Opinion ID: 496724
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Inadequacy of Damages

Text: 21 Finally, the Bartholomews assert that the damage award of the jury was inadequate. In the instant case, the jury awarded the Bartholomews $325,000 for the damages Robert Bartholomew suffered as a result of his accident and $5,000 to Ann Bartholomew for her loss of consortium and services. This Court will overturn a jury verdict for inadequacy only upon the strongest of showings. Thezan v. Maritime Overseas Corp., 708 F.2d 175, 182 (5th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 1050, 104 S.Ct. 729, 79 L.Ed.2d 189 (1984). In reviewing the damage award, this Court is limited to determining whether the trier of fact abused its discretion. Hawkes v. Ayers, 537 F.2d 836, 837 (5th Cir.1976). Moreover, damage awards will only be overturned in exceptional cases where such awards are so gross as to be contrary to right reason. Thezan, 708 F.2d at 182 (quoting Bailey v. Southern Pacific Transp. Co., 613 F.2d 1385, 1390 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 836, 101 S.Ct. 109, 66 L.Ed.2d 42 (1980)). 22 The Bartholomews contend that the jury verdict was inadequate when considered in light of the testimony of their economic expert who propounded that Bartholomew's estimated economic loss from his accident would be anywhere between $473,162.87 and $614,314.72. Additionally, the Bartholomews assert that the minimum general damage award for this type of claim is $200,000. In Haas v. Atlantic Richfield, this Court explained the function of the testimony of economic experts regarding damages. 23 Haas claims the award for lost wages is grossly inadequate in light of the testimony of his economics expert. The expert calculated Haas' past lost wages to be $61,605,000 and his future loss of earnings to be $422,076,000. Calculations such as these are only a suggested guideline for a jury. 24 799 F.2d at 1017 (emphasis added). In Haas, the Court concluded that the jury was free to consider evidence of higher discount rates, the plaintiff's ability to mitigate damages, and factors which may have prevented the plaintiff from obtaining employment in the future. Id. 25 Similarly, the testimony of the economic expert in the instant case was only a suggested guideline for the jury. The facts and figures of the economic expert were based on predictions as to future economic trends and salary increases of oil field employees in the future. The jury was free to accept or reject those predictions as it saw fit. Additionally, the jury could properly consider Bartholomew's ability to return to the workforce in the future. We do not believe that the award of $325,000 was so gross as to be contrary to right reason. Therefore, we reject Bartholomew's contentions.