Case Title: In re: Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases - Report No. 19-02

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC19-936

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2019-12-05T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC19-936 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE: STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL CASES — REPORT 
NO. 19-02. 
 
December 5, 2019 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases 
(Committee) has submitted a report proposing amendments to instruction 401.20 
(Issues on Plaintiff’s Claim – Premises Liability).  We have jurisdiction.  See art. 
V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
The Committee proposes deleting existing Note on Use 2 for instruction 
401.20a in its entirety, and replacing it with the following:  “For transitory foreign 
substances in a business establishment, see F.S. 768.0755 and cases interpreting 
it.”  No amendments were proposed by the Committee to instruction 401.20a itself.  
The Committee explains that its proposal stems from the repeal of section 
768.0710, Florida Statutes, which previously governed claims for premises liability 
 
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for transitory substances in business establishments, and the 2010 enactment of 
section 768.0755, Florida Statutes, which now governs such claims.  
Prior to filing its report with the Court, the Committee published its proposal 
for comment.  No comments were received by the Committee.  After the 
Committee filed its report, the Court republished the Committee’s proposal for 
comment.  No comments were received. 
 
Having considered the Committee’s report, we hereby authorize the 
amendment to Note on Use 2 for instruction 401.20a as proposed by the 
Committee for publication and use.  In authorizing the publication and use of this 
amendment, we express no opinion on its correctness and remind all interested 
parties that this authorization forecloses neither requesting additional or alternative 
instructions nor contesting the legal correctness of the instruction.  We further 
caution all interested parties that any comments associated with the amendment 
reflect only the opinion of the Committee and are not necessarily indicative of the 
views of this Court as to its correctness or applicability.  New language is indicated 
by underlining and deleted language is indicated by struck-through type.  The 
amended instruction as set forth in the appendix shall be effective when this 
opinion becomes final. 
It is so ordered. 
CANADY, C.J., and POLSTON, LABARGA, LAWSON, LAGOA, and MUÑIZ, 
JJ., concur. 
 
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NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION AND, 
IF FILED, DETERMINED. 
 
Original Proceeding – Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in 
Civil Cases 
 
Laura K. Whitmore, Chair, Tampa, Florida, and Jeffrey Alan Cohen, Vice Chair 
and Subcommittee Chair, Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions 
in Civil Cases, Miami, Florida; and Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, and 
Heather Savage Telfer, Bar Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
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Appendix 
401.20  ISSUES ON PLAINTIFF’S CLAIM — PREMISES LIABILITY 
The [next] issues on (claimant’s) claim, for you to decide are: 
a. 
Landowner or possessor’s negligence (toward invitee and invited licensee): 
whether (defendant) [negligently failed to maintain the premises in a 
reasonably safe condition], [or] [negligently failed to correct a 
dangerous condition about which (defendant) either knew or should 
have known, by the use of reasonable care,] [or] *[negligently failed to 
warn (claimant) of a dangerous condition about which (defendant) had, 
or should have had, knowledge greater than that of (claimant)]; and, if 
so, whether such negligence was a legal cause of [loss] [injury] [or] 
[damage] to (claimant, decedent or person for whose injury claim is made).