Opinion ID: 2263694
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Granting of Plaintiffs' Motion for an Additur

Text: Finally, defendants argue that the trial justice erred in granting a new trial on the question of damages unless defendants consented to an additur. They argue that the evidence does not warrant an additur of $10,000. The duty of a trial justice in passing on a motion for a new trial on the ground of inadequacy of damages is essentially the same as his duty in passing on a motion for a new trial generally. In the exercise of his independent judgment, he must weigh all the material evidence on the damages and pass on the credibility of the witnesses. After the evidence-sifting process is completed, and liability established, a new trial on the question of damages should be granted if there is a demonstrable disparity between the award and the damages sustained such that the verdict is not truly responsive to the merits of the controversy and fails to do substantial justice between the parties. Grenier v. Royal Cab, Inc., supra . We have further said that in exercising that judgment the trial justice, while he need not exhaustively analyze the evidence or state all his conclusions on its weight or the witnesses' credibility, should at least refer sufficiently to what prompts his action to enable a reviewing court to determine whether his inference was based upon a misconception or oversight of material evidence or was otherwise clearly wrong. Wood v. Paolino, 112 R.I. 753, 755-56, 315 A.2d 744, 745 (1974). In this case, the trial justice did not meet these requirements. Hence, we examine the record to see if it discloses an evidentiary basis for the amount of the additur. In our view, it is clear in the case at bar that the evidence supports the trial justice's finding that such a demonstrable disparity exists between the jury's award and the damages sustained by plaintiffs. There was uncontradicted medical testimony that the child was deeply comatose while in the accident room and nonresponsive to any stimuli. He also stopped breathing for a period of time. There was expert testimony that plaintiff child suffered multiple fractures, running the length of the left side up and down, and a sideward fracture of the skull with two fragment depressions from the normal surface of the skull. There was further testimony that one piece of bone approximately the size of one-fourth of an orange was removed, as well as a second fragment about one-half the size of a 5-cent piece. Testimony further indicated that paralysis of the entire right facial nerve that controls the eye, face, and lip appeared after the operation. The testimony also showed that while the paralysis had moderated by the time of trial, it was still in evidence. This paralysis included a partial impairment of speech. Furthermore, plaintiff child was required to wear headgear like a football helmet until he had a second operation some months thereafter. During this subsequent operation he had a tantalum plate with four silver screws put into his skull. Additionally, plaintiff child was rehospitalized for severe abdominal pains directly related to the accident. Other uncontradicted testimony showed that plaintiff child would be and is an excellent candidate for future epilepsy because of the accident. There was further testimony that the child would not be able to engage in normal sport activities and that he would continue to exhibit behavioral problems in the future. Thus we find that the trial justice properly granted the plaintiffs a new trial on the question of damages unless the defendants consented to the additur. Since the defendants have not satisfied us that the trial justice either overlooked or misconceived material evidence, or was otherwise clearly wrong, we affirm. The defendants' objections are overruled, the judgment appealed from is affirmed, and the case is remitted to the Superior Court for a new trial on damages unless the defendants shall within the period to be fixed by that court consent to the additur heretofore awarded by the trial justice.