94, 107, 176 S.E.2d 161, 168-69 *486(1970)). This Court in Walston v. Greene held that a child under seven years of age is incapable of negligence as a matter of law “because a child under 7 years of age lacks the discretion, judgment and mental capacity to discern and appreciate circumstances of danger that threaten its safety.” 247 N.C. 693, 696, 102 S.E.2d 124, 126 (1958) (citations omitted). In other words, a child under seven years of age cannot, as a matter of law, determine the foreseeable consequences of her actions in the analysis of proximate cause. The Court of Appeals analyzed this issue properly and concluded that Cheyenne was “unable to ‘foresee’ that any modification or alteration could be a proximate cause of her injury.” Stark, 204 N.C. App. at 8, 693 S.E.2d at 258. Even if Cheyenne altered or modified the Taurus by her use of the shoulder belt, her actions cannot, as a matter of law, be considered the proximate cause of her own injury. Therefore, the defense in N.C.G.S. § 99B-3 is only available to Ford if it provides sufficient evidence that someone other than Cheyenne modified or altered the belt.
Addressing that issue, the majority here summarizes some of the evidence and concludes that “[f]rom this evidence the jury could properly conclude that Gordon Stark, despite his recollection to the contrary, placed the shoulder portion of Cheyenne’s seat belt behind her back after buckling her in.” The problem with this conclusion is that the testimony does not support it.
The evidence shows that Gordon buckled Cheyenne into the seat belt. Gordon testified that she was asleep when he buckled her in. He also testified that the belt was “way too big” for her and fell across her head and neck area.1 Under the directed verdict review standard, we must ignore the obvious inference from Gordon’s testimony that, because the belt was “right under her head/neck area,” it had to be in front of her. See Morgan, 266 N.C. at 222-23, 145 S.E.2d at 879. We also must ignore Tonya Stark’s testimony that she confirmed that the children’s seat belts were properly worn before the car moved. See id. Last, as discussed earlier, we accept as true evidence from defendant’s experts that the belt was behind Cheyenne at the time of the accident.
Thus, we are left with the following “facts” under the directed verdict standard of review: Gordon buckled a sleeping Cheyenne into *487her seat and noticed that the belt was “way too big” for her; roughly five or ten minutes later2 the belt was behind her at the moment of the accident. Based on careful review of the transcripts, I conclude there is no testimony or other evidence whatsoever as to what, if anything, happened to the shoulder belt in the intervening time period. In light of this lack of evidence, then, there are at least three possible scenarios consistent with the evidence: 1) Gordon put the belt behind Cheyenne; 2) Cheyenne moved the belt behind her, either voluntarily after waking up or involuntarily while sleeping in the moving car; or 3) Cheyenne slipped out from under the belt while sleeping because it was too big. There is absolutely no evidence on which a jury could choose among these three options. “A resbrt to a choice of possibilities is guesswork.” Powell v. Cross, 263 N.C. 764, 768, 140 S.E.2d 393, 397 (1965) (citations omitted).3
Thus, even “when the evidence shown in the record of [a] case on appeal is taken in the light most favorable to [defendants], and giving to them the benefit of every reasonable inference therefrom, the case ... is left in a state of uncertainty and rests upon possibility.” Wall v. Trogdon, 249 N.C. 747, 752, 107 S.E.2d 757, 761 (1959). “A verdict or finding in favor of one having the burden of proof will not be upheld if the evidence upon which it rests raises no more than mere couj ecture, guess, surmise, or speculation.” Jenrette Transp. Co., 236 N.C. at 539-40, 73 S.E.2d at 485. The evidence as presented by defendant raises no more than “a suspicion, conjecture, guess, surmise, or speculation” that Gordon Stark modified or altered the seat belt. Id. Because defendant Ford bore the burden of proving the affirmative defense, I conclude it failed to carry that burden, even with the inherent advantages of the directed verdict standard of review.
I concur that the Court of Appeals erred in its interpretation of the use of the word “party” in N.C.G.S. § 99B-3. I would remand for *488that court to consider all remaining issues, including the sufficiency of the evidence that Gordon Stark modified the Taurus. Nevertheless, because the majority improperly reaches that question, and because the evidence fails to establish the section 99B-3 defense as to Gordon Stark as modifier, I respectfully dissent.
Justice TIMMONS-GOODSON joins in this opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part.

. The majority speculates that “perhaps” he moved the belt behind her “in an attempt to prevent the belt from falling uncomfortably across her head and disturbing her sleep.” Such pure speculation has no place in the legal analysis here. That the evidence provides a possible reason why Gordon might have wanted to move the belt does not lead to a reasonable inference that he did move the belt.

. As to the time elapsed between Gordon buckling Cheyenne into the seat and the moment of the accident, we only have testimony that the trip from the house to the store was “three to five minutes” and that Gordon had gone into the store and come back out. We can reasonably infer that the accident occurred approximately five or ten minutes after Gordon buckled Cheyenne in.

. The Court in Powell further stated that “[t]he sufficiency of the evidence in law to go to the jury does not depend upon the doctrine of chances. However confidently one in his own affairs may base his judgment on mere probability as to a proposition of fact and as a basis for the judgment of the court, he must adduce evidence of other than a majority of chances that the fact to be proved does exist. It must be more than sufficient for mere guess and must be such as tends to actual proof.” 263 N.C. at 768, 140 S.E.2d at 397 (citations omitted).