Opinion ID: 2340508
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Did the application of section 408.040.2 violate Motorist's due process rights?

Text: Motorist finally argues that the trial court erred in overruling his motion to amend the judgment because the trial court's application of section 408.040.2 to award Passenger prejudgment interest violated Motorist's due process rights. Motorist argues his due process rights were violated in that he was given neither a hearing nor an opportunity to contest Passenger's delay in filing his action against Motorist. This Court noted in Lester that section 408.040.2 does not provide for a hearing or other means for contesting a plaintiff's delay in bringing his action. Lester, 850 S.W.2d at 873. The issue of the statute's failure to provide a hearing was not addressed in Lester, however, because the defendant in that case had not alleged delay. Id. Similarly, this Court need not address Motorist's constitutional arguments in that at no time before Motorist filed his motion to amend the judgment did he assert that section 408.040.2 was unconstitutional for its failure to provide him a hearing or other means to contest Passenger's delay in bringing this action. Constitutional issues are waived unless raised at the earliest possible opportunity consistent with orderly procedure. Hollis v. Blevins, 926 S.W.2d 683, 683 (Mo. banc 1996). The record reveals that Motorist did not timely raise this issue before the trial court entered judgment. As such, this argument was waived. Motorist has failed to show that prejudgment interest should not have been awarded in this case. The trial court did not err in overruling Motorist's motion to amend the judgment to eliminate prejudgment interest.