Opinion ID: 2495848
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Whether the trial court erred in failing to grant a new trial after additur was rejected by both parties.

Text: ¶ 61. Both parties cite Dedeaux. Federation argues that L.R. has waived her right to seek a new trial on appeal, for her remedy, if dissatisfied, was to demand a new trial on damages before the trial court. This Court stated the following in Dedeaux: If the trial judge grants a motion for an additur . . ., such grant . . . shall take effect only if accepted by all the parties. If all the parties do not agree to the additur . . ., then each party shall have the right to either demand a new trial on damages, or appeal the order asserting an abuse of discretion on the part of the trial judge. Dedeaux, 947 So.2d at 908. Once the trial judge ordered the additur, each party had three options: (1) accept the additur, (2) demand a new trial on damages, or (3) appeal. Neither chose option one or two. Federation sought appeal first on December 2, 2008. The next day, L.R. chose the same course. L.R. now argues she was denied her right to a new trial on damages. Dedeaux is silent on which rightto appeal or to demand a new trialtakes precedence. However, as both parties chose to appeal, the issue of a new trial on damages is not before the Court. L.R. exercised her right to request a new trial based on alleged errors during the course of the trial and renewed those requests in this appeal. However, to the extent L.R. asks this Court to grant a new trial based on the asserted inadequacy or impropriety of the additur, that issue is moot, as we have found that granting the additur was error.