Opinion ID: 1156578
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: disclosure to jury: balanced approach

Text: We believe the position of the Kansas Supreme Court in Ratterree, 238 Kan. at 27-30, 707 P.2d at 1074-76, reflects a modern view representative of the approach which should ordinarily be taken. Under this approach, where an injured plaintiff and one or more, but not all, defendant tort-feasors enter into a settlement agreement, the parties must promptly inform the court and the other parties to the action of the existence of the agreement and of its terms. Where the action is tried by a jury, the court shall, upon motion of a party, disclose the existence and basic content of the agreement to the jury unless the court finds that, on facts particular to the case, such disclosure will create substantial danger of undue prejudice, of confusing the issues, or of misleading the jury. See id. The court should also determine whether explanation is sufficient, as we believe it would have been in this case, or whether admission of the document into evidence is appropriate and, if so, which portions of the agreement should properly be omitted. We believe instances would be rare when the amount of the settlement should be disclosed. However, the jury should be informed of the changed financial interest of the parties concerned and the realigned positions of the litigants. See id.; see also note 9, supra. [T]he potential for injustice is so great from the use of secret settlement agreements in any tort action where there are multiple defendants, whether under joint and several liability or comparative fault principles, that we believe a disclosure rule should be adopted. Ratterree, 238 Kan. at 29, 707 P.2d at 1076. Because it has not been shown that appropriate disclosure of the settlement in this case would have led to a substantial danger of undue prejudice, of confusing the issues, or of misleading the jury, we believe the trial court erred in not disclosing the settlement to the jury.