Opinion ID: 1341854
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Medcom's Counterclaim and Third-Party Motion for Judgment

Text: The trial court struck Medcom's evidence on its counterclaim against Weaver and on its third-party claim against Clippard, finding, inter alia, that Medcom failed to produce sufficient evidence of damages. Thus, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Medcom, we must consider whether Medcom produced sufficient evidence of monetary damages to create a jury issue. In its counterclaim and third-party motion for judgment, Medcom sought damages of $750,000 for (1) loss of business reputation, (2) loss of profits, and (3) payment for defective component parts. Medcom presented no evidence touching upon loss of business reputation or loss of profits. Moreover, Medcom points to no evidence indicating the amount it paid Weaver for the defective component parts, and our examination of the record discloses none. Although not pleaded, Medcom attempted to prove two other elements of damage: (1) the cost of defective parts removed from concentrator units, and (2) the cost of labor and replacement parts incurred in repairing concentrator units. Medcom's witness testified that the inventory of defective parts amounted to $90,849 and that replacement costs amounted to $19,827.65. The witness, however, conceded that an undetermined amount of the defective inventory and replacement costs was attributable to defective parts acquired from sources other than Weaver and Clippard. The trial court ruled that Medcom's evidence relating to these two elements of damage was insufficient to create a jury issue, and we agree. Although [p]roof of absolute certainty as to the amount of loss or damage is not essential, duPont Co. v. Universal Moulded Prod., 191 Va. 525, 572, 62 S.E.2d 233, 255 (1950), a claimant must prove with reasonable certainty the amount of damages and the cause from which they resulted, Carr v. Citizens Bank & Trust, 228 Va. 644, 652, 325 S.E.2d 86, 90 (1985); see Hale v. Fawcett, 214 Va. 583, 585, 202 S.E.2d 923, 925 (1974). Ordinarily, it is the jury's function to determine whether and to what extent a litigant has been damaged. In the present case, however, Medcom's evidence of damages was vague, indefinite, and speculative. We hold, therefore, that the trial court properly struck Medcom's evidence on its counterclaim and third-party claim.