JEAN C. BECKER, APPELLANT,
v.
BARBARA D. ZITON AND JOSEPH P. ZITON, HER HUSBAND, APPELLEES

Fla. 2d DCA | 1964-08-05
No. 4406
WHITE, J., and WILLIAMS, O. EDGAR, JR., Associate Judge, concur.
167 So. 2d 241 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1964) Positive Treatment
Cited by 3 cases

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Synopsis

Defendant Becker appeals the trial court's grant of a new trial on damages in a personal injury action arising from a minor automobile collision. The court found the jury's damage awards confused and inconsistent, warranting reconsideration on damages only.


Holding

The trial court properly exercised its discretion in granting a new trial on damages only under the peculiar circumstances, where the jury's awards reflected confusion about how to allocate medical expenses and failed to consider all elements of damages.


Key Quotes

“[T]he Court being of the opinion that the jury either misconceived the law of evidence or the jury did not consider all of the elements of damage involved, or the jury failed to discharge their duty as given them by the Court's charge”

The trial court's rationale for granting a new trial on damages, indicating confusion in the jury's consideration of damages elements.

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Facts & Procedural History

A minor collision occurred between Becker's car and the Zitons' car. About 20 minutes after the accident, Mrs. Ziton complained of back injury and was…

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

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Opinion of the Court
ALLEN, Acting Chief Judge.

ALLEN, Acting Chief Judge.

The appellees were plaintiffs below. The appellant appeals an order entered by the lower court granting a motion for a new trial.

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff wife in the sum of $675.15 and a verdict for the plaintiff husband of $10.00.

The plaintiff-appellees moved for a new trial on the issue of damages only. The lower court granted such motion and, in its order, stated:

“ * * * [T]he Court being of the opinion that the jury either misconceived the law of evidence or the jury did not consider all of the elements of damage involved, or the jury failed to discharge their duty as given them by the Court’s charge, * * *
“ * * * [A] new trial is granted to Plaintiffs on the ■ issue of damages only.”

The facts in this case show only a slight contact between the appellant-defendant’s *242■car and the car of the plaintiffs. However, •some 20 minutes after the collision, Mrs. Ziton complained of back injury and was taken to a hospital. Mr. Ziton testified as ■to temporary injury and discomfort he suffered and asked $190.40 medical expenses for his injury. Pie also testified as to -$67S.1S medical expenses for injury to his wife. Further he testified that his wife was employed at $55 a week when the accident •occurred and she was unable to resume •employment until October.

Two expert medical witnesses testified 'for plaintiff-wife, one setting a 5-8% disability, the other a 15-20% disability. Both •of her expert witnesses found objective justification for Mrs. Ziton’s complaints of ■pain, but both admitted on cross-examination that postural defects were major contributors to the pain and consequent disability.

The defendant’s medical expert attributed any felt discomfort and disability entirely to postural defects unrelated to the accident and testified that he felt that Mrs. iZiton had received mild sprains as a result •of the accident and was attempting to •capitalize upon them.

Mr. Ziton claimed property damage at :$40, but a witness of the defendant claimed that much of his damages were old and set $10 as a proper damage to his car as a re•sult of the collision.

The court directed a verdict and submitted the issue of damages to the jury. The amount of damages allotted to the wife ■by the jury was $675.15, which was the .amount of her medical expenses claimed by Mr. Ziton who was obligated to pay said •expenses. Mrs. Ziton received no other sums for her damage. Mr. Ziton did not receive any money for his own testified •medical expenses of $190.40 but received .a total sum of $10 for damages to his car.

Under the apparent confusion of the jury as to how the medical expenses should 'be allotted and the further fact that they .allowed medical expenses for part of the injury and not for other injuries, and allowed no damages for pain or suffering, loss of income, etc., the judge granted a new trial.

We think that, under the peculiar circumstances of this case, the trial judge who heard the case and granted a new trial on damages only comes within the discretionary purview of Cloud v. Fallís, Fla.1959, 110 So.2d 669.

Affirmed.

WHITE, J., and WILLIAMS, O. EDGAR, JR., Associate Judge, concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Nor-Tech Powerboats, Inc. v. H.P.B.C., 855 So. 2d 103 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003)
    …hough the Manufacturer claimed that it did not understand the Dealer’s theory of the case, nothing demonstrates that the jury was confused, and the record does not support the claim of ambush or a change in theory by the Dealer. See Becker v. Ziton, 167 So. 2d 241, 242 (Fla. 2d DCA 1964) (affirming the granting of a new trial based on jury confusion); Staib v. Ferrari, Inc., 391 So. 2d 295, 297 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980) (same). Additionally, the record does not support the trial court’s reasons for granting a new tr…
  • Becker v. Ziton, 172 So. 2d 597 (Fla. 1965)
    …Certiorari denied without opinion. 167 So. 2d 241.…

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