Title: In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
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No. SC15-1275 
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IN RE:  STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL CASES—REPORT 
NO. 15-01. 
 
[April 21, 2016] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases 
(Committee) has submitted a report proposing amendments to four existing 
standard jury instructions and the addition of a new instruction.  We have 
jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
The Committee proposes amending existing instructions 402.4 – Medical 
Negligence; 501.5 – Other Contributing Causes of Damages; 501.7 – Reduction of 
Damages to Present Value; and 502.7 – Reduction of Damages to Present Value.  
The Committee also proposes the addition of new instruction 301.11 – Failure to 
Maintain Evidence or Keep a Record. 
 
All of the proposals in the Committee’s report were published prior to being 
filed with the Court.  No comments were received by the Committee.  After the 
 
 
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Committee filed its report, the Court published the Committee’s proposals for 
comment.  No comments were received. 
 
Having considered the Committee’s report, we hereby authorize new 
instruction 301.11 and amended instructions 402.4, 501.5, 501.7, and 502.7 for 
publication and use, as proposed by the Committee.  The instructions, as set forth 
in the appendix to this opinion, are authorized for publication and use.  In 
authorizing the publication and use of these instructions, we express no opinion on 
their correctness and remind all interested parties that this authorization forecloses 
neither requesting additional or alternative instructions nor contesting the legal 
correctness of the instructions.  We further caution all interested parties that any 
comments associated with the instructions reflect only the opinion of the 
Committee and are not necessarily indicative of the views of this Court as to their 
correctness or applicability.  New language is indicated by underlining and deleted 
language is indicated by struck-through type.  The instructions as set forth in the 
appendix shall be effective when this opinion becomes final.  
It is so ordered. 
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, 
and PERRY, JJ., concur. 
 
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND 
IF FILED, DETERMINED.   
 
 
 
 
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Original Proceeding – Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in 
Civil Cases 
 
Rebecca Mercier Vargas, Chair, Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury 
Instructions in Civil Cases, Kreusler-Walsh, Compiani & Vargas, P.A., West Palm 
Beach, Florida; Joseph Hagedorn Lang, Jr., Past Chair, Supreme Court Committee 
on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, P.A., 
Tampa, Florida; Cynthia Sass, Subcommittee Chair, Spoliation Subcommittee, 
Tampa, Florida; Neal Allan Roth, Subcommittee Chair, Professional Malpractice 
Subcommittee, Coral Gables, Florida; John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, 
and Heather Savage Telfer, Bar Staff Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, 
Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
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Appendix 
301.11  FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EVIDENCE OR KEEP A RECORD 
a. 
Adverse inference. 
If you find that: 
(Name of party) [lost] [destroyed] [mutilated] [altered] [concealed] or 
otherwise caused the (describe evidence) to be unavailable, while it was within 
[his] [her] [its] possession, custody, or control; and the (describe evidence) 
would have been material in deciding the disputed issues in this case; then you 
may, but are not required to, infer that this evidence would have been 
unfavorable to (name of party). You may consider this, together with the other 
evidence, in determining the issues of the case.