Landis v. Hastings

• Decision Date: 17 May 1982
• Docket Number: No. 82-59,82-59
• Citation: 276 Ark. 135,633 S.W.2d 26
• Parties: Bessie LANDIS, Appellant, v. Bobby HASTINGS and Rodger P. Hastings, Appellees.
• Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Page 26

633 S.W.2d 26

276 Ark. 135

Bessie LANDIS, Appellant, v. Bobby HASTINGS and Rodger P. Hastings, Appellees.

No. 82-59.

Supreme Court of Arkansas.

May 17, 1982.

Boyett, Morgan & Millar, P. A. by Comer Boyett, Jr., Searcy, for appellant.

Pollard & Cavaneau by Jerry Cavaneau, Searcy, for appellees.

HAYS, Justice.

Appellant Bessie Landis brought suit for personal injuries allegedly sustained on May 28, 1979, when a vehicle she was driving was struck by a truck driven by appellee Rodger Hastings, fifteen year old son of appellee Bobby Hastings. The jury returned a verdict for the defendants, notwithstanding Rodger Hastings's admission the collision was his fault and testimony on behalf of Mrs. Landis that she sustained permanent injuries as a result of the collision. Her motion for a new trial was denied and she has appealed.

Four points are argued: the jury disregarded undisputed evidence in reaching a contrary result; the verdict was not supported by substantial evidence; the trial judge's refusal to grant a new trial was an abuse of discretion and it was error to allow the jury to consider a verdict for the defendant. We find the arguments to be without merit and we affirm.

The Landis proof was that Mrs. Landis, driving a borrowed vehicle entered a protected intersection in Judsonia and was struck on the right rear side by the Hastings truck. The impact spun her around and into a deep ditch, knocked off her shoes, and caused damage to her vehicle in excess of $1,200. Not thinking she was injured, she drove another vehicle to Little Rock to meet her niece at the airport but by the time she arrived she was in pain and unable to drive home.

The next day Mrs. Landis consulted Dr. Sidney Tate for pain and tenderness in her neck and shoulders. Dr. Tate found motion limitation and muscle spasms; he made a diagnosis of cervical sprain and possible ligament damage. He prescribed conservative treatment of rest, muscle relaxors and later ultra sound treatments, physical therapy and use of a cervical collar. Mrs. Landis was still under Dr. Tate's care at trial two years after the accident, and he estimated pain in some degree would continue the remainder of her life. In addition to Dr. Tate, Mrs. Landis was treated by Dr. L. S. Tensuan during a visit to Pennsylvania and examined by Dr. William Steel. Her x-rays on May 29 and July 6, 1979, were read by Dr. Robert Elliott, a radiologist. Her medical bills, admitted without objection, totaled $973 as of the trial on May 12, 1981.

In defense, Rodger Hastings testified the collision was his fault. He estimated his speed at less than 10 miles per hour at impact. He said his truck moved only a few feet after striking Mrs. Landis's vehicle and sustained no damage at all. He went directly to Mrs. Landis and found her on her seat behind the wheel putting on high heel slippers. She told him she was not hurt and she walked around while waiting on the police. Hastings heard Mrs. Landis tell the police and by-standers that she was not hurt in any way. He described Mrs. Landis as upset but said he observed nothing to cause him to believe she suffered any injury. He told of having seen Mrs. Landis dancing at the Electric Cowboy some months prior to the trial. A passenger in the Hastings truck corroborated testimony that Mrs. Landis did not appear to have suffered any injury and told several people she was not hurt. Both witnesses said the area Mrs. Landis described as a "deep ditch" was a depression of about three inches.

In acting on a motion for a new trial the test to be applied by the trial court is whether the verdict is against the preponderance of the evidence. ARCP Rule 59(a). But on review the test depends on whether the motion was granted, in which case we will affirm absent a manifest or clear abuse of discretion (General Motors Corp. v. Tate, 257 Ark. 347, 516 S.W.2d 602, 1974), whereas if the motion is denied, as here, we look only to see if the verdict is supported by substantial evidence and, if so, we do not disturb the trial court's action. Ferrell v. Whittington, 271 Ark. 750, 610 S.W.2d 572 (1981); Brady v. City of Springdale, 246 Ark. 1103, 441 S.W.2d 81 (1969). The rule is founded on the superior position of the trial court to hear and weigh the evidence. Ferrell, supra.

Appellant submits that the trial judge was confused as to the test to be applied in passing on her motion, arguing that an abuse of discretion resulted. But while there may have been some initial uncertainty as to the proper test, it is clear the opposing arguments at a hearing on the motion put the issue in proper perspective and as a result the trial court advised counsel he would reread the cases and review his "detailed notes on the case." We believe his decision in the end was in accordance with the preponderance of the evidence standard. From his comments he evidently believed the evidence was such the jury could have reasonably concluded that Mrs. Landis did not...