Opinion ID: 884710
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: UP's Issues on Cross Appeal

Text: ¶ 44 UP appeals the District Court's denial of its motion for a new trial based on what it perceives as irregularities in the proceedings and prejudicial errors. UP also appeals the court's denial of its several motions for judgment as a matter of law on the issues of the statute of limitations, the validity of the releases, and the lack of foreseeability in the 1990 negligence claim. ¶ 45 The decision to grant or deny a new trial is within the sound discretion of the trial judge and we will not disturb that decision absent a manifest abuse of discretion. Baxter v. Archie Cochrane Motors, Inc. (1995), 271 Mont. 286, 287-88, 895 P.2d 631, 632 (citing Jim's Excavating Service v. HKM Assoc. (1994), 265 Mont. 494, 512, 878 P.2d 248, 259). ¶ 46 A motion for judgment as a matter of law is governed by Rule 50, M.R.Civ.P., which provides, in pertinent part: If during a trial by jury a party has been fully heard with respect to an issue and there is no legally sufficient evidentiary basis for a reasonable jury to have found for that party with respect to that issue, the court may grant a motion for judgment as a matter of law against that party on any claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third party claim that cannot under the controlling law be maintained without a favorable finding on that issue. Rule 50(a)(1), M.R.Civ.P. This Court's standard of review of appeals from district court orders granting or denying motions for judgment as a matter of law is identical to that of the district court. Durden v. Hydro Flame Corp., 1998 MT 47, ¶ 22,  Mont. , ¶ 22, 955 P.2d 160, ¶ 22, 55 St.Rep. 198, ¶ 22 (citing Ryan v. City of Bozeman (1996), 279 Mont. 507, 510, 928 P.2d 228, 229-30). Judgment as a matter of law is properly granted only when there is a complete absence of any evidence which would justify submitting an issue to a jury and all such evidence and any legitimate inferences that might be drawn from that evidence must be considered in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Durden, ¶ 21 (citing Jacques v. Montana Nat. Guard (1982), 199 Mont. 493, 504, 649 P.2d 1319, 1325).