Opinion ID: 151595
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motion for Remittur

Text: UPS contends that the district court erred by denying a remittitur because the evidence adduced on compensatory damages cannot sustain the $650,000 award. We review the denial of a motion for remittitur for abuse of discretion and, since Fischer prevailed at trial, view the facts in the light most favorable to him. Mid-Michigan Computer Sys., Inc. v. Marc Glassman, Inc., 416 F.3d 505, 509 (6th Cir. 2005). A district court properly denies a motion for remittitur unless the jury award “clearly exceeds the amount which . . . was the maximum that a jury could reasonably find to be compensatory for the plaintiff’s loss.” Roush v. KFC Nat’l Mgmt. Co., 10 F.3d 392, 397 (6th Cir. 1997) (quotation marks and citations omitted). To qualify for reduction, the award must be (1) beyond the range supportable by proof; (2) so excessive as to shock the conscience of the court; or (3) the result of a mistake. Leila Hosp. & Health Ctr. v. Xonics Med. Sys., Inc., 948 F.2d 271, 278 (6th Cir. 1991). Focusing on Fischer’s admission that he never sought medical treatment, UPS argues that the $650,000 award exceeds the amount a reasonable jury could award as compensation for Fischer’s emotional distress. By highlighting the lack of supporting medical evidence, UPS presumably means to suggest that the award exceeded the range supported by proof.1 1 UPS’s briefing fails to construct this argument around the applicable standard of review. Nowhere does UPS argue that the compensatory award “shocks the conscience of the court” or resulted from mistake, leaving “beyond the range supportable by proof” as the only colorable avenue for relief on this claim. Accordingly, we address it in those terms. - 12 - Nos. 08-1600 & 08-1601 Fischer v. UPS Although a plaintiff need not present medical evidence to receive compensation for emotional distress, “damages for mental and emotional distress will not be presumed, and must be proven by ‘competent evidence.’” Turic v. Holland Hosp., Inc., 85 F.3d 1211, 1215 (6th Cir. 1996) (quoting Carey v. Piphus, 435 U.S. 247, 263–64 n.20 (1978)). In denying UPS’s remittitur motion, the district court summarized Fischer’s trial testimony pertinent to the damage award: Plaintiff’s termination ended a long career (18 years) and he testified that: 1) his firing was “horrible” and “depressing;” 2) he was unable to find any other employment for one year afterwards; 3) he ultimately found work in different industries which required him to live away from his family during the week; 4) his termination played a large part in his divorce; and 5) the divorce and separation due to his distant jobs strained his relationship with his minor children. Based on his testimony alone, Plaintiff is entitled to recover for “humiliation, embarrassment, disappointment, and other forms of mental anguish resulting from the discrimination.” 2008 WL 880521, at  (citations omitted). UPS fails to impugn any of the factual underpinnings the district court gave for refusing to remit the award. Despite its relatively large size, the jury’s compensatory damage award does not “clearly exceed[] . . . the maximum that a jury could reasonably find to be compensatory for the plaintiff’s loss.” See Roush, 10 F.3d at 397 (quotation marks and citations omitted). Viewing the evidence most favorably to Fischer, as we must, we find that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant remittitur. And although UPS refers us to several similar cases involving markedly lower damage awards, we decline the invitation to disturb the jury’s decision. As the district court noted in its opinion, this court has cautioned against attempts by appellate courts - 13 - Nos. 08-1600 & 08-1601 Fischer v. UPS “to reconcile widely varied past awards for analogous injuries ‘which in the abbreviated appellate discussion of them seem somewhat similar.’” Moody v. Pepsi-Cola Metro. Bottling Co., 915 F.2d 201, 211 (6th Cir. 1990) (quoting Precopio v. City of Detroit, 330 N.W.2d 802, 808 (Mich. 1982)).