MARIDELL POWELL, INDEPENDENT EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF CLOYCE A. POWELL, DECEASED, ETC., PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT,
v.
WILLIAM (BILL) MCINTIRE, E.S.F., (BUD) BRAINARD, ET AL., DEFENDANTS-APPELLEES

5th Cir. | 1969-09-02
No. 27675
415 F.2d 333 Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1969) Positive Treatment
Cited by 8 cases

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Holding

The court held that the trial judge did not err in denying the motion for a new trial, as the jury's findings of fact were supported by conflicting evidence.


Facts & Procedural History

A collision occurred on a highway between the decedent's car and the defendants' pickup truck. The jury returned a verdict for the defendants, finding…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM:

PER CURIAM:

Pursuant to new Rule 18 of the Rules of this court, we have concluded on the merits that this case is of such character as not to justify oral argument and have directed the clerk to place the case on Summary Calendar and to notify the parties in writing. See Murphy v. Houma Well Service, 5 Cir. 1969, 409 F. 2d 804, Part I.

This suit arose from a collision on a rainslick, two-lane Texas highway. The car of decedent, Cloyce A. Powell, traveling east, collided with the pickup truck of defendants, traveling west. Judgment was entered for the defendants based on answers of the jury to numerous special interrogatories. Rule 49, Fed.R.Civ.P. The court overruled plaintiff’s motion for new trial. There was no motion for a directed verdict and no motion for judgment n. o. v. What the appellant invokes, and all that she invokes, is the narrowly circumscribed review of the denial of a motion for new trial on the ground that the verdict is against the great weight of the evidence. E. g., Pennsylvania Thresherman & Farmers’ Mut. Cas. Ins. Co. v. Crapet, 199 F. 2d 850 (5th Cir. 1952); 6A Moore, Federal Practice § 59.08 , p. 3820.

Appellant’s arguments are directed principally to two jury findings: that decedent was operating his car at an excessive speed which proximately contributed to the accident, and that the defendant driver did not discover decedent’s position of peril at such time and at such distance that he could have avoided the occurrence using the means at his command consistent with his own safety. We have examined the testimony. It shows beyond question that the trial judge committed no reversible error in denying the motion for new trial. Indeed he would not have been justified in granting it. The evidence on both of the questioned issues of fact was in conflict, the jury made its findings of fact, and there the matter must end.

We may not, as urged by appellant, reject the testimony that she considers not credible and accept only that which is. favorable to her. Because the jury’s finding required a judgment in favor of defendants the specification of error concerning the findings on damages become abstract.

Affirmed.


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