Dr. Martha Thomasko v. Daniel E. Poole, Jr.

Dr. Martha Thomasko ("Thomasko") sued Daniel Poole, Jr., ("Poole") for negligence as a result of an vehicle accident. The trial court denied plaintiff Thomasko's motion for a directed verdict on the issue of her comparative negligence. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court in an unpublished opinion, and Thomasko appealed to this Court. We affirm.

FACTUAL/PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Defendant Poole testified that on March 25, 1995, he exited a store parking lot in his vehicle and attempted to cross three lanes of traffic to make a u-turn on Highway 17 in Myrtle Beach. Poole testified to looking in the direction of on-coming traffic before exiting the parking lot. Poole noticed two vehicles approximately 150-200 feet away. Poole entered the far right lane and began to transverse the other lanes at 8-10 miles per hour.

Poole's Suburban collided with Thomasko's vehicle as he entered the far left lane. Poole's vehicle sustained damage to its driver's side rear panel while Thomasko's received damage to its front, passenger side wheel well. Thomasko did not see Poole's vehicle until the moment before impact. Poole did not realize he collided with another vehicle until after seeing Thomasko's vehicle in his rear view mirror.

Thomasko testified to experiencing an uneasy feeling in the right side of her chest after the accident. The day after the accident she began experiencing pain throughout her body.

On April 12, several weeks after the accident, Thomasko fell in a store parking lot. She later visited a doctor because of a pain in the right side of her chest. Thomasko testified her doctor suspected her right breast implant ruptured.

Thomasko filed a negligence lawsuit against Poole seeking damages for personal injuries sustained during the accident. (1) At the close of the evidence, Thomasko moved for a directed verdict on Poole's defense of comparative negligence. The trial court denied the motion ruling the jury could reasonably find Thomasko negligent in failing to take all precautions to avoid the accident.

The jury deliberated for approximately an hour and a half before sending a note to the judge asking: "If we find fault by the defendant and neglect by the defendant but do not feel that injuries were sustained by the accident, who do we rule for?" The trial judge instructed the jury that if Thomasko failed to prove damages caused by the accident, then she failed to prove her case. The jury continued deliberations for three more minutes and returned with a general verdict for Poole.

Thomasko argues on appeal that the trial judge's denial of her motion for directed verdict on the issue of comparative negligence was error requiring a new trial.

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Thomasko argues the trial judge committed reversible error by denying her motion for directed verdict. We disagree.

The law of comparative negligence controls this case. See Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 303 S.C. 243, 399 S.E.2d 783 (1991). Under comparative negligence, the plaintiff's contributory negligence does not bar recovery unless that negligence exceeds defendant's. Id.; see Hubbard & Felix, The South Carolina Law of Torts 174 (2d ed. 1997).

A trial judge, when ruling on a motion for directed verdict, must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Wintersteen v. Food Lion, Inc., 344 S.C. 32, 542 S.E.2d 728 (2001). In a comparative negligence case, the trial court should grant the motion if the sole reasonable inference from the evidence is the non-moving party's negligence exceeded fifty percent. Bloom v. Ravoira, 339 S.C. 417, 529 S.E.2d 710 (2000). Because the term is relative and dependant on the facts of a particular case, comparing the negligence of two parties is ordinarily a question of fact for the jury. Creech v. South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Res. Dep't, 328 S.C. 24, 32, 491 S.E.2d 571, 575 (1997); Mahaffey v. Ahl, 264 S.C. 24, 214 S.E.2d 119 (1975). For these reasons, this Court is reticent to endorse directed verdicts in cases involving comparative negligence.

A plaintiff, to establish a cause of action for negligence, must prove the following four elements: (1) a duty of care owed by defendant to plaintiff; (2) breach of that duty by a negligent act or omission; (3) resulting in damages to the plaintiff; and (4) damages proximately resulted from the breach of duty. Bloom v. Ravoira, supra. "An essential element in a cause of action for negligence is the existence of a legal duty of care owed by the defendant to the plaintiff." Bishop v. S.C. Dep't of Mental Health, 331 S.C. 79, 86, 502 S.E.2d 78, 81 (1998).

Both Poole and Thomasko have duties. Thomasko has a duty to adjust her speed to conditions and hazards. S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1520 (Supp. 2000). Poole has a duty to yield to the favored driver, Thomasko, before switching lanes. S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1900 (Supp. 2000).

Both parties have a duty to keep a reasonable lookout to avoid hazards on the highway. See 60A C.J.S. Motor Vehicles §§ 247, 343 (1969)(Having the right of way does not excuse an individual from the common law duty to keep a reasonable lookout to avoid hazards); Cf. Brown v. Howell, 284 S.C. 605, 327 S.E.2d 659 (1985)(Motorists must use ordinary care in keeping a proper lookout for vehicles approaching an intersection).

The relation between contributory negligence and the common law duty to keep a reasonable lookout is not a novel issue. See e.g., Williams v. Kinney, 267 S.C. 163, 226 S.E.2d 555 (1976); Wilson v. Marshall, 260 S.C. 271, 195 S.E.2d 610 (1973).

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Click the case caption above for the full text of the Court's opinion.

Thomasko's failure to keep a proper lookout is a jury question. See Mahaffey v. Ahl, supra, (this Court held whether driver should have seen an individual approaching on a motorbike in time to stop or slow down to avoid an accident was a jury question); Spurlin v. Colprovia Prod. Co., 185 S.C. 449, 194 S.E. 332 (1937). As an appellate court we decide issues of law leaving determination of the facts and credibility of witnesses to the jury. This Court's sole task is to determine if multiple inferences can be drawn from the evidence of Thomasko's negligence to uphold the denial of her motion for directed verdict. Viewing the evidence in light most favorable to Poole, we AFFIRM.

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