Opinion ID: 2085682
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Number of Items in the Verdict.

Text: The plaintiffs complain because only two items of negligence were inquired about with reference to the defendants' conduct, whereas three items were asked with reference to Mrs. Petoskey's negligence. The answer to this objection is contained in Taylor v. Western Casualty & Surety Co. (1955), 270 Wis. 408, 411, 71 N. W. (2d) 363, where this court said that the degree of negligence attributable to a party is not to be measured by the number of respects in which he is found to have been at fault. It is rare that litigants will ever agree upon the precise phraseology of an inquiry to the jury as to the parties' negligence. So long as the submission by the trial court is reasonably and fairly designed to procure from the jury answers to the significant items of potential fault, an appellate body should be reluctant to intrude. In our opinion, there are indeed a number of other ways in which the negligence of these defendants could have been phrased. However, the use of the terms lighting and slush and ice constituted a fair and unbiased submission of the fault chargeable against the two defendants.