Opinion ID: 755739
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Remittitur on Damage Award

Text: 34 Enterprise challenges the damages awarded to Vining as excessive and as lacking sufficient evidentiary support. 9 First, we review a damage award challenged on the basis of insufficient evidence under a clearly erroneous standard, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prevailing party. Rainbow Travel Serv., Inc. v. Hilton Hotels Corp., 896 F.2d 1233, 1239 (10th Cir.1990). We affirm the judgment below if there is substantial evidence tending to support the jury's damage award. Rainbow Travel, 896 F.2d at 1239. Second, we review for manifest abuse of discretion a court's disposition of a motion for remittitur or new trial on damages to reduce an excessive award. Malloy v. Monahan, 73 F.3d 1012, 1017 (10th Cir.1996). The award must be so excessive that it shocks the judicial conscience and raises  'an irresistible inference that passion, prejudice, corruption, or other improper cause invaded the trial....'  Fitzgerald v. Mountain States Tel. & Tel. Co., 68 F.3d 1257, 1261 (10th Cir.1995) (quoting Malandris v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., 703 F.2d 1152, 1168 (10th Cir.1981)). 35 Given the special nature of an insurer's relation to its insureds, recovery for mental suffering in a bad faith insurance claim does not require either severe mental distress or outrageous conduct. See Timmons v. Royal Globe Ins. Co., 653 P.2d 907, 916 (Okla.1982). Vining testified at trial regarding the distress she experienced as a result of Enterprise's conduct towards her during the three years she spent fighting the insurance company over the claim. Such evidence is sufficient in a bad faith claim to support an award for emotional distress. 36 In addition, $400,000 for mental pain and suffering, financial losses, embarrassment, and loss of reputation in the context of bad faith insurance claims is not excessive on this record. See, e.g. Buzzard, 824 P.2d at 1116 (noting that the district court awarded $200,000 for mental distress caused by delay in withholding a $10,000 insurance payment over seven and one half months). 37 Enterprise also claims in the alternative that the jury verdict was the result of undue passion and prejudice based on its consideration of certain evidence erroneously admitted by the district court. Because we do not believe the district court abused its discretion on the challenged evidentiary rulings (see discussion below), we reject Enterprise's prejudice claim. In addition, Enterprise did not contest the punitive damage award directly. Rather, Enterprise sought to reduce the amount of punitive damages by seeking a reduction in actual damages, noting that the district court limited punitive damages to an amount not to exceed actual damages. Because we uphold the $400,000 actual damage amount, the $400,000 in punitive damages does not exceed actual damages and need not be adjusted. Therefore, by affirming the actual damage award, we also necessarily affirm the punitive damage award.