Opinion ID: 1201424
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Remittitur of the Jury Award

Text: The Majority attempts to distinguish Gerver by arguing that no evidence of economic damages was presented at this trial. I disagree with the Majority's decision that the Appellant did not show economic damages. It does appear, however, the award for economic damages may be excessive. Consequently, I would have favored a remittitur [2] of the award to better comport with the economic damages presented at trial and the statutory cap on noneconomic damages. This Court held in syllabus point six of Roberts v. Stevens Clinic Hosp., Inc., 176 W.Va. 492, 494, 345 S.E.2d 791, 793 (1986), that [e]ven when there are no data by which the amount of excess in a jury's verdict is definitely ascertainable, entry of remittitur is permissible. Unlike what transpired in Roberts with this Court determining the amount of the remittitur, I would remand this case to the circuit court which, having heard the live testimony, is in a better position to determine if the jury award is appropriate. As a result, I must dissent from the portion of the Majority's decision finding no economic damages and directing the circuit court to limit the award to the $1 million noneconomic damages cap.