Vickery v. Olin Hill Construction Co‪.‬

On a defendant's motion for directed verdict at the close of a plaintiff's evidence, the evidence must be taken as true and considered in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, and the motion may be granted only if, as a matter of law, the evidence is insufficient to justify a verdict for the plaintiff. Dickinson v. Pake, 284 N.C. 576, 201 S.E.2d 897 (1974). A plaintiff is entitled to the benefit of every reasonable inference which may legitimately be drawn from his evidence. Bowen v. Gardner, 275 N.C. 363, 168 S.E.2d 47 (1969); Jenkins v. Starrett Corp., 13 N.C. App. 437, 186 S.E.2d 198 (1972).