Opinion ID: 884710
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Bevacqua's Issue on Appeal

Text: ¶ 32 Whether the District Court erred in granting UP's motion to amend the judgment by reducing it from $320,000 to $40,000. ¶ 33 The jury determined that UP caused Bevacqua $400,000 in damages and that UP was 50% negligent in the 1973 incident, 80% negligent in the 1980 incident, and 10% negligent in the 1990 incident. However, since the parties had stipulated that the amount of damages for each of the three incidents would not be added together, the District Court entered judgment in favor of Bevacqua for $320,000, the amount of the jury's verdict in the 1980 incident. ¶ 34 UP moved to amend the judgment pursuant to Rule 59(g), M.R.Civ.P., contending that since the injuries sustained in the 1973 and 1980 incidents were asymptomatic resulting in minimal wage loss and no pain or discomfort, Bevacqua should only be compensated for the 1990 incident as it was that incident that caused the damage for which the jury awarded a total of$400,000. The District Court granted UP's motion and reduced the award to$40,000, the amount of the jury's verdict in the 1990 incident. In amending the judgment, the court stated: As the substantial evidence supports that the May 21, 1990, incident caused the Plaintiff's physical condition to become symptomatic, resulting in the need for corrective surgeries and rehabilitation, the percentages of fault for the May 21, 1990, incident are applicable to the total jury verdict of $400,000. ¶ 35 Bevacqua contends that the District Court erred in reducing the judgment to reflect the amount awarded for only the 1990 incident as that effectively nullifies the jury award for the 1973 and 1980 incidents. Bevacqua argues that, because the jury found independent negligence and causation in each of the three incidents, each incident played a part in causing the current condition of his knee. He maintains that, if not for the stipulation that the damage awards would not be added together, he would be entitled to $200,000 for the 1973 incident, $320,000 for the 1980 incident, and $40,000 for the 1990 incident. Hence, he argues that he should receive the greater of these, the $320,000, and that the smaller two awards are subsumed in that amount. ¶ 36 The amendment of a judgment under Rule 59(g), M.R.Civ.P., is within the discretion of a district court, thus, we review a court's grant or denial of a motion to amend for an abuse of discretion. See Estate of Nielsen v. Pardis (1994), 265 Mont. 470, 478, 878 P.2d 234, 238 (citations omitted). ¶ 37 In Rogers v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. (1957), 352 U.S. 500, 506, 77 S.Ct. 443, 448, 1 L.Ed.2d 493, the United States Supreme Court held that, under FELA, an injured railroad worker is entitled to recover damages if the negligence of the railroad played any part, no matter how slight, in causing the injury or death for which damages are sought. In like manner, if Bevacqua proved that UP was negligent in each of the three incidents and that UP's negligence in each incident played any part, no matter how slight, in causing injury to Bevacqua's knee, then he would be entitled to collect damages for each separate independent act of negligence. ¶ 38 In Bevacqua's case, the jury specifically found independent negligence and causation in each incident and that each incident played a part in causing the current condition of Bevacqua's knee. Hence, Bevacqua could be entitled to a judgment of $200,000 for the 1973 incident, $320,000 for the 1980 incident, and $40,000 for the 1990 incident. However, because of the stipulation with UP that the jury awards for each incident would not be added together, Bevacqua cannot collect any double recovery. Nonetheless, Bevacqua should receive judgment in the amount of $320,000, the greater of the jury awards, and the smaller awards of $40,000 and $200,000 are, as Bevacqua suggested, subsumed in that amount. The District Court's amended judgment vitiates the jury's determination that the 1973 and 1980 incidents played some part in causing Bevacqua's injuries. Moreover, whether Bevacqua's knee was symptomatic only after 1990, as the District Court pointed out, is not the standard to be applied under FELA. ¶ 39 In its amended judgment, the District Court stated that it was the 1990 incident that resulted in the need for corrective surgeries and rehabilitation for Bevacqua's knee. Similarly, UP contends that the jury would not have awarded Bevacqua $400,000 in damages had the 1990 incident not occurred because it was that incident that required Bevacqua to seek surgery. Both UP and the District Court are incorrect. ¶ 40 Drs. Treloar and Rork stated in their depositions that the ACL in Bevacqua's left knee ruptured in the 1973 incident and that the extensive tears in his medial and lateral meniscus occurred in the 1980 incident. Both doctors testified that the 1990 incident aggravated the injuries to Bevacqua's knee caused by the prior incidents. In addition, Dr. Treloar testified that the 1990 incident caused a small extension of the tear to the medial meniscus in Bevacqua's knee. Dr. Treloar also stated that Bevacqua's knee would have required surgery even without the occurrence of the 1990 incident. Dr. Rork agreed with this assessment and stated that the condition of Bevacqua's knee worsened because he did not have surgery to repair the knee after the 1973 incident. In addition, Dr. Treloar stated that it would be impossible to apportion how much of Bevacqua's pain and disability was caused by the 1990 incident as compared to the prior incidents. ¶ 41 Accordingly, we hold that the District Court erred in granting UP's motion to amend the judgment, hence, we reverse and reinstate the $320,000 verdict. ¶ 42 In his reply brief on appeal, Bevacqua requests, for the first time, that we impose sanctions against UP under Rule 11, M.R.Civ.P., for taking a position in its motion to amend the judgment that was inconsistent with its trial position. Bevacqua asserts that, before and during trial, UP argued that the 1990 incident caused only a relatively minor injury and that, in its motion to amend the judgment, UP argued that it was the 1990 incident that caused the damages to Bevacqua's knee. ¶ 43 This Court will not address an issue presented for the first time on appeal. Rasmussen v. Lee (1996), 276 Mont. 84, 88, 916 P.2d 98, 100 (citing Fandrich v. Capital Ford Lincoln Mercury (1995), 272 Mont. 425, 431, 901 P.2d 112, 115-16). Bevacqua could have raised this issue before the trial court in its response to UP's motion to amend, but he failed to do so.