Opinion ID: 215354
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Correction of the Special Verdict

Text: Unum contends that the district court erred in amending the judgment pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 59(e). [4] Rule 59(e) motions serve the limited function of correcting manifest errors of law or fact or to present newly discovered evidence. United States v. Metro. St. Louis Sewer Dist., 440 F.3d 930, 933 (8th Cir.2006) (internal quotation marks omitted). [A] district court has broad discretion to alter or amend a judgment under Rule 59(e), and we will reverse only for a clear abuse of discretion. SFH, Inc. v. Millard Refrigerated Servs., Inc., 339 F.3d 738, 746 (8th Cir.2003). An abuse of discretion occurs where the district court fails to consider an important factor, gives significant weight to an irrelevant or improper factor, or commits a clear error of judgment in weighing those factors. Kurka v. Iowa Cnty., Iowa, 628 F.3d 953, 957 (8th Cir. 2010) (internal quotation marks omitted); see also Innovative Home Health Care, Inc. v. P.T.-O.T. Assocs. of the Black Hills, 141 F.3d 1284, 1286 (8th Cir.1998) (An abuse of discretion will only be found if the district court's judgment was based on clearly erroneous factual findings or erroneous legal conclusions. (internal quotation marks omitted)). The district court determined that the jury accepted Matthew's calculation of the residual disability benefits owed for the period October 1, 1996 through July 11, 2005, but made a mistake regarding the amount of damages that Unum had already paid to Matthew under a reservation of rights for the period September 23, 2004 through July 11, 2005. On the special verdict form, the jury indicated that Matthew was entitled to $1,006,380-$114,000 ALREADY PAID EQUALS $892,380.00. As the district court correctly observed, however, Unum had paid Matthew only $83,474 for the period September 23, 2004 through July 12, 2005. [5] The source of the jury's confusion is readily apparent. During closing arguments, Unum's counsel argued that the total damages figure offered by Matthew should be reduced because it included December of 2004 and the first six months of 2005. Counsel reminded the jury that Unum had already paid Matthew disability benefits for those seven months and explained, incorrectly, [t]hat is the $114,000 that Unum is asking to get back in its overpayment claim. Later, counsel elaborated, Unum is seeking to recover the benefits paid for the disability period from September 23, 2004 through July 11, 2005. And I believe the specific number is written down in one of your exhibits, but it is about $114,000. Counsel for Matthew compounded the problem in his own closing argument by accepting that the amount Unum had already paid for the period September 23, 2004 through July 11, 2005 should be deducted from Matthew's total damages figure, but then repeating the incorrect $114,000 figure as the amount that should be deducted to account for the benefits already paid for that period. The district court did not clearly abuse its discretion in finding that the jury intended to award Matthew $1,006,380 less the amount Unum had already paid for the period December 1, 2004 through July 11, 2005, and that the jury incorrectly believed that Unum had paid Matthew $114,000 for that period. The district court's finding is supported by the jury's response to Question Six on the special verdict form, which indicated that Matthew had not received disability benefits for the period December 23, 2004 through October 10, 2005 to which he was not entitled. In amending the judgment to reflect the amount of $922,906 as the residual disability benefits awarded to Matthew, the district court was merely correcting a mistake that appeared on the face of the verdict. We cannot say that this was a clear abuse of discretion.