Opinion ID: 1876871
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Court of Appeals Erred in Vacating Inconvenience Award.

Text: On their cross-appeal, Piles and Warner argue that the Court of Appeals erred in vacating their inconvenience awards ($3,000 to Warner and $1,500 to Piles) as duplicative of the $2,100 award to Warner for loss of use of the Nissan from July 14, 2003 (the night the Camaro was returned), until January 17, 2004 (when he bought a new vehicle). We agree. Clearly, the inconvenience award was not duplicative of the loss of use award. No loss of use award was permitted for Piles. [21] Thus, without an inconvenience award to her, Piles would stand to recover no compensatory damages at all, despite testimony that she had to miss work and suffered difficulties at her job caused by constant telephoning and trips to the dealership. Furthermore, the trial court clearly delineated that the loss of use award was for Warner's loss of use of the Nissan from July 14, 2003 (the day they returned the Camaro and Warner was, therefore, left without any vehicle), until January 17, 2004 (when he bought another, substantially less expensive, vehicle). Thus, the inconvenience award can reasonably be interpreted as for Piles and Warner's inconvenience before July 14, 2003  namely, the trouble they went through trying to return the Camaro on several occasions. Piles and Warner testified to having to miss work, and Piles testified to difficulties at work related to absences and constant telephoning. Warner also testified that he was deprived of transportation (both before and after July 14) and had to depend on others for transportation. Thus, the inconvenience damages were awarded for real injuries with significant monetary ramifications with evidence to support such damages separate from the loss of use of a vehicle by Warner from the period after the Camaro was returned. We note that the statute permits the trial court to award actual damages. BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY (8th ed.2004) defines actual damages as [a]n amount awarded to a complainant to compensate for a proven injury or loss; damages that repay actual losses. Because separate losses for inconvenience were proven, there was no reason to disturb this damage award as duplicative of the damages awarded for Warner's loss of use of a vehicle from the time the Camaro was returned until he obtained a new vehicle. Thus, we find no error in the award of inconvenience damages; and we reverse that portion of the Court of Appeals' decision on the cross-appeal.