Opinion ID: 1704594
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Must the Jury's Award be Set Aside as Inadequate?

Text: Finally, the Plaintiff argues that the jury's verdict cannot stand as it is inadequate and thus it is grounds for a new trial. SDCL 15-6-59(a)(5). Plaintiff claims that the Defendant admitted in its closing argument to the jury that the Plaintiff had sustained at least $25,000.00 in damages. See SDCL 16-18-11. What defense counsel actually stated was: I submit to you, ladies and gentlemen, if you will fairly take this to the jury room, you keep your own experiences, you discuss all of this, realizing that it's your business and how you do it is your business. But any award, ladies and gentlemen, in my opinion that would exceed $25,000 is not in any way, shape or form supported by any evidence upon which you have taken an oath as jurors to decide this case. We do not view this as either an admission or stipulation that Plaintiff sustained $25,000.00 in damages. This Court is not free to reweigh the evidence or gauge the credibility of the witnesses. Darrow v. Schumacher, 495 N.W.2d 511, 516 (S.D.1993); Denke v. Mamola, 437 N.W.2d 205, 207 (S.D.1989). The Plaintiff incurred $4,028.02 in medical bills prior to trial. The jury awarded her $11,656.02. If the jury's verdict can be explained with reference to the evidence, rather than by juror passion, prejudice or mistake of law, the verdict should be affirmed. Itzen v. Wilsey, 440 N.W.2d 312, 314 (S.D.1989). Viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the verdict, we cannot say that the jury's award was a result of passion or prejudice or that the jury has palpably mistaken the rules of law by which damages in this case are to be measured. Itzen, supra .