The defendant municipality brought a motion to bifurcate the trial into separate hearings for liability and damages in a catastrophic personal injury motor vehicle accident case.
The plaintiffs opposed the motion.
The court granted the motion, finding that the liability issues were distinct from the complex damages issues, and that a separate liability trial would likely save significant time and costs, especially since a damages trial would be unnecessary if the municipality was found not liable.
The court also granted the municipality leave to bring the motion after the action had been set down for trial.
