Although generally favored, hearings are not mandatory for V.R.C.P. 59 motions, particularly where the moving party has failed to show prejudice from the lack of a hearing. Disposition of a Rule 59 motion is committed to the court's sound discretion. In the instant matter, the evidence proffered by defendants in their post-trial motions concerned the credibility and reliability of plaintiffs' expert witness. Defendants had ample opportunity to elicit this evidence at trial. Their failure to do so was not attributable to the mistake or inadvertence of the court, and the court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to hear this evidence in defendants' post-trial motion.
Defendants claim that the court erred in awarding prejudgment interest to plaintiffs.
Defendants argue that the court should have discounted costs that had yet to be incurred by plaintiffs, rather than awarding interest on such costs. Defendants did not, however, oppose plaintiffs' request for prejudgment interest, object to the jury instructions regarding damages, or raise their discounting issue at any time during the trial. Consequently, this issue was not properly preserved for our review.