Opinion ID: 721371
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Certainty of Damages

Text: 43 Finally, Benham contends that the evidence presented at trial is insufficient to prove damages with the requisite degree of certainty. In Missouri, damages need not be established with absolute certainty, but reasonable certainty is still required as to both existence and amount [of damages]. Aluminum Prods. Enters. v. Fuhrmann Tooling & Mfg. Co., 758 S.W.2d 119, 121 (Mo.App.1988) (quoting Haggard v. Mid-States Metal Lines, Inc., 591 S.W.2d 71, 77 (Mo.App.1979)). A party attempting to prove damages need only place before the jury the relevant facts tending to show the extent of damages, enabling the jury to make an intelligent estimate of [damages] as circumstances of the case will admit. Morris v. Perkins Chevrolet, Inc., 663 S.W.2d 785, 788 (Mo.App.1984) (quoting Truck Ins. Exch. v. Bill Rodekopf Motors, Inc., 623 S.W.2d 612, 614 (Mo.App.1981)). 44 In this case, Maddox placed before the jury evidence of damages with particular clarity. Exhibit 135, and the underlying testimony supporting it, was broken down in great detail. Curt Maddox not only gave an overall damages estimate, but he broke down this estimate into its component parts. For example, testimony was heard regarding the extra expenses for electrical-labor, mechanical/structural, management/clerical, materials, and the like. 45 Curt Maddox also testified, again in great detail, how he arrived at each of the component damages figures. For example, on the mechanical/structural damages, Maddox testified: 46 I took information from corporate records, some being which are the exhibits, the computer runs, and did quantity material takeoff and labor takeoff, takeoff being counting materials or labor hours. I took the total man-hours, labor, equipment, materials purchased on the project, including all the extras, the entire job, entire project, and with a little math I took the number that represented overruns excluding extras. I took the overruns on the project and subtracted those overrun quantities from the actual total job expense. 47 I took the estimates provided by The Benham Group and used that in the math solution and came up with the balance of damages attributed to the deficiencies of Benham over and above our contract and quantities and expectations from The Benham Group. 48 Testimony of Curt Maddox, 11 Trial Tr. at 6-7. Maddox introduced more than sufficient evidence to enable the jury to make an intelligent estimate of [damages] as circumstances of the case will admit. Morris, 663 S.W.2d at 788 (quoting Truck Ins. Exch., 623 S.W.2d at 614). Therefore, Maddox proved damages of $2,746,717.98 with the requisite certainty. 49 Although not clearly enunciated, Benham also seems to challenge the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the jury's verdict, arguing that the jury should not have credited the evidence put forth by Maddox. Although certainty of damages and sufficiency of evidence are two very closely related issues, they are analytically distinct, and this case forces us to address each issue separately. 50 We review jury findings under a highly deferential standard. We resolve all conflicts in favor of Maddox, giving it the benefit of all reasonable inferences and assuming as true all facts supporting Maddox which the evidence tended to prove. We will affirm the jury's findings if a reasonable jury could differ as to the conclusions to be drawn. See Triton Corp. v. Hardrives, Inc., 85 F.3d 343, 345 (8th Cir.1996). Mindful of the deferential standard of review and the mountain of credible evidence presented by both sides, we cannot say that the jury's verdict was unsupported by the record. Benham's contention fails.