Opinion ID: 2068270
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether Angeline is a Prevailing Party

Text: [¶ 28] The Garlands also contend that the court erred by denying their motion to alter or amend the judgment to enter judgment in Angeline's favor and award her costs pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 54(d), which provides that [c]osts shall be allowed as of course to the prevailing party. . . . The court's ruling on the Garlands' motion, however, was based on its conclusion that the Garlands did not prove the value of the lost property, which, because Angeline suffered no other injury, caused her legal malpractice claim to fail as a matter of law, and Angeline was therefore not a prevailing party pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 54(d). See Landis v. Hannaford Bros. Co., 2000 ME 111, ¶ 7, 754 A.2d 958, 959-60 (stating that the determination of who is the prevailing party pursuant to Rule 54(d) is based upon success upon the merits) (quotation marks omitted). Because we vacate the court's ruling on Roy's motion for judgment as a matter of law and reinstate the jury verdict for the value of the lost property, Angeline has proven all of the elements of her legal malpractice claim, including injury, see Niehoff v. Shankman & Assocs. Legal Ctr., P.A., 2000 ME 214, ¶ 7, 763 A.2d 121, 124, and is therefore a prevailing party, to whom costs should be awarded pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 54(d). The entry is: Judgment affirmed in part and vacated in part. Remanded to the Superior Court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Pursuant to M.R.App. P. 13(a), no costs on appeal are awarded to either party.