Opinion ID: 1835073
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendant's Requested Instructions.

Text: SMX contends that the trial court erred when it declined to give the jury certain instructions which SMX had requested. These three requested instructions all dealt with the issue of public policy. In short, they instruct that SMX had the right to fire Smith if he violated a company policy designed to protect the public. One of the requested instructions, paraphrasing 49 U.S.C.A.App. § 2505(a) (1983), specified that it is public policy to prevent motor vehicle operators from driving when the driver's ability or alertness is impaired or is likely to become so. The trial court rejected all three instructions on the grounds that they were superfluous in light of another instruction which was as follows: There is evidence in this case that Plaintiff was an at-will employee. An employee at-will may be terminated at any time for any reason, except if it is contrary to public policy of this state. You are instructed that it is against the public policy of the state to discharge an employee for filing a workers' compensation claim. Under Iowa law, a court should give a requested instruction when it states a correct rule of law having application to the facts of the case and the concept is not otherwise embodied in the other instructions. Stover v. Lakeland Square Owners Ass'n, 434 N.W.2d 866, 868 (Iowa 1989). However, error in giving or refusing to give a particular instruction does not warrant reversal unless the error is prejudicial. Id. Here the concepts expressed in SMX's requested instructions were embodied in the instructions given. While the court did not specifically instruct the jury that SMX had the right to fire Smith if Smith violated company policy, it did inform the jury that SMX could fire Smith at any time for any reason. This obviously encompasses the situation postulated by SMX's requested instruction. We hold that SMX was not prejudiced by the court's refusal to give the requested instructions.