Canterino v. the Mirage Casino-Hotel

16 P.3d 415, 117 Nev. 19
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 29, 2001
Docket30659
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 16 P.3d 415 (Canterino v. the Mirage Casino-Hotel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Canterino v. the Mirage Casino-Hotel, 16 P.3d 415, 117 Nev. 19 (Neb. 2001).

Opinions

[21]*21OPINION

By the Court,

Shearing, J.:

Joseph Canterino sued the Mirage Casino-Hotel for damages incurred after being beaten and robbed in the hotel hallway. After a nine-day trial, the jury awarded Joseph Canterino $5,760,291.35 in damages for past and future physical pain and mental anguish, physical impairment, lost earning capacity and medical expenses. The Mirage filed a motion for a new trial. The district court issued a conditional order of remittitur, finding the jury award of damages excessive, and reducing the damage award to $1,500,000.00. Canterino did not accept the remittitur, and the district court ordered a new trial. Canterino appeals, seeking reinstatement of the jury award. The Mirage argues that a new trial is warranted on the grounds of an improper jury instruction, as well as improper arguments by Canterino’s counsel. We conclude the jury verdict on the issue of liability should be reinstated, but that a new trial must be had on the issue of damages.

DISTRICT COURT PROCEEDINGS

Canterino presented the following evidence. In April 1992, Canterino traveled from New York to Las Vegas with $100,000.00 to gamble. He reserved a room at the Mirage for the duration of his stay. On his second day at the Mirage, Canterino left his hotel room and was walking down the hallway when he was approached by a stranger. As Canterino glanced in the man’s direction, another man hit Canterino in the head with a baseball bat. The two men repeatedly hit Canterino and stole his fanny pack where he kept his money. Canterino’s attackers were never apprehended.

Canterino testified to his injuries, and presented extensive medical evidence of permanent physical, neurological and psychological injuries.

The Mirage presented evidence to show that it had no liability and, through cross-examination of Canterino’s witnesses, attempted to challenge the cause, nature and severity of Canterino’s injuries.

After jury instructions and closing arguments, the eight-person jury retired to deliberate. After deliberating for some time, the jury submitted a question to the district court. The jury asked: ‘ ‘If 6 (Jurors) agree that the defendant was negligent . . . can the obstaining [sic] 2 (Jurors) — participate in determing [sic] damages? Please advise?” Initially, the district court told the bailiff to contact the attorneys as required under NRS 16.140. The bailiff told the judge that the Mirage’s lead attorney was unavailable but [22]*22she left the name of another attorney to contact. The judge decided not to contact the replacement attorney or Canterino’s attorney and simply responded to the jury question, instructing that the'two jurors voting against liability could not participate in the damage award determination. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Canterino for $5,760,291.35 about half an hour later.

The district court subsequently issued a conditional order of remittitur reducing the damage award to $1,500,000.00 on the basis of the following findings:

1. That the verdict returned by the jury in the amount of $5,760,291.35 was excessive, was shocking to the conscience and tainted by plaintiffs appeals to the jury which resulted in bias, passion and prejudice.
2. That the verdict was shocking in relation to the evidence as to the severity and extent of plaintiff’s injuries.
3. That the plaintiff does not present visible injury that can support such a verdict.
4. That the verdict awarded by the jury is unreasonable in light of the cumulative evidence presented at trial.
5. That unless a remittitur is ordered by the court a fair and just resolution of the case cannot be reached.

Canterino refused to accept the remittitur. The district court set aside the jury verdict and ordered a new trial. Canterino appeals from that order.

EXCESSIVENESS OF DAMAGES AWARD

The district court has the power under NRCP 59(a)(6) to order a new trial when excessive damages appear to have been given under the influence of passion or prejudice. This court reviews a trial court’s order for a new trial that is conditional upon the plaintiff’s refusal to accept an order of remittitur for abuse of discretion. See Harris v. Zee, 87 Nev. 309, 311, 486 P.2d 490, 491 (1971). On appeal, we accord deference to the trial judge’s decision and reject a challenge to the judge’s discretion if there is a material conflict of evidence regarding the extent of the damages. Id. However, if there is no conflict, the order to remit becomes suspect unless the amount awarded by the jury is so excessive as to suggest passion and prejudice. Id.

In this case, no conflicting evidence concerning the extent of Canterino’s injuries or the amount of his monetary damages was offered by the Mirage. In fact, Dr. Ivan Bodis-Woliner testified for Canterino, even though he was one of the three physicians that the [23]*23Mirage hired as an expert to conduct independent medical examinations on Canterino. Dr. Bodis-Wollner, professor of neurology at State University of New York, director of the Parkinson Center-Movement Disorders and a physician board-certified in neurology and psychiatry, testified that he conducted tests which objectively determined that Canterino’s brain and various nerve pathways were permanently damaged. Dr. Bodis-Wollner also confirmed that there is a strong association between agoraphobia-panic disorder and the type of neurological damage from which Canterino suffered.

The other doctors who testified for Canterino confirmed the permanency of the neurological damage, and the causal relationship between the objective physical damage and the psychological manifestations that Canterino and his doctors described. The uncontradicted evidence showed that Canterino suffered hearing, balance and pyramidal track impairment as a result of the neurological damage. He presented extensive evidence that he suffered psychological injuries that kept him virtually housebound, unable to work or participate in any of the sports or activities that he had previously enjoyed. A treating psychologist found that Canterino exhibited the most severe case of co-morbid panic disorder, agoraphobia and post-traumatic stress disorder that she had ever seen.

Not only did the Mirage present no evidence contradicting Canterino’s medical experts’ testimony, but all its evidence related to whether the Mirage provides reasonable security to its guests. In opening statements, the Mirage did not mention that it disputed Canterino’s injuries, stating:

But the interesting part of this case is it’s a mystery; it’s a mystery that — because the Mirage doesn’t dispute Mr. Canterino was beaten. But where was he beaten; when was he beaten; by whom was he beaten and why?

The Mirage apparently only disputed liability.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 P.3d 415, 117 Nev. 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/canterino-v-the-mirage-casino-hotel-nev-2001.