Court Opinion

ID: 9657189
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 20:17:11.648538+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:42.029916
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(concurring specially).
This appellant has not presented either argument or authority in support of negligence claims. Therefore, he has not preserved his appellate record. We have held that an error not briefed or argued is deemed abandoned. See Shaffer v. Honeywell, Inc., 249 N.W.2d 251 (S.D.1976).
In Smith v. Smith, 278 N.W.2d 155, 162 (S.D.1979), this author concurred specially and filed an opinion. In the same Shaffer, 249 N.W.2d 251, cited above, this Court affirmed its position taken in Engberg, 205 N.W.2d 104, which is cited in the majority opinion. Basically, as I pointed out in my special concurrence, strict liability was not created in this state by legislative fiat; rather it was the progeny of the judiciary. This case is going back to the trial court for trial on strict liability. There are numerous foreign authorities cited in the majority opinion and perhaps we could well stay at home.
Specifically, again referring to the Smith case, and referring to the said special concurrence, I should like to point out that the Smith case was the first time that this state ever addressed the question of the defenses available on a case brought under the strict liability. In said special concurrence, to which I allude again, I expressed that so far as my legal views were concerned:
I would hold that in the State of South Dakota under a given set of facts that:
(a) assumption of the risk; or
(b) misuse of the product
are available as defenses in strict liability cases.
Smith, 278 N.W.2d at 162 (Henderson, J., specially concurring). As regards the defenses of contributory negligence, comparative negligence, and contributory fault, I attempted to break these down as not being available in the defense of a strict liability case. In Smith, 278 N.W.2d at 162, this author noted:
I would further hold that in the State of South Dakota under a given set of facts that:
*916(a) the classical negligence defenses are not available in the defense of a strict liability case. The judicially created tort of strict liability is not founded in negligence;
(b) inasmuch as the strict liability theory is not based on negligence, that contributory negligence cannot be interposed as a defense;
(c) although South Dakota has the comparative negligence doctrine, which is akin to the comparative fault theory now adopted by California and Alaska to reduce a plaintiff’s recovery, this is not available as a defense in a strict liability action; and
(d) “contributory fault” is just another way of saying “contributory negligence” and should not be available as a defense to a case founded on strict liability.
I also tried to gather authorities on this subject and discuss the division of authority regarding defenses which are available in strict liability cases.
Within the Smith special concurrence, at 163, which I still believe today, I expressed:
A manufacturer or distributor or retailer should not be at the mercy of a fool. So, lest it be considered that they are under a legal handicap by elimination of the classical negligence defenses, contributory negligence, comparative negligence or comparative fault defenses, these target defendants can plead and prove assumption of the risk or misuse of the product.