Court Opinion

ID: 9634669
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 13:19:53.583177+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:09:08.345919
License: Public Domain

Annabelle Clinton Imber, Justice, dissenting. The majority has decided, as a matter of law, that the injury Mr. Johnson suffered on the premises of Albemarle on May 10, 1993, was not foreseeable. Even if the injury was foreseeable, the majority holds that Albemarle had no duty to warn Mr. Johnson of the potential danger of the dumpster on its premises because Mr. Johnson recognized the dumpster as a hazard. I believe that a question of fact existed that was properly sent to the jury; thus, I must dissent. When we review the denial of a motion for directed verdict or motion for new trial, we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the party against whom the verdict is sought and give that evidence the highest probative value, taking into account all reasonable inferences that can be derived from it. Conagra, Inc. v. Strother, 340 Ark. 672, 675-76 (2000); City of Caddo Valley v. George, 340 Ark. 203, 211 (2000); Croom v. Younts, 323 Ark. 95, 101, 913 S.W.2d 283 (1996). In the case at hand, therefore, we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to Mr. Johnson, not Albemarle. Furthermore, we review the trial court only to determine if there is substantial evidence to support the jury verdict. City of Caddo Valley v. George, supra. Substantial evidence is evidence of sufficient force and character to compel a conclusion one way or another with reasonable certainty; it must force the mind to pass beyond suspicion or conjecture. Union Pac. R.R. Co. v. Sharp, 330 Ark. 174, 952 S.W.2d 658 (1997). When there is a conflict in the evidence or when the evidence is such that fair-minded people might reach different conclusions, a jury question is presented, and a motion for directed verdict should be denied. Conagra, Inc. v. Strother, supra. A question for the jury is presented “in any case where there might be reasonable difference of opinions as to the foreseeability of a particular risk . . . .” Keck v. American Employment Agency, Inc., 279 Ark. 294, 302, 652 S.W.2d 2, 7 (1983). In this case, the trial court properly denied Albemarle’s motions for directed verdict, judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and new trial because Mr. Johnson presented evidence from which fair-minded persons might reach different conclusions on the issue of foreseeability; therefore, a jury question was presented. The majority’s determination that Mr. Johnson’s injury was not foreseeable as a matter of law improperly views the evidence in the light most favorable to Albemarle. According to the majority’s opinion today, “the alleged negligent act committed by Appellants was the placement of a metal trash container at the edge of a parking lot, adjacent to a pipe rack.” By viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Mr. Johnson, as this court is required to do, it is evident that the alleged negligent act committed by Albemarle was actually its placement of a collapsible dumpster at the edge of a driveway on the premises of a chemical plant where there is constant tanker-truck traffic. The question that was properly submitted to the jury was whether Albemarle should have foreseen the fact that the dumpster, in its location partially obstructing the drive, would impede traffic, creating the need to move it. If so, Albemarle had a duty to exercise ordinary care and to warn Mr. Johnson of the danger posed by the dumpster. The trial court properly presented this question to the jury because reasonable minds could differ, based upon the evidence presented at trial, as to whether Albemarle should have foreseen the risk of harm posed by the dumpster. The evidence presented by Albemarle revealed that the dumpster was located adjacent to the maintenance building in an area marked “no thru traffic.” Yet, the evidence presented by-Mr. Johnson revealed that the “no thru traffic” sign was not visible to the driver of the truck until the truck had already entered the drive. Further evidence revealed that roadways not designated for trucks to use on the Albemarle premises were ordinarily barricaded. Roads that were not barricaded were not restricted. Finally, Mr. Johnson presented evidence that the roadways on the Albemarle facility were frequendy blocked by obstructions, forcing truck drivers to find alternate routes in and out of the facility. In light of all of this evidence, it is clear that a question of fact was created as to whether Albemarle should have foreseen the risk posed by a collapsible dumpster partially obstructing a roadway on its premises. The majority likewise improperly focuses upon the foreseeability of the particular injury sustained by Mr. Johnson. While acknowledging that it is not necessary that Albemarle foresee the particular injury that occurred, only that it reasonably foresee an appreciable risk of harm, Broyles v. Wallace, 331 Ark. 58, 961 S.W.2d 712 (1998), the majority concludes that it was not foreseeable “that an invitee would injure himself by attempting to manually move the 2,180 pound container on his own.” It is irrelevant to an inquiry of foreseeability whether Mr. Johnson attempted to move the container on his own, or if he and five of his best buddies tried to move the container as a group. If Albemarle could have foreseen the need to move the container out of the roadway and knew that the container could break apart if moved improperly, yet failed to warn of that danger, then a jury could properly conclude that Albemarle had been negligent. For that reason, I cannot agree that, as a matter of law, the risk of harm to Mr. Johnson was not foreseeable, and would affirm the denial of directed verdict. Having taken the extraordinary step of removing a question of fact from the decision-making realm of the jury, the majority then proceeds to declare the whole issue of foreseeability irrelevant because, the majority concludes, Albemarle had no duty to warn Mr. Johnson of the risk posed by the dumpster. According to the majority, Mr. Johnson recognized the dumpster as a hazard, and Albemarle has no duty to warn invitees of known hazards. The basis of a business owner’s duty of care to invitees is his superior knowledge of a condition that poses an unreasonable risk of harm of which the invitee does not or should not know. Jenkins v. Hestand’s Grocery, Inc., 320 Ark. 485, 898 S.W.2d 30 (1995). In the case at hand, Mr. Johnson admitted that he was aware that the dumpster posed a hazard, because it was a large object that was obstructing the path of his truck. However, Mr. Johnson testified that he did not know the dumpster would fall apart. Even if it could be said, as a matter of law, that Mr. Johnson should have known he could injure himself by moving a heavy object without help, we cannot say as a matter of law that he should have known that the container would break apart when moved. The evidence revealed that there were no warning labels or instructions on the container. The container was a solid-looking large object. And, finally, the container had a handle. It was not until Mr. Johnson pulled on the handle that the dumpster collapsed on his foot. Whether Albemarle had a duty to warn Mr. Johnson of the fact that the dumpster could collapse if the handle is pulled was a question of fact properly submitted to the jury under the facts of this case. For the foregoing reasons, I dissent. Glaze, J., joins in this dissent.