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632 So. 2d 434

Rose v. Rogers

Supreme Court of Alabama

Decided August 27, 1993

Supreme Court of Alabama · decided 1993-08-27

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently September 1995

1 state decisions

Relies on 523 So. 2d 1042 - Tatum v. Schering Corp.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1993-08-27

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HOUSTON, Justice

¶1(concurring specially).

¶2How long? Oh, how long, Alabama, will you remain in the Jurassic period of jurisprudence? Only punitive damages for wrongful death! A result of judicial error. When there are joint tort-feasors you must punish and deter each only for the wrong that each commits; however, punitive damages cannot be apportioned based upon each tort-feasor’s wrong! A result of juridical error. A defendant reaps the benefit of these judicial errors this time; frequently, a plaintiff reaps the benefit of these errors. Therefore, the benefits and the disadvantages of these errors fall indiscriminately on all parties. The Alabama Supreme Court is an error-correcting Court. Like charity, error correcting should begin at home.

¶3I have long since given up dissenting in these cases. However, every now and again, I must be a gadfly and warn against the fallacy of judicial inerrancy. Because the law is what it is, I concur.

¶4If this special concurrence is nebulous, see my 17-page dissent in a case relied on heavily in the majority opinion, Tatum v. Schering Corp., 523 So.2d 1042, 1047-63 (Ala.1988) (Houston, J., dissenting).

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