Respondents Southern Pacific Transportation and Union Pacific Railroad Company (collectively “Southern Pacific”)
Abrams responds that, given our reasoning in Beall II, the scope of the remand necessarily compels a retrial not only of Southern Pacific’s claim for conversion against Abrams but also of Abrams’s claims and counterclaims against Southern Pacific for conversion and intentional interference with economic relations. Abrams further responds that the issue of damages on Southern Pacific’s conversion claim is so intertwined with liability issues that retrial of that claim necessarily encompasses all issues and not just liability.
As amplified below, we allow reconsideration for the limited purpose of clarifying our disposition and forestalling potential confusion on remand. Our “tagline” disposition in Beall II states:
“Judgment in favor of Southern Pacific Transportation Company against Abrams, Inc., and Stuart Abrams reversed and remanded for new trial; otherwise affirmed.”
Beall II,
A prolonged published discussion of the underlying circumstances and the parties’ arguments will be of minimal benefit to the bench and bar. We have already twice extensively addressed aspects of this complex litigation. See Beall Transport Equipment Co. v. Southern Pacific,
First, as a matter of law and logic, the trial court’s erroneous failure to give Abrams’s requested instruction on conversion, see Beall II,
Second, with respect to the claim that is subject to retrial — viz., Southern Pacific’s conversion claim against Abrams — the determination of damages is, at least potentially, intertwined with the determination of liability. In particular, depending on the trier of fact’s application of the factors identified in section 222A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts (1965), see Beall II,
Petition for reconsideration allowed; former opinion clarified and adhered to as clarified.
Notes
As described in our opinion following remand, Union Pacific acquireSouthern Pacific during the pendency of this litigation. Beall Transport Equipment Co. v. Southern Pacific,
