T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T K I M B E R L Y M A N F R E D , a n in d iv id u a l, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. S U P E R S T A T I O N , I N C ., aG e o r g ia c orpor a t i on, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 08- 55911 D . C . N o . 2 : 0 6 -cv -0 6 2 0 8 -G P S -JC ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e C e n tr a l D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia G e or ge P . S c hi a ve l l i , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d F e brua ry 2, 2010

P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: B . F L E T C H E R , P R E G E R S O N , an d G R A B E R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. S u p e r s ta tio n ap p e a ls th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s d e n ia l o f its m o tio n f

o ran e w tr ia l. W e r e v ie w f

o rab u s e o f

d is c r e tio n , J

or ge ns e n v . Cas s i day , 3 2 0 F .3 d9 0 6 , 9 1 8 ( 9 th Ci r . 2 0 0 3 ) , a n d w e a f

f i rm. 

# FI LED FEB 18 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

A tthe thres ho l d, M anfr ed ar gu es thatS up er st at i on w ai ved i t s r i gh tt o app ea l be c aus e S upe r s t a t i on f

a i l e d t o m ove f

orj udgm e nta s am a tt e rof l a w a tthe c l os e of al l ev i d en ce u n d er F ed eral R u l e o f C i v i l P ro ced u re 5 0 (a). A l i t i g an tw h o fi l es a F eder al R ul e of C i vi l P roce du re 59 m ot i on for new tri al , ho w ever , i s notre qu i re d to f ile aR u le 5 0 ( a ) m o tio n f ir s t. Se e Fr e und v . N

y c om e d A m e rs ham , 347 F . 3d 752, 76 5 (9th C i r. 20 03 ). C on se qu ent l y, S up er st at i on ’ s f ai l ure t o m ov e f

or j ud gm entas am a tte ro f

la w u n d e rR u le 5 0 ( a ) d o e s n o t p r e c lu d e th is ap p e a l. A di stri ctcourtabuses i t s di sc re t i on w hen i tdeni es a m ot i on for anew tri al a r gui ng tha tthe ve r di c tw a s a ga i ns tthe c l e a rw e i ghtof the e vi de nc e onl y i f: ( 1) the di stri ctcourterre d i n app l yi ng the st andard for a new tri al , or (2) the re cord c o n ta in s n o e v id e n c e th a t s u p p o rts th e v e r d ic t. A l f ord v. H an er , 446 F . 3d 935, 936 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) ( o r d e r ) . S u p e r s ta tio n a r g u e s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt ab u s e d its d is c r e tio n b y e rr in g in appl y i ng the s t a nda r d f

orane w tr i a l . S pe c i f

i c a l l y , S upe r s t a t i on a r gue s , tha tby defe rr i ng t o the j ury’ s e val uat i on of D r. A fl at oo n’ s t es t i m on y, the di stri ctcourt d e m o n s tr a te d th a t: ( 1 ) it b e lie v e d it la c k e d th e p o w e rto g r a n t an e w tr ia l; a n d ( 2 ) it e f f e c tiv e ly r e f

u s e d to r e - w e ig h th e e v id e n c e a s aw h o le . See L an des C on str. C o. v. R oy al B ank of Canada , 83 3 F . 2d 13 65 , 13 72 (9th C i r. 19 87 ). W e di sa gree .3

T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt a c k n o w le d g e d its p o w e rto g r a n t an e w tr ia l b y a c c u r a te ly r e f e r e n c in g th e c le a rw e ig h t o f th e e v id e n c e s ta n d a r d a n d b y e x e r c is in g its d iscr etio n to d ec id e w h eth erto g ra n t a n ew trial. L ik ew ise, th e d istrict co u rt’s c onc l us i ons r e ga r di ng the w e i ghtof the e vi de nc e gi ve r i s e t o the i nf e r e nc e tha tthe d is tr ic t c o u rt u n d e r s to o d th a t it h a d th e p o w e rto w e ig h th e e v id e n c e . S up er st at i on al so m i sund er st ands ho w the cl ear w ei gh tof the evi dence st andard funct i on s. W hi l e the di stri ctcourtre vi ew s the re cord as a w ho l e t o ensure thatthe verdi cti s notagai nstthe cl ear w ei gh tof the evi dence, the di stri ctcourt m a y n o t s e c o n d g u e s s h o w th e ju ry w e ig h e d s p e c if ic te s tim o n y . U

ni on O i l C o. of Cal . v . T e rr i ble H e r bs t , I nc ., 3 3 1 F .3 d 7 3 5 , 7 4 3 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . F i nal l y, the re cord cont ai ns evi dence thatsupp ort s the verdi ct . T he re cord show s thata S up er st at i on van p i nn ed M anfr ed agai nsther truck and thatM anfr ed w as su b seq u en t l y d i ag n o sed w i th an d treat ed fo r a h ern i at ed d i sk . A d d i t i o n al l y, D r. A fl at oo n t es t i fi ed as a m edi ca l expertthatthe ac ci dentcaused the herni at ed d is c . F o rth e s e s r e a s o n s , w e c o n c lu d e th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n . AF F I RME D.