Court Opinion

ID: 7822020
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:58:11.982039+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:45.652664
License: Public Domain

John I. Purtle, Justice, dissenting. I must dissent because I feel that neither the trial court nor the majority in this opinion fully appreciated the difference in the two types of assumption of risk involved here. At least, they did not give due deference to appellant’s theory of the case. I would first point out that it has always been the position of the appellee that no loose blocks existed on the building under construction. On the other hand, appellant’s whole theory is is predicated upon a loose block or blocks being present on the top of the wall where appellant was working at the time of his injury. He claims his injuries and subsequent damages resulted from a loose block tilting thereby causing him to fall. It was inconsistent with both appellant’s and appellees’ theories of the case for the court to give AMI 612. This instruction informed the jury that they must find that a dangerous situation existed; that appellant knew the dangerous situation existed and realized the risk he was taking. The instruction further told the jury that in determining whether appellant knew of the dangerous situation and realized the risk of injury they could take into consideration whether the danger was open and obvious. Finally, the instruction required them to find that Baxter voluntarily exposed himself to the dangerous situation which proximately caused his injury. Since the appellees maintained throughout the trial that there were no loose blocks on the wall, they had no right to request this instruction. The appellant was under no duty to offer an instruction to replace an erroneous one. The risk alleged to have been assumed by the appellant was the risk of working on the top of a wall . This type of risk asumption applies to a situation where he would simply fall off the wall or some other similar accident. The obvious danger and assumption of risk involved in working on top of a wall is entirely different from the hidden danger and assumption of risk involved in working on top of a wall which contains loose blocks. It was impossible for appellant to assume the risk of working atop a loose block because he did not know the hidden danger existed and the appellee insists it never did exist. The fact of whether or not a loose block existed would, of course, be a matter for the jury to determine. In the case of Price v. Daugherty, 253 Ark. 421, 486 S.W. 2d 528 (1972), the defendant persuaded the court to give AMI 612. This case also involved assumption of risk. We reversed the trial court in Price because AMI 612 was given. The assumption of risk in Price involved the operation of a stump grinding machine which exploded in an attempt to operate it. It seems to me that a portion of the language used in Price is absolutely descriptive of the situation here: There is no proof that Price was aware of the defects in the machine. Yet that is the precise hazard that he had to be aware of in order to assume its risk. I think the trial court also erred in refusing to give AMI 1204 relating to a contractor’s duty, which states: In determining whether_was negligent, you may consider the degree of skill and care ordinarily possessed and used by contractors doing work of a nature similar to that shown by the evidence in this case. The note following this instruction indicates that it should follow AMI 301 and 303 which were both given in this case. The court decided to give AMI 1104 rather than 1204. AMI 1104 is the duty of an owner owed to an invitee, the duty being that of ordinary care to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition. This duty probably was owed to the appellant. However, it is designed more for the slip and fall type case which we frequently hear about. Certainly, there is no relationship between a slip and fall case and the one presently before us. If both instructions are proper, then both should be given because they are not repetitious. There is a very striking difference in the two instructions. The situation here is very similar to that of a tort action involving an automobile accident wherein both AMI 901 and 903 are given. These last two instructions are certainly closer to being repetitive than are the two instructions in question here, yet both are frequently given in the same case. The appellant had the right to have the jury instructed on his theory of the case. Life and Casualty Insurance Co. of Tennessee v. Gilkey, 255 Ark. 1060, 505 S.W. 2d 200 (1974). The majority states that knowledge of the risk alleged to have been assumed is essential before it may be used as a defense. I submit that there is not one scintilla of evidence in the entire record which indicates that the appellant knew the blocks were loose until after his injury. I also disagree with the majority’s statement that if appellant’s argument is correct then AMI 612 is defective on its face. Although I admit it could be defective on its face, the error of using it in the present situation is that it simply was an improper instruction in regard to the arguments presented by either side in this case. The appellant had no duty to change this instruction because he did not want it given in the first place and thought it was improper under the facts which had been presented to the jury. I would reverse and remand the case for a new trial.