Ex Parte Courtney

The plaintiffs, Dana Haines Courtney, her daughter Tara Wilbur, and her son-in-law Terry Wilbur, sued Virginia Tidwell Wood, alleging negligence and claiming damages for injuries they received as a result of an automobile accident. A jury trial resulted in a verdict in favor of all three plaintiffs, but the jury awarded damages only to Courtney and Tara; it awarded no damages to Tara's husband, Terry. The plaintiffs filed a motion for a new trial on the basis that the damages were inadequate and the verdict inconsistent. The trial court granted their motion, and Wood appealed. The Alabama…