Opinion ID: 1187046
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Was the jury's verdict of $146,715 excessive in light of the evidence?

Text: The jury awarded Manville a total verdict of $146,715. ANWC claims that evidentiary errors alleged in the four previous issues inflamed the jury to such an extent that it returned a verdict which was grossly excessive in light of the evidence. The leading Alaska case on tort damages is Beaulieu v. Elliott, 434 P.2d 665 (Alaska 1967). In Beaulieu, a judge-tried case, this court set out the standard to be used in deciding whether an award of damages is excessive: We shall not set aside an award on a claim of excessiveness unless it is so large as to strike us that it is manifestly unjust, such as being the result of passion or prejudice or a disregard of the evidence or rules of law. Id. at 676 (footnote omitted) (emphasis added). In Fruit v. Schreiner, 502 P.2d 133 (Alaska 1972), this court upheld a jury verdict awarding $635,000 to a 64-year-old man with a life expectancy of 13.5 years who had lost the use of both of his legs. The court repeated the rule from Beaulieu, holding that it applied equally well to jury trials. After making reductions for approximations of various special damages, the court arrived at the conclusion that the plaintiff had been awarded approximately $350,000 in general damages. The court held that in light of the plaintiff's serious injuries, this amount would withstand the Beaulieu test. Id. at 145. In Grasle Electric Co. v. Clark, 525 P.2d 1081 (Alaska 1974), this court made clear that in judging whether an award of damages is excessive this court must `view the evidence and all inferences reasonably deducible therefrom in the light most favorable' to the victim. Id. at 1082 (quoting City of Fairbanks v. Smith, 525 P.2d 1095, 1095 n. 2 (Alaska 1974)). ANWC has cited several Alaska cases in its brief in support of the contention that the jury verdict was excessive. However, none of these cases support ANWC's position. These cases are supreme court affirmances of awards. Not one of them is a reversal of a judgment or verdict as excessive, thereby setting a precedential limit. Also, ANWC's long list of cases where damage awards have been reviewed are largely irrelevant and without precedential value. As this court stated in Fruit v. Schreiner, 502 P.2d 133 (Alaska 1972): All parties to this appeal have cited cases involving substantial awards. The defendants' citations are of cases where awards were reduced or involved amounts substantially under Schreiner's judgment, while plaintiff cites cases involving similar or larger awards. Since none of the cases present an exactly parallel factual situation and all involve substantial differences in time of injury and locale with resulting different economic factors, and laws relative to damages, we find little assistance in such cases. Id. at 145 n. 43. This statement of the limited precedential value of damage award cases directly conflicts with and controls over the prestatehood Alaska federal case of Neal v. Matanuska Valley Lines, 17 Alaska 706 (1958), upon which ANWC relies for the holding that such damage awards are appropriate precedent. In the present case, the jury found Manville's damages to be $146,715. This amount should have included special damages for medical expenses and lost earnings, both past and future. Manville had already incurred medical expenses in excess of $10,000 and there was evidence that she would incur the same amount in the future. There is evidence in the record to support a finding of lost wages, past and future, of anywhere from $70,000 to $185,000. Even using $90,000 as a minimum estimate of Manville's total special damages as reflected by the evidence in the record, this would leave approximately $55,000 as compensation for pain and suffering and for loss of enjoyment of life, both past and future. The evidence as to pain and suffering showed that Manville spent over eleven hours pinned under the waterbed, unable to move any part of her body except her head and one hand. She testified as to enduring excruciating pain that night, so bad that she wished she could die. As a result of the accident Manville sustained pressure burns, including second and third degree burns to the left arm and second degree burns to the right leg. She suffered complete radial nerve palsy of the left arm. She also suffered perineal nerve injury to both legs. In addition, she spent a substantial amount of time convalescing in the hospital. The evidence as to loss of enjoyment of life shows that prior to the accident Manville was vigorous, loved the outdoors, used her automobile daily for transportation, mobility and independence, and worked six days a week full-time, leading an active life even though well past retirement age. After the accident, she underwent various operations and treatments (including the removal of a toe joint) but still has difficulty walking. She has also experienced a general decline in health and strength and mental ability. In addition, she can neither work full-time nor drive. In light of the above evidence and the standards set out in Beaulieu, Fruit, and Grasle, and despite the fact that Manville was 76 years old and had a 10 year life expectancy, it simply cannot be said, when viewing the evidence most favorably to the victim, that the $55,000 presumably awarded for general damages is manifestly unjust, the result of passion or prejudice or a disregard of the evidence or rules of law. Beaulieu v. Elliott, 434 P.2d at 676.