Title: In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC13-683 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL CASES — 
REPORT NO. 13-01 (PRODUCTS LIABILITY). 
 
[March 26, 2015] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases 
(Committee) has submitted proposed changes to the standard jury instructions 
pertaining to products liability cases, and asks that the Court authorize the 
amended standard instructions.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. 
Const. 
BACKGROUND 
In Case No. SC09-1264, In re Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases—
Report No. 09-10 (Products Liability), 91 So. 3d 785 (Fla. 2012), the Court granted 
preliminary approval to many of the Committee’s proposals to amend the 
instructions pertaining to products liability cases, while withholding authorization 
 
 
- 2 - 
to publish and use the new and amended jury instructions.  Specifically, the Court 
did as follows: 
First, we provide preliminary approval for publication in the future of 
the proposals with regard to standard instructions 403.1—Introduction 
(new); instruction 403.2—Summary of Claims (new); instruction 
403.4—Express Warranty; instruction 403.5—Implied Warranty of 
Merchantability; instruction 403.6—Implied Warranty of Fitness for 
Particular Purpose; instruction 403.8—Strict Liability Failure to Warn 
(new); instruction 403.10—Negligent Failure to Warn (new); 
instruction 403.12—Legal Cause; instruction 403.14—Burden of 
Proof on Preliminary Issue; instruction 403.15—Issues on Main 
Claim; instruction 403.17—Burden of Proof on Main Claim; and 
instruction 403.19—Burden of Proof on Defense Issues.   
 
 
Second, the following jury instructions are preliminarily 
approved for publication in the future as modified: instruction 403.9—
Negligence; and instruction 403.18—Defense Issues (new). 
 
 
Last, the Court rejects the following proposals: instruction 
403.3—Greater Weight of the Evidence; instruction 403.7—Strict 
Liability; instruction 403.11—Inference of Product Defect or 
Negligence (new); instruction 403.13—Preliminary Issue (new); 
instruction 403.16—Issues on Crashworthiness and “Enhanced 
Injury” Claim (new); and Model Instruction 7 and Special Verdict 
Form.  Instead, the Court preliminarily approves for publication in the 
future instruction 403.3, consistent with previously authorized 
“Greater Weight of the Evidence” standard civil jury instructions. 
 
Id. at 786-87 (footnote omitted).  The Court referred the matter back to the 
Committee as follows: 
We refer back to the Committee its proposals with regard to 
instructions 403.7, 403.11, 403.13, 403.14, 403.16, Model Instruction 
No. 7 and the Special Verdict Form, and the Committee Notes to each 
of the products liability standard instructions.  We direct the 
Committee to make revisions consistent with the instructions 
preliminarily approved by the Court for publication in the future and 
 
 
- 3 - 
as set forth in the appendix to this opinion, as well as the Court’s 
decisions in In re Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases—Report 
No. 09–01 (Reorganization of the Civil Jury Instructions), 35 So. 3d 
666 (Fla. 2010) and In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal 
Cases—Report No. 2010–01 & Standard Jury Instructions in Civil 
Cases—Report No. 2010–01, 52 So. 3d 595 (Fla. 2010).  We also 
direct the Committee to conform all instructions, comments, model 
forms of instructions, verdict forms, and any related material to the 
actions of the Court in this and prior opinions. 
 
Id. at 787.  The Court made it clear that “[t]he approvals are only preliminary 
because this group of instructions must be viewed as a full package before 
authorization can be provided.”  Id.  The Court withheld authorization of the 
preliminarily approved instructions.  Id. 
 
Following referral back to the Committee, on April 15, 2013, subsequent to 
republication of the instructions and receipt of four comments, the Committee filed 
a report seeking to amend the products liability instructions, but “deferred 
consideration of the model charges and verdict forms pending final approval of the 
instructions.”  The Committee also advised the Court that it was “continuing to 
consider some of the issues raised in the comments.”  Because the Committee only 
partially complied with the Court’s directions, the Court issued an order directing 
the Committee to adhere to the Court’s directive by proposing jury instructions, 
model charges, and verdict forms.  On March 15, 2014, the Committee published 
in The Florida Bar News four revised proposals: instructions 403.10 (Negligent 
Failure to Warn), 403.13 (Preliminary Issue), 403.18 (Defense Issues), and 403.19 
 
 
- 4 - 
(Burden of Proof on Defense Issues).  The Committee also published new Model 
Instruction No. 7.  One additional comment addressing various proposals was 
received by the Committee.  The Committee filed its amended report and 
appendices in this case on June 9, 2014. 
DISCUSSION 
 
The Committee proposes amendments to instructions 403.1 (Introduction), 
403.2 (Summary of Claims), 403.7 (Strict Liability), 403.8 (Strict Liability Failure 
to Warn), 403.9 (Negligence), 403.10 (Negligent Failure to Warn), 403.11 
(Inference of Product Defect or Negligence), 403.12 (Legal Cause), 403.13 
(Preliminary Issue), 403.14 (Burden of Proof on Preliminary Issue), 403.15 (Issues 
on Main Claim), 403.16 (Issues on Crashworthiness and “Enhanced Injury” 
Claims), 403.17 (Burden of Proof on Main Claim), 403.18 (Defense Issues), and 
403.19 (Burden of Proof on Defense Issues).  In addition, the Committee proposes 
new Model Instruction No. 7 with an accompanying Special Verdict Form.  
Having considered the Committee’s amended report, the comments, and the 
Committee’s responses to the comments, we authorize the Committee’s proposals 
for publication and use.   
 
With regard to the Committee’s proposals which had previously been 
rejected by the Court, we make the following observations.  Instruction 403.7 
(Strict Liability), as amended, provides separate definitions for manufacturing 
 
 
- 5 - 
defect and design defect, and retains both the consumer expectations and 
risk/benefit tests to define a design defect.  Instructions 403.11 (Inference of 
Product Defect or Negligence), 403.13 (Preliminary Issue), and 403.16 (Issues on 
Crashworthiness and “Enhanced Injury” Claims) do not include actual instructions, 
but the Committee includes Notes on Use for 403.11, Notes on Use for 403.13, and 
Notes on Use for 403.16, respectively.     
CONCLUSION 
 
We authorize for publication and use those instructions to which the Court 
previously gave preliminary approval, and to the extent the Committee did not 
propose additional changes to those instructions, they are fully engrossed in the 
appendix to this opinion.1  In addition, we authorize the amended instructions, as 
set forth in the appendix to this opinion, for publication and use.  New language is 
indicated by underlining, and deleted language is indicated by struck-through type.  
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 
                                          
 
 
1.  Jury instructions 403.3 (Greater Weight of the Evidence), 403.4 (Express 
Warranty), 403.5 (Implied Warranty of Merchantability), and 403.6 (Implied 
Warranty of Fitness for Particular Purpose) are the only products liability 
instructions to which the Committee did not propose amendments. 
 
 
- 6 - 
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, POLSTON, and PERRY, 
JJ., concur.  
CANADY, J., concurs in result. 
 
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND 
IF FILED, DETERMINED.  
 
Original Proceedings – Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in 
Civil Cases  
 
Joseph Hagedorn Lang, Jr., Chair, Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury 
Instructions in Civil Cases, Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, P.A., Tampa, Florida; 
Honorable James Manly Barton, II, Past Chair, Supreme Court Committee on 
Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, Tampa, Florida; Rebecca Mercier 
Vargas, Vice Chair and Subcommittee Chair, Products Liability Subcommittee of 
the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, 
Kreusler-Walsh, Compiani & Vargas, P.A., West Palm Beach, Florida; John F. 
Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, and Heather Savage Telfer, Bar Staff Liaison, 
The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida,  
 
for Petitioner  
 
 
 
- 7 - 
APPENDIX 
 
403  PRODUCTS LIABILITY 
 
403.1  
Introduction 
403.2  
Summary of Claims 
403.3  
Greater Weight of the Evidence 
403.4  
Express Warranty 
403.5  
Implied Warranty of Merchantability 
403.6  
Implied Warranty of Fitness for Particular Purpose 
403.7  
Strict Liability 
403.8  
Strict Liability Failure to Warn 
403.9  
Negligence 
403.10 
Negligent Failure to Warn 
403.11 
Inference of Product Defect or Negligence   (reserved) 
403.12 
Legal Cause 
403.13 
Preliminary Issue (reserved) 
403.14 
Burden of Proof on Preliminary Issue 
403.15 
Issues on Main Claim 
403.16 
Issues on Crashworthiness and “Enhanced Injury” Claims 
403.17 
Burden of Proof on Main Claim 
403.18 
Defense Issues 
403.19 
Burden of Proof on Defense Issues 
 
 
403.1 INTRODUCTION 
 
Members of the jury, you have now heard and received all of the 
evidence in this case. I am now going to tell you about the rules of law that you 
must use in reaching your verdict. [You will recall at the beginning of the case 
I told you that if, at the end of the case I decided that different law applies, I 
would tell you so. These instructions are (slightly) different from what I gave 
you at the beginning and it is these rules of law that you must now follow.] 
When I finish telling you about the rules of law, the attorneys will present 
their final arguments and you will then retire to decide your verdict.