Opinion ID: 1926975
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defendant's Failure to Renew Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law

Text: We first address defendant's argument that the court erred in denying its motion for judgment as a matter of law. Although defendant moved for judgment as a matter of law at the close of plaintiff's case, it failed to renew the motion at the close of the evidence as V.R.C.P. 50(b) requires. Defendant argues that plaintiff introduced no evidence after defendant made its motion and urges a more flexible interpretation of the renewal requirement, in accordance with the federal approach to the rule. See Greenwood v. Societe Francaise De, 111 F.3d 1239, 1244 (5th Cir. 1997) (courts have excused technical non-compliance [with Rule 50(b) ] where the purposes of the requirement have been satisfied). It also argues that where a defendant moves for judgment as a matter of law at the close of a plaintiff's case, and then objects to a jury charge on the same grounds, the objection to the jury charge suffices as a renewal of the original motion. See id. at 1245. Contrary to federal interpretation, we have construed [Rule 50] strictly and held that even where a motion for directed verdict was made at the end of plaintiff's case, if not renewed at the close of all evidence as required by V.R.C.P. 50(b), the issues are waived. Lent v. Huntoon, 143 Vt. 539, 551, 470 A.2d 1162, 1170-71 (1983). Moreover, after defendant made its motion, plaintiff did introduce additional evidence: a Ford memorandum in which one Ford representative concluded that [i]t is probable that these sector failures are a result of an impact after which the customer did not recognize ... a problem until complete failure. In its reply brief, defendant qualifies its initial argument that plaintiff introduced no evidence after defendant's motion, arguing instead that plaintiff introduced no new evidence after defendant's motion. Regardless, we conclude that [r]enewal of the motion is necessary to appeal from a denial of or a failure to grant a motion for judgment as a matter of law. V.R.C.P. 50(b).