Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca3-13-04082/USCOURTS-ca3-13-04082-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 

---

NOT PRECEDENTIAL

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

_____________

No. 13-4082

_____________

KEVIN SIMPSON

v.

BETTEROADS ASPHALT CORPORATION,

 Appellant 

_____________

On Appeal from the District Court

of the Virgin Islands

(D.C. No. 1-11-cv-00056)

District Judge: Hon. Wilma A. Lewis, Chief Judge

Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a)

December 8, 2014

____________

Before: CHAGARES, JORDAN, and SHWARTZ, Circuit Judges.

____________

OPINION

____________

CHAGARES, Circuit Judge.

Betteroads Asphalt Corporation (“Betteroads”) appeals the judgment in favor of 

plaintiff Kevin Simpson and the District Court’s denial of its motions for judgment as a 

matter of law and for a new trial. For the reasons that follow, we will affirm. 

 

 This disposition is not an opinion of the full court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not constitute binding precedent.

Case: 13-4082 Document: 003111839041 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/06/2015
2

I.

We write exclusively for the parties and therefore set forth only those facts that are 

necessary to our disposition. On May 21, 2010, plaintiff Kevin Simpson was working as 

a laborer for NR Electric on the Christiansted By-Pass Construction in St. Croix, United 

States Virgin Islands, a Federal Highway Project. Defendant Betteroads was the general 

contractor on the project and NR Electric was one of several sub-contractors working on 

the project. NR Electric’s role on the project included installing conduits for electrical 

wiring. This involved excavating a trench, setting the conduits in the trench on a soil 

base, and covering the conduits with another layer of material. Then, the material 

removed from the trench during excavation was placed back on the trench, raked, leveled, 

and compacted.

On the date in question, Simpson testified that he was operating a walk-behind 

compactor in a partially refilled trench. He testified that during the process of 

compacting, the machine struck a rock buried in the material, causing the handle of the 

compactor to buck up and down. Joint Appendix (“J.A.”) 409–12. He alleges that this 

caused him to move in a way that injured his back. Simpson eventually underwent back 

surgery. He brought this negligence action to recover damages against Betteroads. 

At trial, Ashfield Skepple, Simpson’s supervisor at NR Electric, disputed 

Simpson’s account of the day, but testified that he was not present at the work site when 

Simpson’s accident allegedly occurred. Betteroads’s liability expert testified that it was 

improbable that the accident occurred as described by Simpson. J.A. 718–21.

Additionally, an orthopedic surgeon retained by Betteroads’s counsel testified that he did 

Case: 13-4082 Document: 003111839041 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/06/2015
3

not believe the alleged accident was the sole cause of Simpson’s back condition. J.A.

649. 

After trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Simpson, finding by a 

preponderance of the evidence that Betteroads retained control over the manner in which 

NR Electric’s work was performed, that Betteroads’s negligence was a cause of physical 

harm to Simpson, and that Simpson was not negligent. J.A. 9–11. The jury awarded 

Simpson $900,000 dollars. J.A. 11. 

Betteroads moved for judgment as a matter of law under Federal Rule of Civil 

Procedure 50(b) and for a new trial under Rule 59. The District Court found that 

evidence was presented at trial that gave the jury a legally sufficient basis for determining 

that Simpson had proven the elements of his negligence claim, and thus denied the 

motion under Rule 50(b). J.A. 76. As the jury’s verdict was not against the great weight 

of the evidence, the District Court also denied the motion under Rule 59. Id. However, 

the District Court determined that a portion of the jury’s award for pain, suffering, and 

loss of enjoyment of life was unsupported by the evidence and thus ordered a new trial on 

damages unless Simpson remitted $340,833.77 of the jury award, accepting a total 

judgment in the amount of $559,166.23. Id. Simpson accepted the remittitur. 

Betteroads timely appealed. 

II.1

 

1 The District Court had jurisdiction pursuant to 48 U.S.C. § 1612 and 28 U.S.C. § 1332. We have jurisdiction 

under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We note the standards of review with regard to each claim below.

Case: 13-4082 Document: 003111839041 Page: 3 Date Filed: 01/06/2015
4

Betteroads argues that (a) the judgment was not supported by the evidence; (b) it 

could not be held liable; (c) the award of damages was improper; (d) the District Court 

erred by denying its motion for judgment as a matter of law; and (e) that the District 

Court should have declared a mistrial due to an inconsistent verdict. 

A.

Betteroads first attempts to set aside the jury’s verdict on the grounds that it was 

not supported by the evidence, it could not be held liable, and the award of damages was 

improper.2“A reviewing court may set aside the jury’s verdict on the ground of 

insufficient evidence only if no rational trier of fact could have agreed with the jury.” 

Cavazos v. Smith, 132 S. Ct. 2, 4 (2011). Here, Simpson alleged that Betteroads’s

negligence led to the accident that caused his back injury. Under the Third Restatement

of Torts, there are five elements of a prima facie case for negligently caused physical 

harm: (1) duty; (2) failure to exercise reasonable care; (3) factual cause; (4) physical 

harm; and (5) harm within the scope of liability (sometimes called proximate cause). 

Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liability for Physical and Emotional Harm § 6 cmt. b.3

Here, as the District Court outlined in its order denying Betteroads’s motions for 

judgment as a matter of law and for a new trial, J.A. 55–65, Simpson presented evidence 

on each of these elements, including on the extent to which Betteroads exercised control 

 

2 Nor did the District Court commit a “manifest abuse of discretion,” Evans v. Port Auth. of N.Y. & N.J., 273 F.3d 

346, 354 (3d Cir. 2001), by remitting the jury’s initial damages award to $559,166.23 in light of the evidence 

introduced at trial. See, e.g., Keenan v. City of Phila., 983 F.2d 459, 469 (3d Cir. 1992) (affirming compensatory 

award because “[g]iven our standard of review and the evidence produced at trial, we cannot conclude that the 

compensatory damages were so grossly excessive as to shock our judicial conscience.”)

3 The parties do not dispute that the Restatement (Third) sets forth the elements of a negligence claim for purposes 

of this case. 

Case: 13-4082 Document: 003111839041 Page: 4 Date Filed: 01/06/2015
5

over some of the work it had delegated to NR Electric. While Betteroads presented 

contrary evidence on each element, this evidence was not conclusive and thus Betteroads 

has failed to meet the high standard required to set aside the jury’s verdict on any of the 

grounds asserted. 

B.

Betteroads next appeals the denial of its motion for judgment as a matter of law 

under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50(b). “‘We exercise plenary review of an order 

granting or denying a motion for judgment as a matter of law and apply the same 

standard as the district court.’” Ambrose v. Twp. of Robinson, Pa., 303 F.3d 488, 492 

(3d Cir. 2002) (quoting Lightning Lube, Inc. v. Witco Corp., 4 F.3d 1153, 1166 (3d Cir.

1993)). “In determining whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain liability, the court 

may not weigh the evidence, determine the credibility of witnesses, or substitute its 

version of the facts for the jury’s version.” Id. 

As above, Simpson presented evidence on each of the elements required to 

establish his negligence claim. While Betteroads provided conflicting evidence, its 

evidence did not conclusively rebut Simpson’s testimony and other evidence. It was the 

role of the jury to determine the credibility of the witnesses presenting conflicting 

testimony regarding Betteroads’s role at the work site, the alleged accident, and the 

existence and cause of Simpson’s injury. We agree with the District Court’s 

determination that Simpson presented sufficient evidence to sustain liability and will

affirm the District Court’s denial of Betteroads’s motion for judgment as a matter of law. 

C.

Case: 13-4082 Document: 003111839041 Page: 5 Date Filed: 01/06/2015
6

Finally, Betteroads asserts that the District Court should have declared a mistrial 

and granted its motion for a new trial based on what it characterizes as an inconsistent 

verdict. When the jury first returned its verdict, it determined in question 2 of the jury 

verdict form that Betteroads had been negligent and did not answer question 4, which 

asked the jury to determine the percentages of negligence attributable to Betteroads and 

to Simpson if the jury found that both were liable. J.A. 10. The jury awarded $900,000 

to Simpson in question 5 of the form, but then reduced that amount to $810,000 in 

response to question 6, which asked the jury to reduce any amount of damages in 

question 5 by any percentage of negligence attributed to Simpson. Betteroads requested a 

mistrial at side-bar in light of these inconsistencies. The District Court denied this 

request and instead asked the jury to resume deliberations to address the inconsistencies. 

J.A. 929. 

The jury then returned a second time and an inconsistency remained between their 

answer to question 3, asking the jury to determine whether Simpson was negligent, and 

question 6. Betteroads again requested a mistrial, but the District Court denied this 

request and asked the jury to return to deliberations. J.A. 934, 936. The jury returned a 

third time with the form complete and consistent, having crossed out the reduced 

damages award of $810,000 in response to question 6. J.A. 11, 938. This left the total 

damages award at $900,000. 

Betteroads asserts that the verdict was inconsistent and that the District Court 

erred by failing to order a new trial. While it is true that the jury failed to follow the 

verdict form’s instructions until it returned from deliberations the third and final time, its 

Case: 13-4082 Document: 003111839041 Page: 6 Date Filed: 01/06/2015
7

final verdict form is consistent. The jury found that Betteroads was negligent, that 

Simpson was not negligent, that 100% of negligence could be attributed to Betteroads, 

and that Simpson was entitled to $900,000. J.A. 9–11. 

Further, Betteroads cites no authority that suggests the District Court erred by 

sending the jury back to deliberate so that they could complete the form according to the 

listed directions. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 49(b)(4) provides that, “[w]hen the 

answers [to written questions on a jury verdict form] are inconsistent with each other and 

one or more is also inconsistent with the general verdict, judgment must not be entered; 

instead, the court must direct the jury to further consider its answers and verdict, or must 

order a new trial.” Here, the District Court opted to direct the jury to further consider its 

answers instead of ordering a new trial.4 The jury was able to correct the inconsistencies 

in its responses, leaving nothing for the District Court to resolve itself. This was not 

error, and thus we will affirm the decision of the District Court to deny Betteroads’s

motion for a new trial. 

III.

For the foregoing reasons, we will affirm the judgment of the District Court. 

 

4 We need not reach the issue of whether the form was a special verdict under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 49(a) 

or a general verdict with special interrogatories under Rule 49(b) as, under either category, the District Court had the 

discretion to send the inconsistent responses back to the jury for resolution. 

Case: 13-4082 Document: 003111839041 Page: 7 Date Filed: 01/06/2015