Wallis v. Carco Carriage

F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
SEP 19 1997
TENTH CIRCUIT
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
GREG WALLIS, Parent of Skylar
Wallis, deceased, SHERRI WALLIS,
Parent of Skylar Wallis, deceased, and
BETTY WALLIS, Individually,
No. 95-7176, 96-7002
Plaintiffs - Appellants, (D. Ct. Nos. CIV-94-676 &
CIV-94-676-B)
v. (E.D. Okla.)
CARCO CARRIAGE
CORPORATION, INC., d/b/a Hertz
Rent-A-Car Licensee and CAMPBELL
HARDAGE, INC., a Corporation,
Defendants - Appellees/
Cross-Appellants,
v.
WANDA A. NASH, Executrix of the
Estate of Neil G. Nash, deceased,
Third-Party Defendant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of
law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. This court generally disfavors the
citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under
the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
Before TACHA, LUCERO, and DANIEL, ** Circuit Judges.
Plaintiffs Betty Wallis, Scott Wallis, and Sherri Wallis appeal a jury verdict
in their favor against defendant Carco Carriage Corporation (“Carco”). At trial,
the plaintiffs alleged that Carco, a car rental company, negligently entrusted a
vehicle to an intoxicated driver, Neil Nash, who injured Betty Wallis and killed
Skylar Wallis in an automobile accident. The jury awarded Betty Wallis
$142,708.23 as compensation for her injuries and awarded Scott and Sherri Wallis
$36,274.13 as compensation for the death of their son, Skylar.
The plaintiffs appeal the jury verdict on two grounds. First, the plaintiffs
argue that the district court abused its discretion in refusing to grant them a new
trial because the damage award was inadequate. Second, the plaintiffs assert that
the district court committed reversible error in permitting Carco to suggest that
Nash and his employer, Campbell Hardage, Inc., had settled with the plaintiffs.
Carco cross-appeals on two grounds. First, Carco contends that the district
court abused its discretion in permitting the plaintiffs to offer retrograde
extrapolation evidence to determine Nash’s blood alcohol content at the time of
the rental transaction. Second, Carco argues that the district court erred in
refusing to grant a directed verdict for Carco based on the absence of any
The Honorable Wiley Y. Daniel, United States District Judge for the District of
**
Colorado, sitting by designation.
2
evidence establishing that Carco knew or should have known of the driver’s
intoxicated state at the time of the rental transaction. We have jurisdiction
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and affirm.
BACKGROUND
In the early morning of September 10, 1995, Neil Nash left his motel in
Richmond, Indiana, and drove to the airport in Dayton, Ohio. He took a 6:00 am
flight from Dayton to Dallas, Texas. From Dallas, Nash caught a 10:00 am flight
to Fort Smith, Arkansas. At 10:56 am, Nash rented a car from Carco to drive to
nearby Poteau, Oklahoma, for business purposes. Between 11:30 and 11:45 am,
as Nash was driving his rental car, he crossed the center line and collided with
another vehicle. Betty Wallis, the driver, suffered physical injuries. Skylar
Wallis, her grandson, died in the collision.
Shortly after the accident, Nash received two intravenous fluid infusions.
At about 1:00 pm, the authorities drew a sample of Nash’s blood. Subsequent
tests performed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation revealed that
Nash’s blood alcohol content (“BAC”) was 0.32% to 0.36%. 1
1
The laboratory test results revealed a BAC of 0.26%. Nash’s blood, however,
was lowered by his blood loss and the administration of various fluids during his medical
treatment after the accident. Based on the emergency medical and hospital records, the
plaintiffs’ expert estimated that Nash’s true BAC was between 0.32% and 0.36%.
3
On December 30, 1994, Betty, Greg, and Sherri Wallis brought a personal
injury action against Carco, alleging that Carco negligently entrusted the vehicle
to Nash while he was intoxicated. The plaintiffs also sued Nash and his
employer, Campbell Hardage, Inc.
On August 7, 1995, the parties selected a jury. The district court, however,
postponed the trial for two weeks. Between the time of the jury selection and
opening statements, the plaintiffs settled with Nash and Campbell Hardage for
$1,850,000. The plaintiffs proceeded to trial against only Carco.
At trial, the plaintiffs’ expert, Dr. Kurt Dubrowski, testified about the
effects of alcohol and the rate of metabolization in individuals with a physical
condition similar to that of Nash. Assuming that Nash’s BAC was 0.36% at the
time of the accident, Dr. Dubrowski estimated what Nash’s BAC would have been
during the rental transaction. He emphasized that his calculations varied based on
Nash’s alcohol consumption after the rental transaction, as well as Nash’s
drinking habits, stress levels, fatigue, and other factors.
At trial, Carco sought to introduce evidence of the plaintiffs’ settlement
with Campbell Hardage and Neil Nash. Over Carco’s objections, the district
court refused to admit any evidence regarding the settlement agreement. Instead,
the court instructed the jury that Campbell Hardage was no longer a party to the
suit and not to consider why Campbell Hardage was no longer a party. The court,
4
however, permitted Carco to ask the plaintiffs whether they had filed a lawsuit
against Neil Nash and Campbell Hardage.
At the close of the plaintiffs’ case, Carco moved for judgment as a matter
of law pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50(a), arguing that the
evidence was insufficient to show that Carco knew that Neil Nash was
intoxicated. The court denied the motion.
On August 28, 1995, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Greg and Sherri
Wallis in the amount of $36,274.13 and in favor of Betty Wallis in the amount of
$142,708.23. The district court offset the entire amount because the verdict was
less than the $1,850,000 settlement. See Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 832(H).
The plaintiffs moved for a new trial pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 59(a), arguing that damages were inadequate and unreasonably low.
Carco renewed its Rule 50 motion for judgment notwithstanding a verdict based
on the absence of any evidence that Carco knew that Neil Nash was intoxicated.
The district court denied both post-trial motions. This appeal followed.
DISCUSSION
I. A DEQUACY OF THE J URY V ERDICT
The plaintiffs argue that district court abused its discretion in refusing to
grant them a new trial because the jury’s verdict awarding $35,273.53 to Greg and
5
Sherri Wallis and awarding $142,708.23 to Betty Wallis was inadequate. We
review the district court’s determination that the damages awarded by the jury
were not so inadequate as to require a new trial for an abuse of discretion. Mason
v. Oklahoma Turnpike Auth., 115 F.3d 1442, 1457 (10th Cir. 1997). We will find
no abuse of discretion unless the verdict is so inadequate “as to shock the judicial
conscience and to raise an irresistible inference that passion, prejudice,
corruption, or other improper cause invaded the trial.” Bennett v. Longacre, 774
F.2d 1024, 1028 (10th Cir. 1985) (quoting Barnes v. Smith, 305 F.2d 226, 228
(10th Cir. 1962)).
A. Verdict in Favor of Greg and Sherri Wallis
Greg and Sherri Wallis argue that the district court abused its discretion in
refusing to grant them a new trial on the ground that the jury award of $35,273.53
was inadequate. In particular, Greg and Sherri Wallis assert that because they
sought to recover $33,356.45 in medical expenses and $2,917.08 in funeral
expenses, the $35,273.53 jury award only compensated them for medical and
funeral expenses. Greg and Sherri Wallis maintain that the jury ignored “clear,
substantial, and totally unrefuted evidence of a close, constant, and loving
relationship” between the plaintiffs and their son. App’t Brief, at 4.
“In diversity cases involving damages, the federal court must look to
appropriate state law to ascertain the elements of the allowable damages.” Black
6
v. Hieb's Enters., Inc., 805 F.2d 360, 365 (10th Cir. 1986). Under Oklahoma law,
parents may recover damages for the death of a minor child. The relevant statute
states:
In all actions hereinafter brought to recover damages for the death of
an unmarried, unemancipated minor child, the damages recoverable
shall include medical and burial expense, loss of anticipated services
and support, loss of companionship and love of the child, destruction
of parent-child relationship and loss of monies expended by parents or
guardian in support, maintenance and education of such minor child,
in such amount as, under all circumstances of the case, may be just.
Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 12 § 1055.
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma recently addressed the scope of
section 1055 in Death of Lofton v. Green, 905 P.2d 790 (Okla. 1995). In
that case, a mother’s six-year-old child drowned in a neighbor’s swimming
pool. Id. at 791. The mother brought a wrongful death suit alleging that the
pool was an attractive nuisance. Id. The jury awarded the mother $4,200 in
damages, and the mother appealed, arguing that the jury verdict was
inadequate. Id. Affirming the award, the court stated:
We are mindful of the loss this parent has suffered. It is the
function of the jury however, to properly evaluate the various
elements of alleged damages and to pass upon the credibility of lay
witnesses and determine the weight and value of their testimony.
The extent of the plaintiff's pecuniary and emotional loss was a
matter exclusively for the jury to determine. Evidence must be
introduced to support an award. In that Appellants do not direct us
to any evidence which would substantiate a reversal, the damage
award is sustained.
7
Id. at 793 (citations omitted). Lofton makes clear that while section 1055
permits a jury to award damages for loss of companionship and destruction
of the parent-child relationship, the statute does not require the jury to make
such an award in every case.
After carefully reviewing the record on appeal, we conclude that the
district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant a new trial
based on an inadequate damage award. At trial, Greg and Sherri Wallis
testified that they had maintained a good relationship with their son. Their
testimony, however, also established that they were divorced, and as a result,
Skylar spent much time with his grandmother. Under these circumstances,
“[t]he jury was entitled to disbelieve their testimony or to give it as much
weight as it felt it deserved.” Crane v. Mekelburg, 728 F.2d 439, 443 (10th
Cir. 1984). “Damages are not grossly inadequate merely because a jury
awards less than the plaintiff has requested. ‘The jury is entitled to disregard
the damages asked for if they do not agree with the computations or if other
evidence is introduced from which jurors could draw their own
conclusions.’” Shugart v. Central Rural Elec. Coop., 110 F.3d 1501, 1506
(10th Cir. 1997) (quoting Luria Bros. & Co. v. Pielet Bros. Scrap Iron &
Metal, Inc., 600 F.2d 103, 115 (7th Cir. 1979)).
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We recognize that Skylar’s death is tragic. “Even though this court
might have awarded damages on a different plane, this is not the test as to
whether the jury's verdict was in error.” Crane, 728 F.2d at 443. Instead, we
must determine whether the verdict “shocks the judicial conscience” such
that we may infer that “passion, prejudice, corruption, or other improper
cause invaded the trial.” Bennett, 774 F.2d at 1028. After reviewing, the
record, we cannot infer that bias and prejudice was present in this case.
B. Verdict in Favor of Betty Wallis
Betty Wallis argues that the district court abused its discretion in
refusing to grant her a new trial because the jury awarded her only
$143,708.23 in damages. Betty Wallis emphasizes that she sought to recover
$118,708.23 in medical expenses and $14,725.00 in lost wages. Thus, she
contends that the verdict of $143,708.23 constituted $118,708.23 for medical
expenses, $14,725.00 for lost wages, and $10,275.00 for her pain and
suffering, disability, emotional distress, and other injuries. Betty Wallis
asserts that the $10,275.00 was inadequate to compensate such injuries.
After carefully reviewing the record on appeal, we conclude that the
district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant a new trial
based on an inadequate damage award. In short, Betty Wallis has not shown
that the award of $10,275.00 for pain and suffering “shocks the judicial
9
conscience” and fails to point to any evidence indicating passion or prejudice
on the jury’s part. See Black, 805 F.2d at 362. Although the evidence of
Betty Wallis’s damages was not directly controverted, it is quite possible
that the jury did not find her experts to be convincing. See Moore v. Subaru
of America, 891 F.2d 1445, 1452 (10th Cir. 1989). “This was properly
within the jury’s province.” Id. We refuse to alter a jury verdict without
further proof of jury passion or prejudice. Thus, we affirm the district
court’s denial of a new trial based on the inadequacy of damages.
II. E VIDENCE OF THE S ETTLEMENT A GREEMENT
The plaintiffs contend that the district court erred in permitting Carco
to “suggest” that the plaintiffs had settled with Nash and Campbell Hardage.
In response, Carco asserts that the district court erred in failing to admit
evidence of the settlement agreement to prove bias or prejudice of a witness.
We review the district court’s admission or exclusion of evidence
under an abuse of discretion standard. United States v. Davis, 40 F.3d 1069,
1073 (10th Cir. 1994). “Under the abuse of discretion standard, a trial
court’s decision will not be disturbed unless the appellate court has a
definite and firm conviction that the lower court made a clear error of
judgment or exceeded the bounds of permissible choice in the
circumstances.” Boughton v. Cotter Corp., 65 F.3d 823, 832 (10th Cir.
10
1995) (quoting McEwen v. City of Norman, 926 F.2d 1539, 1553 (10th Cir.
1991)).
A. Admission of Evidence “Suggesting” Settlement
On appeal, the plaintiffs argue that the district court abused its
discretion in permitting Carco to “suggest” that the plaintiffs had settled
with Campbell Hardage. The plaintiffs assert that the settlement evidence
was irrelevant to the only issue in the case—whether Carco knew or should
have known that Neil Nash was intoxicated during the rental transaction and
the amount of damages—and, therefore, such evidence was unduly
prejudicial. See Fed. R. Evid. 401, 402, & 403.
The plaintiffs contend that four times during the trial, Carco implied
that they had settled with Nash and Campbell Hardage. The first incident
involved Carco’s cross-examination of Eric Nickell, a witness to the
accident:
Q: Did you ever go to the car where the other people were hurt?
A: Yes.
Q: But your wife attended to Mr. Nash, the driver of the --
responsible party?
A: Yes.
Q: And you said that you smelled alcohol on Mr. Nash, the driver
of the responsible car?
A: Right.
App’t App. at 119. The second incident involved Carco’s cross-examination
of Greg Wallis:
11
Q: When you filed this lawsuit, you also sued Campbell Hardage,
Inc., a corporation, did you not?
A: Yes.
Q: And you filed suit against them for the acts of their employee,
Neil Nash?
A: And I also -- yes.
App’t. App. at 132. The third incident occurred when Carco’s attorney
cross-examined Sherri Wallis:
Q: Ma’am, when this suit was filed you filed suit against
Campbell Hardage, did you not?
A: Yes, sir.
Q:; And you were blaming them for causing this accident?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: And, in fact, until a week ago this Friday they were still a
party to this lawsuit, were they not?
A: Yes, sir.
App’t App. at 164. The final incident occurred during closing arguments.
The following exchange took place between the defendant’s counsel (D), the
plaintiffs’ counsel (P), and the court (C):
D: Now, the fact of the matter is in the entire presentation of this
case through the testimony, and you have common sense, that
plaintiff, Mr. George and the attorney for Campbell Hardage
had one purpose in mind together. They had a common
understanding to put the blame on Carco. You could tell by
the questions they were asking. They both tried to put the
blame on Carco. They were in bed together.
P: Your Honor, that’s highly improper.
C: It will be overruled.
D: They were in bed together. He then gets out of bed and tries to
put us in bed with Campbell Hardage. That’s what they were
doing and then a week ago, last Friday, Campbell Hardage is
no longer here. But they want you and they ask you — they
look you straight in the eye and say, ‘We want Carco to pay for
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this, to pay all of our damages.’ Now, I ask you, who is being
fair and up front in this case? Now, you will remember Mr.
Hamilton, the stock car racer. He tells us when everybody is
in this lawsuit that there is a pint or half a pint out there half
full and that he associated that liquor with Mr. Neil Nash.
Then he comes in here and suddenly he doesn’t associate it.
Now the parties in bed together are different.
P: Your, Honor, that isn’t the evidence.
D: He said that in his deposition.
C: Well, the jury will have to recall what the evidence was.
Arguments of counsel are not evidence, as I have told you.
Please proceed.
D: You will remember the evidence. At the time of the accident
he associated it with the accident, but when he testified he did
not.
App’t App. at 165.
Although the above-quoted testimony was not relevant to the central
issue in the case, we hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion
in permitting Carco to question the witnesses about the liability of Nash and
Campbell Hardage. As the district judge concluded, Carco was entitled to
argue that Nash and Campbell Hardage were the sole proximate cause of the
accident:
This is not any different than any other case. I mean, [Carco’s]
defense is that [it] did not do anything and that somebody else caused
the accident, so to speak.
App’t App. at 127. Moreover, the district court recognized that the jury
knew that the plaintiffs had filed suit against Nash and Campbell Hardage:
[The] jury already knows there was a claim against Campbell
Hardage. When this case started out they knew it. They heard voir
13
dire questions about it. They know that the claim was made and I
don’t see how there is — you know, there is nothing that I can do or
say to erase that.
App’t App. at 124-25. We conclude that the district court did not abuse its
discretion in permitting Carco to conduct a limited inquiry into the liability
of the settling defendants and the plaintiffs’ lawsuit against them.
B. Admissibility of the Settlement Agreement
Carco contends that the district court abused its discretion in refusing
to admit evidence of the settlement agreement between the plaintiffs,
Campbell Hardage, and Nash. Under Federal Rule of Evidence 408,
settlement agreements are “not admissible to prove liability” but may be
admissible if “offered for another purpose, such as proving bias or
prejudice.” Fed. R. Evid. 408. Carco asserts that the district court abused
its discretion in excluding evidence of the settlement agreement to show bias
under Rule 408. Carco, however, fails to explain how it would have
impeached any witness with the settlement agreement. Moreover, Carco
fails to recognize that Rule 408 is merely an exclusionary rule, not one
providing for the admission of evidence. Thus, even if Carco sought to show
bias or prejudice of a witness in introducing the settlement agreement, the
district court may still exclude the evidence under Federal Rule of Evidence
403 if the danger of unfair prejudice substantially outweighs the relevance of
14
the evidence. See Weir v. Federal Ins. Co., 811 F.2d 1387, 1395 (10th Cir.
1987). As we explained in Weir:
The prejudicial effect of allowing a jury to hear of the circumstances
surrounding the settlement of a claim was one of the concerns that
motivated the drafters of the Federal Rules of Evidence to absolutely
prohibit the use of evidence of a settlement to prove liability or the
amount of a claim. Fed. R. Evid. 408. Although Rule 408 does not
prohibit the admission of evidence of the circumstances surrounding
a settlement to prove something other than liability—such as
voluntariness—many of the same concerns about prejudice and
deterrence to settlements exist regardless of the purpose for which
the evidence is offered.
Id.
In this case, the district court was clearly concerned that admission of
the settlement agreement would prejudice the plaintiffs. The court, however,
permitted the defendants to conduct a limited inquiry into the plaintiffs’
lawsuit against the settling defendants. Under these circumstances, we
conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in declining to
admit the settlement agreement itself.
Alternatively, Carco asserts that the settlement is admissible under the
holding of Warner/Elektra/Atlantic Corp. v. County of DuPage, No. 83-C-
8230, 1991 WL 32776 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 6, 1991). Carco asserts that the
settlement agreement is admissible to prove that the conduct of Nash—and
not Carco—was the sole proximate cause of the plaintiffs’ injury.
15
In County of DuPage, the plaintiffs sued several defendants as a result
of the flooding of a warehouse. Id. at *1. The sole nonsettling defendant
sought to prove that the settling defendants were the sole proximate cause of
the accident. Id. In admitting such evidence, the court stated that “plaintiffs
would have the issue of proximate cause tried in a vacuum, with no reference
to the other actors whose conduct may also have been a proximate cause of
plaintiffs’ injury.” Id. at *3. Without such evidence, the court reasoned,
“the jury’s natural question—‘If not you, who?’—would be left
unanswered.” Id.
County of DuPage is clearly distinguishable from the present case. In
short, County of DuPage addressed only the admissibility of the negligence
of a settling tortfeasor, not the admissibility of a settlement agreement. The
language of Rule 408 is clear: settlement agreements are not admissible to
prove liability. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion in
refusing to admit evidence of the settlement agreement to prove the liability
of the settling defendants. 2
2
Carco also asserts that evidence of the settlement agreement is admissible
because “Oklahoma law allows for admission of evidence of out of court settlements by
co-defendants.” App’t Brief, at 23. Though not entirely clear from the briefs, Carco
apparently contends that Rule 408 conflicts with Oklahoma’s substantive law on the
admissibility of settlement agreements. See Carota v. Johns Manville Corp., 893 F.2d
448, 451 (1st Cir. 1990) (“If a state has a substantive policy to have a jury hear out of
court settlement evidence when determining damage awards, we will not contravene that
16
III. R ETROGRADE E XTRAPOLATION E VIDENCE
Carco argues that the district court erred in admitting the testimony of
Dr. Kurt Dubrowski regarding retrograde extrapolation evidence.
Retrograde extrapolation is a method of estimating a person’s blood alcohol
level at a specified time by using the person’s known blood alcohol content
at a later time. Carco asserts that because the amount of alcohol that Nash
consumed after the rental transaction was unknown, retrograde extrapolation
is unreliable and speculative. We review the district court’s admission of the
retrograde extrapolation evidence in this case for an abuse of discretion.
United States v. Wilson, 107 F.3d 774, 782 (10th Cir. 1997).
At trial, Dr. Dubrowski prepared a chart that calculated what Nash’s
blood alcohol content would have been depending on how much he drank in
the 35 to 45 minute interval between the rental transaction and the accident.
For example, if Nash had not consumed any alcohol during that interval, he
would have had a BAC of 0.39% at the time of the transaction. Similarly, if
state law in a diversity action.”).
We have reviewed Oklahoma’s law on the admissibility of settlement agreements.
Oklahoma’s evidentiary rule on settlement agreements closely resembles Rule 408. See
Okla. Stat. Ann. tit., 12 § 2408. Moreover, unlike Carota, Oklahoma has no substantive
law requiring the jury to reduce a jury verdict by the compensation already received by
the plaintiff from absent settling tortfeasors. See Cleere v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 669
P.2d 785, 789 (Okla. Ct. App. 1983). Thus, we reject Carco’s argument that the
settlement agreements in this case were somehow admissible under Oklahoma law.
17
Nash had consumed twelve ounces of 90-proof whiskey, his BAC would
have been 0.15% at the time of the rental transaction. In addition to
emphasizing that his calculations varied based on Nash’s alcohol
consumption after the rental transaction, Dr. Dubrowski informed the jury
that his findings depended on Nash’s drinking habits, stress levels, fatigue,
and other factors.
We hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting
Dr. Dubrowski’s retrograde extrapolation testimony. Dr. Dubrowski did not
give a definitive estimate of Nash’s BAC at the time of the rental
transaction. Instead, the expert testified that his determination of Nash’s
BAC at the time of the rental transaction depended on Nash’s consumption
of alcohol during the 35 to 45 minute time interval between the transaction
and the accident. Carco’s objections to the speculative nature of such
testimony go to the weight, and not the admissibility, of the evidence.
Carco’s reliance on United States v. DuBois, 645 F.2d 642 (8th Cir.
1981) is misplaced. In DuBois, the Eighth Circuit addressed the
admissibility of retrograde extrapolation evidence in a drunk driving case.
Id. at 643. The evidence indicated that the defendant drank one beer before
getting into his car. Id. As he was driving, the defendant struck and killed a
pedestrian. Id. Instead of remaining at the scene of the accident, the
18
defendant proceeded to a nearby town and purchased a six-pack or twelve-
pack of beer. Id. The defendants’ children observed the defendant drink
two to four cans of beer after the accident. Id. Another witness testified
that the defendant drank one can of beer. Id. A breathalyser test
administered less than three hours after the accident revealed that the
defendant had a BAC of 0.22%. Id.
At trial, a forensic chemist attempted to estimate the defendant’s BAC
at the time of the accident. Id. The chemist assumed that the defendant had
“an average” of three beers after the accident. Id. Based on a “burn off”
rate of 0.15 percent per hour, the chemist estimated that the defendants BAC
was 0.22% at the time of the accident. Id.
On appeal, the Eighth Circuit concluded that the evidence was
insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was
driving while intoxicated. The court reasoned:
While there may be instances where an expert’s estimate could
account for intervening consumption and could thus serve as
sufficient evidence of intoxication at the earlier time, this is not such
a case. When there has been intervening consumption an accurate
estimate requires knowledge of three variables: the blood alcohol
level at the later time, the time elapsed since the accident, and the
amount consumed in the interim. In this case, the expert did not
know the amount consumed in the interim. Possibilities ranged
anywhere from three to twelve beers. As a result, Ms. Pearson's
conclusion that the defendant had a .22 or even a .1 per cent blood
alcohol at the time of the accident is simply conjecture, and it is well
19
established that “a jury is not justified in convicting a defendant on
the basis of mere suspicion, speculation or conjecture.”
Id. at 644-45 (citations omitted).
We agree with the DuBois court’s observation that there may be
inherent difficulties in making a retrograde extrapolation calculation when
there is an intervening consumption of alcohol. Nevertheless, DuBois is
distinguishable from the present case on several grounds. First, DuBois
involved a sufficiency of the evidence issue, while the present case involves
the admissibility of evidence. Second, DuBois was a criminal case, not a
negligence action. Third, the expert in DuBois calculated the defendants
BAC based on an “average” intervening consumption of three beers. In
contrast, Dr. Dubrowski estimated Nash’s BAC at the time of the rental
transaction depending on Nash’s alcohol consumption between the
transaction and the accident. Finally, in DuBois, the evidence indicated that
the defendant had consumed alcohol during a three-hour period between the
accident and the defendant’s arrest. In this case, the record indicates that the
interval between the rental transaction and the accident was only thirty-five
to forty-five minutes. Accordingly, we hold that the district court did not err
in admitting retrograde extrapolation evidence to estimate Nash’s level of
intoxication at the time of the rental transaction.
IV. R ULE 50 M OTION
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Carco asserts that the district court erred in denying its motion for a
directed verdict because the record contains no evidence establishing that
Carco knew or should have known that Nash was intoxicated at the time of
the rental transaction. We review de novo a district court’s denial of a Rule
50 motion for judgment as a matter of law, using the same standard as the
district court. Weese v. Schukman, 98 F.3d 542, 547 (10th Cir. 1996). A
party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law if construing the evidence
and inferences most favorable to the nonmoving party, “the court is certain
the evidence ‘conclusively favors one party such that [a] reasonable [jury]
could not arrive at a contrary verdict.’” Id. (quoting Western Plains Serv.
Corp. v. Ponderosa Dev. Corp., 769 F.2d 654, 656 (10th Cir. 1985)). In a
diversity case such as this, “we examine the evidence in terms of the
underlying burden of proof as dictated by state law.” Vasey v. Martin
Marietta Corp., 29 F.3d 1460, 1463 (10th Cir. 1994)).
After reviewing the record, we conclude that the record was sufficient
for a reasonable jury to find that Carco knew or should have known that
Nash was intoxicated at the time of the rental transaction. As discussed
above, the plaintiffs’ expert estimated what Nash’s BAC would have been at
the time of the rental transaction, depending on the amount of alcohol he
consumed during the 35 to 45 minute interval between the transaction and
21
the accident. The plaintiffs also presented several witnesses who testified
that Nash could not hold his liquor. The plaintiffs called a handwriting
expert to testify that Nash’s signature on the rental agreement was a forgery,
theorizing that the rental clerk had signed Nash’s name because he was too
intoxicated to sign his own name. Under these circumstances, we hold that a
reasonable jury could have found that Carco knew or should have known that
Nash was intoxicated at the time of the rental transactions. Thus, the district
court did not err in denying Carco’s motion for a directed verdict.
AFFIRMED.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT,
Deanell Reece Tacha
Circuit Judge
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