Court Opinion

ID: 9766896
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 05:02:08.79634+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:27.009905
License: Public Domain

Tom Glaze, Justice, concurring in part; dissenting in part. While I agree with the result reached by the majority, I dissent on its finding that the trial court erred in submitting the issue of punitive damages to the jury. After reviewing the evidence in this case, I believe that there was sufficient evidence to submit this issue to the jury. There is evidence that the railroad breached its duty to keep the right of ways in the area of the accident clear of vegetation, and the railroad was apprised of this problem in safety meetings. While there is testimony that the railroad responded to specific requests to clear vegetation in a certain area, there remains a fact question for the jury as to whether the railroad was guilty of conscious disregard for the clearing of this right of way. See HCA Health Servs. of Midwest, Inc. v. National Bank of Commerce, 294 Ark. 525, 533, 745 S.W.2d 120, 125 (1988). I concur with the majority’s finding that the trial court erred in submitting the whistle and bell issue to the jury. However, contrary to the majority’s recitation, there was testimony to indicate that train did not sound its whistle the mandated one-quarter of a mile before the train reached the crossing. As this court pointed out in Missouri Pac. R.R. v. Biddle, 293 Ark. 148-A, 737 S.W.2d 625 (1987), the statute mandates that a train blow its whistle or bell one-quarter of a mile before the train reaches the crossing. While there was testimony to show that a fact question existed as to whether the train blew its whistle at the appropriate time, there was no testimony to show that the train failed to sound its bell. Therefore, the trial court erred in instructing the jury on this point.