Opinion ID: 1323426
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Procedural IssueSufficiency of Evidence

Text: In this case there was conflicting evidence as to the appellee's motive for discharging the appellant. The appellee's evidence indicated that the discharge was due to poor job performance, particularly the appellant's failure to keep the appellee posted as to his whereabouts so that he could be reached for emergency calls. On the other hand, the appellant's evidence indicated that the discharge was in retaliation for the appellant's filing an action for overtime wages. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the appellant. In syllabus point 5 of Orr v. Crowder, ___ W.Va. ___, 315 S.E.2d 593 (1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 981, 105 S.Ct. 384, 83 L.Ed.2d 319 (1984), this Court summarized the tests for appraising the sufficiency of the evidence to support the jury's verdict: In determining whether there is sufficient evidence to support a jury verdict the court should: (1) consider the evidence most favorable to the prevailing party; (2) assume that all conflicts in the evidence were resolved by the jury in favor of the prevailing party; (3) assume as proved all facts which the prevailing party's evidence tends to prove; and (4) give to the prevailing party the benefit of all favorable inferences which reasonably may be drawn from the facts proved. Accord, syl. pt. 4, West Virginia Department of Highways v. Roda, ___ W.Va. ___, ___, 352 S.E.2d 134 (1986) (motion for new trial); Hardman Trucking, Inc. v. Poling Trucking Co., ___ W.Va. ___, ___, 346 S.E.2d 551, 555 (1986) (motion for new trial); syl. pt. 2, Miami Coal Co. v. Hudson, ___ W.Va. ___, 332 S.E.2d 114 (1985) (motion for directed verdict and motion for new trial). These particular tests are virtually the same as the tests for deciding a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict. See M. Lugar and L. Silverstein, West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure 376, 379-80 (1960). A motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict may be granted only when, without weighing the credibility of the evidence, there can be but one reasonable conclusion as to the proper judgment. Where there is sufficient conflicting evidence, or insufficient evidence to conclusively establish the movant's case, judgment notwithstanding the verdict should not be granted. In considering the motion, the trial court and the appellate court must view the evidence in the light and with all reasonable inferences most favorable to the party who secured the jury's verdict. 5A J. Moore and J. Lucas, Moore's Federal Practice ¶ 50.07[2] (2d ed. 1986). Applying these tests to the evidence herein, we conclude that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict on the issue of retaliatory discharge. The timing of the discharge (shortly after the appellant's filing of the action for overtime wages); the fact that the notice of discharge was so vague as to the reason(s) for termination of the appellant's job; the fact that the appellant was not given an opportunity to respond to charges about his job performance, whereas he had been given the opportunity to so respond on three prior occasions; the fact that the appellee's witnesses could not recall any particular post-suspension missed calls by the appellant; and other circumstantial evidence, together with the jury's opportunity to judge the credibility of the witnesses, all support a finding that the appellant's filing of the action for overtime wages was a substantial or a motivating factor for the discharge and a finding that the quality of the job performance was merely a pretext for discharging the appellant for filing the action for overtime wages. While the evidence would also support the contrary finding that the appellant was discharged for poor job performance, the trial court, on a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, was not entitled to substitute its opinion for the opinion of the jury on evidence giving rise to inferences about which reasonable minds could differ. A motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict pursuant to W.Va.R. Civ.P. 50(b) provides the trial court with an opportunity, after the jury has been discharged, to reconsider its previous refusal to grant a motion for a directed verdict made at the close of all of the evidence. [12] The same factors as to the sufficiency of the evidence which are examined in deciding a motion for a directed verdict apply also when ruling upon a motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict. Accordingly, in a case where the evidence is such that the jury could have properly found for either party upon the factual issues, a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict should not be granted. Morgan v. Bottome, ___ W.Va. ___, ___, 289 S.E.2d 469, 470 (1982). Accord, M. Lugar and L. Silverstein, West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure 379-80, 375 (1960). Finally, the action of the trial court in setting aside a jury verdict, while entitled to peculiar weight on appeal, will, nevertheless, be reversed where a consideration of all of the evidence clearly shows a proper case for jury determination. See, syl. pt. 1, Utter v. United Hospital Center, Inc., 160 W.Va. 703, 236 S.E.2d 213 (1977). Such is the case here.