Opinion ID: 498236
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Motions for New Trial

Text: 27 We turn now to appellants' objections to the court's initial failure to grant a new trial on their liability and the compensatory damages and the court's failure after the second trial to grant a new trial on the punitive damages. We find no abuse of discretion whatsoever with respect to appellants' liability and the award of damages for D & B's breach of contract. Because only two witnesses, the opposing parties, testified at trial, the case became a credibility contest. Quite clearly, the district court and the jury believed Mercer, and we cannot say that the weight of the evidence was against their conclusion. Roy Davis was impeached with his statements in deposition, and some of his testimony appears from the record remarkable at best. 28 With respect to the award of damages, however, there are two problems. First, it appears that the jury awarded Mercer $75,000 because that was the amount of the check Davis fraudulently tendered toward Mercer's fees. Although we understand that, as counsel maintained at oral argument, the suits against Davis and D & B were two different causes of action warranting different measures of damages, we believe nonetheless that the $75,000 constitutes a double recovery prohibited by Alabama law. See McLendon v. City of Boaz, 395 So.2d 21, 26 (Ala.1981); C. Gamble & D. Corley, Alabama Law of Damages Sec. 1-8, at 9-10 (1982). Had the wrong never occurred, i.e., had Davis never given Mercer the check, Mercer would still have been able to collect all his fees. Indeed, he has recovered the entire amount due him in his contract action here. 29 Second, although Mercer testified that he incurred expenses in Nigeria while working on the project after Davis gave him the check, he failed to carry his burden of proof with respect to the amount of those expenses. See Foodtown Stores, Inc. v. Patterson, 282 Ala. 477, 213 So.2d 211, 217 (1968); Smith v. Richardson, 277 Ala. 389, 171 So.2d 96, 99 (1965). It was not until the second trial that there was any testimony concerning the costs of lodging and board in Nigeria. Mercer was, however, entitled to nominal damages. The Alabama courts have held that in the absence of proof of an exact dollars and cents amount, nominal damages may be awarded if there is evidence of actual damage. See Maring-Crawford Motor Co. v. Smith, 285 Ala. 477, 233 So.2d 484, 491 (1970); Shafer v. Timmons, 51 Ala.App. 157, 283 So.2d 609, 611 (1973). As discussed earlier, there was evidence from which actual damage could be inferred. Mercer incurred expenses in Nigeria while working on the project and he refrained from taking legal action to collect his fees on the belief that the check was good. For these reasons, we reverse the award of $75,000 in compensatory damages and remand to the district court for the entry of nominal damages. A trial should not be necessary. 30 The $75,000 punitive damages award will stand. Punitive damages are recoverable provided some actual damage is shown, National States Insurance Co. v. Jones, 393 So.2d 1361, 1368 (Ala.1980), and these are not so great as to shock the judicial conscience or be deemed the product of sympathy, passion, or prejudice. Village Toyota Co. v. Stewart, 433 So.2d 1150, 1155 (Ala.1983) (citing U-Haul Co. of Alabama v. Long, 382 So.2d 545 (Ala.1980)). Furthermore, contrary to Davis' assertion, it is not necessary that they bear any particular relation to the actual damages. See Surrency v. Harbison, 489 So.2d 1097, 1105 (Ala.1986); see also Johnson Publishing Co. v. Davis, 271 Ala. 474, 124 So.2d 441, 453 (1960) (punitive damages may be greatly in excess of actual damages). 31 Davis' two remaining assignments of error are without merit. The district court's exclusion of Tom Anderson-Slight's testimony was well within its discretion to avoid relitigating issues settled by the first trial, and the court's charge that Davis had already been found with intent to injure and deceive was correct due to the type of fraud involved. See Shiloh Construction Co. v. Mercury Construction Corp., 392 So.2d 809, 814 (Ala.1980); Bracewell, 57 Ala.App. at 494; 329 So.2d at 555. 32 We reverse the compensatory damage award against Davis, remand for the entry of nominal damages, and affirm the judgments in every other respect. 33 AFFIRMED in part, REVERSED and REMANDED in part.