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. SC17-514 
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IN RE:  STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL CASES—REPORT 
NO. 17-02. 
 
[November 2, 2017] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases 
(Committee) has submitted proposed changes to the standard jury instructions and 
asks that the Court authorize the amended standard instructions for publication and 
use.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
The Committee filed its report proposing to amend civil jury instructions   
502.2 (Wrongful Death Damages: Elements for Estate and Survivors), and 601.2 
(Believability of Witnesses).  The Committee published its proposals in The 
Florida Bar News.  No comments were received pertaining to the proposal to 
amend instruction 502.2, while three comments were received pertaining to the 
proposal to amend instruction 601.2.  Upon consideration of these comments, the 
 
 
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Committee did not revise its proposed amendments, and the Court did not publish 
the Committee’s proposals. 
 
Because subparagraphs (d) (Damages of surviving spouse), (e) (Damages by 
surviving child), and (f) (Damages by surviving parent of child) of instruction 
502.2 do not precisely explain that survivors’ pain and suffering damages are to be 
measured from the date of the decedent’s injury, instruction 502.2 is amended to 
add the language “[from the date of the injury]” to the above-identified 
subparagraphs to clarify when survivors’ pain and suffering damages should be 
measured. 
 
The proposal to amend instruction 601.2 derives from criminal instruction 
3.9 (Weighing the Evidence), which explains that it is proper for a lawyer to talk to 
a witness about what testimony the witness would give if called to testify.  Civil 
instruction 601.2 is amended to provide that “[It is entirely proper for a lawyer to 
talk to a witness about what testimony the witness would give if called to the 
courtroom. The witness should not be discredited just because the witness talked 
with a lawyer about [his] [her] testimony.]”  In addition, the Committee added a 
new Note on Use for 601.2, which states that “Witness talked to lawyer. This may 
be given if requested as either a substantive or a curative instruction whenever 
there is testimony that a witness spoke to or met with an attorney for one of the 
 
 
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parties.  This instruction is not meant to prohibit or limit argument by counsel of 
the general considerations set forth in 601.2a.” 
Having considered the Committee’s report, the comments submitted in 
response, and the Committee’s reply thereto, we authorize the Committee’s 
proposals for publication and use as set forth in the appendix to this opinion.  New 
language is indicated by underlining.  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.  The 
instructions as set forth in the appendix shall become effective when this opinion 
becomes final. 
 
It is so ordered. 
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, 
and LAWSON, JJ., concur. 
 
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 
 
Rebecca Mercier Vargas, Chair, Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury  
 
 
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Instructions in Civil Cases, West Palm Beach, Florida; and Laura K. Whitmore, 
Vice Chair and Subcommittee Chair, Filing Subcommittee of the Supreme Court 
Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, Tampa, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
502.2  WRONGFUL DEATH DAMAGES: ELEMENTS 
FOR ESTATE AND SURVIVORS 
ELEMENTS FOR ESTATE: 
In determining the damages recoverable on behalf of (decedent’s) estate, 
you shall consider the following elements: 
a. 
Lost earnings: 
The estate’s loss of earnings of (decedent) from the date of injury to the 
date of death, [less any amount of monetary support you determine a survivor 
lost during that period]. 
b. 
Lost accumulations: 
The estate’s loss of net accumulations: “Net accumulations” is the part 
of (decedent’s) net income [from salary or business] after taxes, including 
pension benefits [but excluding income from investments continuing beyond 
death], which (decedent), after paying [his] [her] personal expenses and 
monies for the support of [his] [her] survivors, would have left as part of [his] 
[her] estate if [he] [she] had lived [his] [her] normal life expectancy. 
NOTE ON USE FOR 502.2b 
The estate may recover lost accumulations when the sole survivor is a parent 
without a cause of action in his or her own right, as well as when survivors include 
a spouse or lineal descendant. F.S. 768.21(6)(a) (1985); Vildibill v. Johnson, 492 
So. 2d 1047 (Fla. 1986). The committee expresses no opinion concerning whether 
“net accumulations” include income ending at death which is not derived from 
salary or business. See F.S. 768.18(5) (1985); Delta Airlines, Inc. v. Ageloff, 552 
So. 2d 1089 (Fla. 1989); Wilcox v. Leverock, 548 So. 2d 1116 (Fla. 1989). 
c. 
Medical or funeral expenses: 
Medical or funeral expenses due to (decedent’s) injury or death which 
[have become a charge against (decedent’s) estate] [were paid by or on behalf 
of (decedent) by one other than a survivor]. 
 
 
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ELEMENTS FOR SURVIVING SPOUSE, 
CHILD, OR PARENTS OF CHILD: 
In determining any damages to be awarded (decedent’s) personal 
representative for the benefit of (decedent’s) surviving [spouse] [children] [or] 
[parents], you shall consider certain additional elements of damage for which 
there is no exact standard for fixing the compensation to be awarded. Any 
such award should be fair and just in the light of the evidence regarding the 
following elements: 
d. 
Damages of surviving spouse: 
The [(wife’s) (husband’s)] loss of (decedent’s) companionship and 
protection, and [her] [his] mental pain and suffering as a result of (decedent’s) 
injury and death [from the date of injury]. In determining the duration of the 
losses, you may consider the [joint life expectancy of (decedent) and (surviving 
spouse)] [life expectancy of (surviving spouse)] together with the other evidence 
in the case.