Opinion ID: 1711146
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: the court erred in allowing school teachers, who are either employees of the state of mississippi, or prejudiced to want mdot to win because of their state plans, on the jury.

Text: ¶ 51. The Browns failed to offer any argument as to how the court erred in allowing school teachers on the jury panel. Further, the record reveals that both parties accepted the jury. Therefore, this assignment of error is without merit.
¶ 52. The Browns argue that the court erred in not granting the requested Motion for Additur or in the alternative a New Trial based on counsel's argument in that motion. ¶ 53. In reviewing a trial court's grant or denial of an additur, this Court's standard of review is limited to an abuse of discretion. Maddox v. Muirhead, 738 So.2d 742 (Miss.1999); Rodgers v. Pascagoula Pub. Sch. Dist., 611 So.2d 942, 945 (Miss.1992); State Highway Comm'n v. Warren, 530 So.2d 704, 707 (Miss.1988). ¶ 54. In determining whether the trial court abused its discretion, we ask whether the verdict of the jury is so paltry as to evince bias, passion or prejudice. Id. ¶ 55. In this case, the jury returned a verdict of $57,365. This amount is between the values presented by the parties' expert witnesses and thus is not so inferior as to evince bias, passion, or prejudice by the jury. The trial court did not err in denying an additur or a new trial.