Legal Memorandum: Standards of Review on Appeal in MA

Issue: Under Massachusetts law, must a jury verdict be sustained on appeal if there was any evidence presented at trial that would have supported the jury’s decision?

Under well-settled Massachusetts law, the appeals court must sustain the jury’s verdict if there was any evidence from which the jury could have concluded as it did.  TA s "Yukna v. Boston Gas Co., 1 Mass. App. Ct. 62, 63 (19" c 1 l "Yukna v. Boston Gas Co., 1 Mass. App. Ct. 62 (1973)"Yukna v. Boston Gas Co., 1 Mass. App. Ct. 62, 63 (1973). 

In measuring the legal sufficiency of the evidence to warrant a finding . . . the test is whether "anywhere in the evidence, from whatever source derived, any combination of circumstances could be found from which a reasonable inference could be drawn in favor of the [prevailing party]." 

TA s "Burroughs v. Commonwealth, 423 Mass. 874, 875-76 (19" c 1 l "Burroughs v. Commonwealth, 423 Mass. 874 (1996) "Burroughs v. Commonwealth, 423 Mass. 874, 875-76 (1996) (quoting TA s "Poirier v. Plymouth, 374 Mass. 206, 212 (1978)" c 1 l "Poirier v. Plymouth, 374 Mass. 206 (1978)"Poirier v. Plymouth, 374 Mass. 206, 212 (1978) (quoting TA s "Raunela v. Hertz Corp., 361 Mass. 341, 343 (1972)" c 1 l "Raunela v. Hertz Corp., 361 Mass. 341 (1972)"Raunela v. Hertz Corp., 361 Mass. 341, 343 (1972))). 

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