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What Is Motion for Additur?

Alexander Ross • • 7 min read
What Is Motion for Additur?

Filing a Motion for Additur
Additur is the power the trial court has to increase the amount of an award that a jury verdict decided. Additur is a condition if a judge denies a motion for a new trial. The defendant has to consent to additur during a civil trial, but the plaintiff does not.

What does additur mean in court?

Legal Definition of additur

: the increase by a court of the jury's award of damages which the court deems insufficient — compare remittitur. Note: The Supreme Court held in Dimick v. Schiedt, 293 U.S. 474 (1935) that additur violates the Seventh Amendment and so is not permissible in federal courts.

What is a motion for remittitur?

A "remittitur" is the "process by which a court requires either that the case be retried, or that the damages awarded by the jury be reduced." Black's Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019) It is a procedural device defense lawyers use when they lose at trial. Remittitur seeks to reduce the jury's verdict.

Alexander Ross
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Alexander Ross

Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.