Legal Definitions - NOV (non obstante veredicto)

Definition: NOV is the acronym for the Latin phrase non obstante veredicto, which means "notwithstanding the verdict." It is usually used in the context of JNOV (judgment non obstante veredicto) to describe a judgment entered for one party even though a jury has issued a verdict for the opposing party. The judge sets aside the jury’s verdict and enters a new judgment without a new trial.

For example, let's say a plaintiff sues a defendant for breach of contract. After a trial, the jury finds in favor of the defendant and issues a verdict stating that the defendant did not breach the contract. However, the judge may enter a JNOV in favor of the plaintiff if they believe that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support the jury's verdict.

Another example could be a medical malpractice case where the jury finds in favor of the doctor, but the judge enters a JNOV in favor of the patient because they believe that the doctor was negligent and caused harm to the patient.

These examples illustrate how a judge can set aside a jury's verdict and enter a new judgment based on their own interpretation of the evidence presented at trial.