O. C. JERNIGAN, PLAINTIFF IN ERROR,
v.
VICTOR THOMPSON, DEFENDANT IN ERROR

Fla. | 1931-12-01
103 Fla. 784 Florida Supreme Court (1931) Caution
Also reported at: 139 So. 366
Cited by 12 cases

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Synopsis

A truck driver recovered $1,500 in damages for personal injuries from a vehicle collision, but the Florida Supreme Court found the verdict excessive given the plaintiff's minimal lost wages ($250 or less) and medical expenses ($58), reversing unless the defendant remitted $800 of the judgment.


Holding

The $1,500 verdict is excessive and the judgment is reversed unless the defendant remits $800, in which case the judgment stands affirmed as reduced to $700.


Key Quotes

“There is no question as to the defendant's negligence, and that the plaintiff was entitled to recover compensatory damages only.”

Establishes that liability was undisputed and recovery limited to actual compensatory damages, not punitive damages.

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Facts & Procedural History

Plaintiff was a truck driver whose truck was stopped on the right side of the road in compliance with traffic laws. Defendant's automobile struck the …

The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.

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Opinion of the Court
Eulis, J.

Eulis, J.

This is an action for damages for personal injuries. The plaintiff was the driver of a truck which he had caused to be stopped on the right side of the road within the rules or laws of the highway. The defendant passing in an automobile going in the same direction struck the truck which plaintiff was trying to start again by means of hand cranking it'. The plaintiff was injured by being thrown into a ditch and bruised by the impact. There is no question as to the defendant’s negligence, and that the plaintiff was entitled to recover compensatory damages only.

There was a verdict and judgment' in the plaintiff’s favor in the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, and the defendant took writ of error.

The question involved as stated by the brief of plaintiff in error is “Where the record shows that the plaintiff was entitled to compensatory damages only, and would have earned less than $250.00 during the time that he was incapacitated as a result of the injury, and his expenditures because of such injury amounted to $58.00, and his doctor has discharged him as a well man, is a verdict for $1500.00 excessive 1

From the record as well as the briefs of the parties the above statement of the question involved is accurate and a strict compliance with the rule. See Rule 20 Supreme Court Rules.

We think the court should have answered the question in the affirmative. See Florida Ry. & Nav. Co. v. Webster, 25 Fla. 394, 5 South. Rep. 714; Florida Cent. & P. R. Co. v. Foxworth, 45 Fla. 278, 34 South. Rep. 270; Consolidated Grocery Co. v. Allman, 59 Fla. 230, 51 South. Rep. 928.

The judgment is reversed unless the defendant in error shall within ten days enter a remittitur of eight hundred dollars, in which case the judgment shall stand affirmed.

*786Buford, O.J., and Whitfield and Terrell, J.J., concur.

Brown and Davis, J.J., dissent.

Davis, J.,

(Dissenting) :—I regret that I must dissent, but my conclusion is that this court should not substitute its judgment for that of the jury whose province it was to fix the amount of plaintiff’s damages for his pain and suffering.

I am well aware that the settled law of this state is to permit a remittitur rather than reverse a judgment, when it appears from the record that the amount of the verdict is for a greater amount' that this court would sustain as a matter of law, under the evidence, where no error was otherwise committed. But I do not see wherein this is such a case.

The record shows that the plaintiff was injured so that he suffered great pain in his chest and would spit' blood. His testimony is that he suffered intense pain. The record shows that he was hurt on July 20th, 1930. It was not until October 1st, 1930, that the • physician declared that he was “apparently” cured of his injuries. I know of no rule of law which says that a plaintiff can recover no greater amount for pain and suffering than he is permitted to recover for his out of pocket loss in wages and doctor’s bills. The opinion prepared by my brother, MR. JUSTICE ELLIS cites no such authority, altho such rule is contended for in the plaintiff in error’s brief by comparing the situation to that presented by Fla. Central & Pen. R. Co. vs. Foxworth, 45 Fla. 278, 34 Sou. Rep. 270, where this court held that an allowance for loss of society, comfort and protection of a lost husband, in a suit by the wife, would in all probability be no greater in value than the actual money damage.

Assuming that the jury allowed $298.00 for actual damages and $1201.08 for pain and suffering from July 20 to *787October 1st, 1930, a period of over two months, I am unable to say that in law such allowance is so excessive that we cannot allow it to stand. I therefore dissent.

Bbown, J., concurs.

Dissent
Davis, J.,

Davis, J.,

(Dissenting) :—I regret that I must dissent, but my conclusion is that this court should not substitute its judgment for that of the jury whose province it was to fix the amount of plaintiff’s damages for his pain and suffering.

I am well aware that the settled law of this state is to permit a remittitur rather than reverse a judgment, when it appears from the record that the amount of the verdict is for a greater amount' that this court would sustain as a matter of law, under the evidence, where no error was otherwise committed. But I do not see wherein this is such a case.

The record shows that the plaintiff was injured so that he suffered great pain in his chest and would spit' blood. His testimony is that he suffered intense pain. The record shows that he was hurt on July 20th, 1930. It was not until October 1st, 1930, that the • physician declared that he was “apparently” cured of his injuries. I know of no rule of law which says that a plaintiff can recover no greater amount for pain and suffering than he is permitted to recover for his out of pocket loss in wages and doctor’s bills. The opinion prepared by my brother, MR. JUSTICE ELLIS cites no such authority, altho such rule is contended for in the plaintiff in error’s brief by comparing the situation to that presented by Fla. Central & Pen. R. Co. vs. Foxworth, 45 Fla. 278, 34 Sou. Rep. 270, where this court held that an allowance for loss of society, comfort and protection of a lost husband, in a suit by the wife, would in all probability be no greater in value than the actual money damage.

Assuming that the jury allowed $298.00 for actual damages and $1201.08 for pain and suffering from July 20 to October 1st, 1930, a period of over two months, I am unable to say that in law such allowance is so excessive that we cannot allow it to stand. I therefore dissent.

Bbown, J., concurs.


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Citator

Cited By

  • S. A. Freel Distrib. Co., Inc. v. Lenox, 147 Fla. 550 (Fla. 1941)
    …by passion or prejudice.” Warner v. Ware, 136 Fla. 466, 182 So. 605; and cases there cited. Subject to the above rule the amount of damage rests solely within the jury’s discretion. Plaintiff in error claims upon authority of Jernigan v. Thompson, 103 Fla. 784, 139 So. 366; that the allowance for pain and suffering cannot exceed the loss of earnings and medical attention. Such is not the meaning of the cited case. Finding no reversible error the judgment is affirmed. Brown, C. J., Whitfield and Thomas,…
  • Bell Bakeries, Inc. v. Giles, 145 Fla. 148 (Fla. 1940)
    …ee were permanent. Counsel for defendant contend that the amount of the judgment was excessive and cite the cases of Florida Cent. & P. R. Co. v. Foxworth, 45 Fla. 278, 34 So. 270; Warfield v. Hepburn, 62 Fla. 409, 67 So. 618; Jernigan v. Thompson, 103 Fla. 784, 139 So. 366. We have carefully reviewed the authorities cited to sustain the contention that the amount of the judgment is excessive. Counsel for plaintiff' contend that the amount of the judgment is not excessive and as a basis for their conclusi…
  • Barrineau v. Castleberry, 108 Fla. 389 (Fla. 1933)
    …ed was shown to have amounted to $420.00. It was not shown that any of the injuries were permanent in character, though painful. We think the recovery should not exceed $1000.00 under the circumstances appearing of record. See Jernigan v. Thompson, 103 Fla. 784, 139 Sou. Rep. 366. The judgment should therefore be reversed unless the defendant in error shall within ten days enter a remittitur of $400.00 as of the date of the judgment, in which case the judgment shall stand affirmed as of date thereof. It is…

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