Nicholas A. Cruz and Lori Cruz V. Jed Wright : Brief of Appellant Utah Supreme Court
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Brigham Young University Law School BYU Law Digital Commons Utah Supreme Court Briefs 1985 Nicholas A. Cruz and Lori Cruz v. Jed Wright : Brief of Appellant Utah Supreme Court Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/byu_sc1 Part of the Law Commons Original Brief Submitted to the Utah Supreme Court; digitized by the Howard W. Hunter Law Library, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; machine-generated OCR, may contain errors. Jeffrey O. Burkhardt; Samuel King; Attorneys for Appellant. D. Gary Christian; Gregg Sanders; Attorneys for Respondent. Recommended Citation Brief of Appellant, Cruz v. Wright, No. 198520465.00 (Utah Supreme Court, 1985). https://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/byu_sc1/525 This Brief of Appellant is brought to you for free and open access by BYU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Utah Supreme Court Briefs by an authorized administrator of BYU Law Digital Commons. Policies regarding these Utah briefs are available at http://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/utah_court_briefs/policies.html. Please contact the Repository Manager at [email protected] with questions or feedback. u*'** IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF UTAH NICHOLAS A. CRUZ, Plaintiff, and LORI CRUZ, Plaintiff Case No. 20465 and Appellant vs. JED WRIGHT, Defendant and Respondent. BRIEF OF APPELLANT LORI CRUZ APPEAL FROM AN ORDER OF THE FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, UTAH COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH D. Gary Christian, No. A0652 Jeffrey 0. Burkhardt, No. 4002 Gregg Sanders Samuel King, No. 1195 Attorneys for Respondent Attorneys for Appellant 600 Commercial Club Bldg. 301 Gump & Ayers Bldg. Salt Lake City, UT 84111 2120 South 1300 East 521-3773 Salt Lake City, UT 84106 486-3751 Oil *7 ^\ RW2C1935 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF UTAH NICHOLAS A. CRUZ, Plaintiff, and LORI CRUZ, Plaintiff Case No. 20465 and Appellant vs. JED WRIGHT, Defendant and Respondent. BRIEF OF APPELLANT LORI CRUZ APPEAL FROM AN ORDER OF THE FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, UTAH COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH D. Gary Christian, No. A0652 Jeffrey 0. Burkhardt, No. 4002 Gregg Sanders Samuel King, No. 1195 Attorneys for Respondent Attorneys for Appellant 600 Commercial Club Bldg. 301 Gump & Ayers Bldg. Salt Lake City, UT 84111 2120 South 1300 East 521-3773 Salt Lake City, UT 84106 486-3751 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF AUTHORITIES i STATEMENT OF ISSUES 1 STATEMENT OF THE CASE 1 Nature of the Case 1 Disposition in Lower Court 1 Statement of Facts 2 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS 2 INTRODUCTION TO ARGUMENT -- HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CONSORTIUM LAW IN UTAH • 3 ARGUMENT 9 I. THE LEGISLATURE CANNOT TOTALLY ABOLISH A COMMON LAW RIGHT 9 A. Courts in Other Jurisdictions Recognize "Redress of Injury" or "Open Court" Provisions As Limiting Legislative Power 10 Page B. The Utah State Constitution Article I, Section 11, Unquestionably Limits the Legislature's Ability to Totally Eliminate a Common Law Right 14 C. To Allow An Interpretation of Section 30-2-4 of the Married Women's Act as Eliminating the Right to Recover for Loss of Consortium Renders the Injury Redress Provision Meaningless 16 SEC. 30-2-4 OF THE MARRIED WOMEN'S ACT IS AMBIGUOUS AND HAS NOT BEEN INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH RECOGNIZED CANONS OF INTERPRETATION. THE STATUTE CAN BE READ AS REVOKING CONSORTIUM CLAIMS, OR AS BEING SILENT ON THE POINT. 18 A. Construing Sec. 30-2-4 as Precluding Claims Causally Connected to a Spouse's Injuries Leads to Absurd And Obviously Unintended Results 18 B. If Possible, Statutes Should Be Construed So As To Avoid Unconstitutionality 21 EQUAL PROTECTION REQUIRES THAT IF A CAUSE OF ACTION FOR LOSS OF CONSORTIUM EXISTS IN THE HUSBAND, ONE MUST ALSO EXIST IN THE WIFE 21 IT IS INCONSISTENT FOR WIDOW(ER)S TO BE ABLE TO RECOVER LOSS OF CONSORTIUM DAMAGES WHILE THE SPOUSE OF AN INCAPACITATED, THOUGH LIVING, MATE CANNOT. 23 THE CONTINUALLY DEVELOPING COMMON LAW NOW OVERWHELMINGLY RECOGNIZES THAT JUSTICE DEMANDS RECOVERY FOR LOSS OF CONSORTIUM 24 A. The Vast Majority of American Jurisdictions Now Recognize That Spouses Can Recover for Loss of Consortium. 27 Page B. This Court's Recent Decisions Demonstrate That It Is In Harmony With The Philosophy Underpinning the Allowance of Consortium Claims 28 CONCLUSION--- - 29 ADDENDUM • 32 APPENDIX 34 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page Cases Acuff v. Schmit, 248 Iowa 272, 78 N.W.2d 480 (1956); 34 Albertson v. Travis, 2 Kan.App.2d 153, 576 P.2d 1090 (1978); 34 American Export Lines, Inc. v. Alvez, 446 U.S. 274, 100 S.Ct. 1673, 64 L.Ed.2d 284 (1980) 35 Bates v. Donnafield, 481 P.2d 347 (Wyo. 1971) 27 Behrens v. Raleigh Hills Hospital, Inc., 675 P.2d 1179 lUtah 1983) 29 Benjamin v. Cleburne Track & Body Sales Inc., 424 F.Supp. i294 (D.C.V.I. 1976) 35 Berry v. Myrick, 194 S.E.2d 240 (S.C. 1973) 34 Black v. United States, 263 F.Supp. 470 (D.C. Utah 1967)- 18 Brown v. Georgia-Tennessee Coaches, Inc., 88 Ga.App. 519, H S.E.2d 24 Tl9bj)— 34 Brown v. Wightman, 47 Ut. 31, 151 P. 366 (1915) 15 Clem v. Brown 3 Ohio Misc. 167, 207 N.E.2d 398 (1965) 23 Clouston v. Remlinger Oldsmobile Cadillac, Inc., 22 Ohio St.2d 65, 258 N.E.2d 230 (1970) 22, Curtis v. Harmon Electronics, Inc., 575 P.2d 1044 (Utah 1978) 21 Deems v. Western Maryland R. Co., 247 Md. 95, 231 A.2d 514 (1967) 22, Diamond v. E.R. Sguibb & Sons, Inc., 397 So.2d 671 (Fla. 1981) 12 Diaz v. Eli Lilly & Co., 364 Mass. 153, 302 N.E.2d 555 11973) 34 Dini v. Naiditch, 20 111.2d 406, 170 N.E.2d 881 (1960) 34 Duffy v. Lipsman-Fulkerson & Co., 200 F.Supp. 71 (D.C. Mont. 1961) 34 Ekalo v. Constructive Serv. Corp., 46 N.J. 82, 215 A.2d i (1965) 34 gage Ellis v. Hathaway, 27 Ut.2d 143, 493 P.2d 985 (1972)- 7, 8, 20, 21, 23, 30, Gates v. Foley, 247 So.2d 40 (Fla. 1971) 22, 34 General Electric Co. v. Bush, 88 Nev. 360, 498 P.2d 366 , 1972) 34 Glendale v. Bradshaw, 108 Ariz. 582, 503 P.2d 803 (1972)- 34 Hanks v. City of Port Arthur, 121 Tex. 202, 48 S.W.2d 944 (1932) 11 Hastings v. James River Aerie No. 2337, Etc., 246 N.W.2d /47 (N.D. 1976) 22, 34 Hatch v. Hatch, 46 Ut. 116, 148 P. 1096 (1915) 6 Heath v. Sears Roebuck & Company, 464 A.2d 288 iN.H. 1983 ) -- ---- 12 Hilton v. Thatcher, 31 Ut. 360, 88 P. 20 (1906) 4 Hitaffer v. Argonne Co., 87 U.S.App.D.C. 57, 183 F.2d 811 11950) 17, 28, 34 Hoekstra v. Helgeland, 78 S.D. 82, 98 N.W.2d 669 (1959)-- 34 Hopkins v. Blanco, 457 Pa. 90, 320 A.2d 855 (1974) 34 Hopson v. St. Mary's Hospital, 176 Conn. 485, 408 A.2d 260 (1979) - • 34 Horn v. Shaffer, 47 Ut. 55, 151 P. 555 (1915) 15 riurtado v. California, 110 U.S. 516, 4 S.Ct. Ill, 8 L.Ed. 232 (1884) 25 Jones v. Carvell, 641 P.2d 105 (Utah 1982) 23, 28 Karczewski v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, 274 F.Supp. 169 (D. C. 111. 1967) • 23 Karenius v. Merchants Protective Association, 65 Ut. 183, 235 P. 880 (1925) - 15 Kennedy v. Cumberland Engineering Company, Inc., 471 A.2d 195 (R.I. 1984) 11, 12 Kotsiris v. Ling, 451 S.W.2d 411 (Ky. 1970) 34 gage Lankford v. Sullivan, Long & Haggerty, 416 So.2d 996 (Ala. 1982) 12 Leffler v. Wiley, 239 N.E.2d (Ohio 1968) 23 Lewis v. Pingree National Bank, 47 Ut. 35, 151 P. 558 11915) 15 Ludwig v. Johnson, 243 Ky. 533, 49 S.W.2d 347 (1932) 11 Lundgren v. Whitney's, Inc., 94 Wash.2d 91, 614 P.2d 1272 (1980) 22, 35 Luther v. Maple, 250 F.2d 916 (CA8, 1958) 34 Mariani v. Nanni, 95 R.I. 153, 185 A.2d 119 (1962) 34 Miilington v. South-Eastern Elevator Co., 22 N.Y.2d 498, 293 N.Y.S.2d 305, 239 N.E.2d 897 (1968) 34 Missouri Pacific Transp. Co. v. Miller, 227 Ark. 351, 299 S.W.2d 41 (1957) 34 Monson v. Hall, 584 P.2d 833 (Utah 1978) 21 Montgomery v. Stephan, 359 Mich. 33, 101 N.W.2d 227 (1960) 17, 26, 34 Moran v. Quality Aluminum Casting Co., 34 Wis.2d 542, x50 N.W.2d 137 (1967) 35 Nelson v. Jacobsen, 669 P.2d 1207 (Utah 1983) 28 Nichols v. Sonneman, 91 Idaho 199, 418 P.2d 562 (1966) 34 Nicholson v. Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, 266 S.E.2d 818 (N.C. 1980)-- 34 Nishi v. Hartwell, 52 Haw. 188, 473 P.2d 116 (1970) 34 Novak v. Kansas City Transit, Inc., 365 S.W.2d 539 '(Mo. 1963) -- 34 Overland Construction Company, Inc. v. Simmons, 369 So.2d 572 (Fla. 1979) 13 Owen v. Illinois Baking Corporation, 260 F.Supp. 820 ID. C. Mich. 1966) 23 People v. Green, 1 Ut. 11 (1855) 3 Page Rodriguez v. Bethlehem Steel Corp., 12 Ca1,3d 3 3 2, 115 Cal.Rptr. 76 5, 57* P ^ ^^Q < 197"4 - • • ....---- 2 4 , 3 4 ?oseberry v. Starnovichr 7 3 N.M, 111, 38 7 p.2d 3 21 {1963 i a Sax , , ^otteler l< J iM il x i hi] •- 10 Schreiner v. Fruit, 319 P.2d 462 (Alaska IJ-41 22, 34 Stoker v, StoKer, oiot ?,2a 590 i Utah 13S^i- •- • 1 6, 26 awartu v> United States Steel Jor?., 293 Ala.