Opinion ID: 2056288
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: advising jury of settlement

Text: The next issue asserted by Moser is that the trial court erred by advising the jury that there had been a settlement but did not tell the jury that the amount was only one dollar and other valuable consideration. Moser suggests that telling the jury of the settlement allowed the jury to infer that she had received a significant monetary settlement. Moser also asserts that revealing the settlement may have caused the jury to believe that Long had been negligent and perhaps, therefore, caused the jury to find Long partially responsible. By finding Long 10 percent negligent, Moser's award was reduced by 10 percent as recovery from the non-settling tort-feasor is limited to the percentage of negligence attributable to the remaining non-settling tort-feasors as may be determined by the court or the jury as the case may be. Bartels v. City of Williston, 276 N.W.2d 113, 122 (N.D.1979). To determine the amount of recovery, it was proper for the trial court to ask the jury to determine the amount of negligence, if any, attributable to each of the parties involved. Whether or not the jury should be informed of the settlement rests within the discretion of the trial court. Frey v. Snelgrove, 269 N.W. 918, 922 (Minn. 1978); Bohrer v. Clark, 590 P.2d 117, 125 (Mont.1978); Degen v. Bayman, 86 S.D. 598, 200 N.W.2d 134, 139 (1972). We agree with what the court of appeals of Oregon said in Yardley v. Rucker Bros. Trucking, Inc., 42 Or.App. 239, 600 P.2d 485 (1979): Depending upon the circumstances, it might be proper or improper for evidence to be admitted before the jury of the existence of a prior settlement .... But if evidence of a prior settlement is admitted, we have concluded the court must unequivocally instruct the jury to disregard the settlement and return a verdict for the full amount of the plaintiff's dathages. 600 P.2d at 488. When the jury in the discretion of the trial court is advised that there has been a settlement, it must clearly be instructed to disregard the settlement in assessing the plaintiff's damages. In this case, the trial court instructed the jury that the amount paid by Long to Moser was not relevant and that they should not speculate on the settlement. It was not an abuse of discretion for the trial court to inform the jury that Long was no longer a party in the lawsuit because of a settlement in light of the instruction to the jury not to speculate on the settlement. Frey v. Snelgrove, supra, 269 N.W.2d at 923. In Frey, the settlement occurred during trial. In the instant case, the settlement was prior to trial. Notwithstanding that difference in circumstances, we believe the court acted properly in this case. We think pertinent what the Supreme Court of Minnesota said in Frey v. Snelgrove, 269 N.W.2d at 923: Although a release agreement is admissible under Rule 408 of the Rules of Evidence, where it is offered for a purpose such as proving bias or prejudice of a witness, it is within the trial court's discretion to determine whether to admit the actual agreement into evidence, or the details thereof. The jury should be given those facts necessary to arrive at a fair verdict to all parties, but as a general rule the amount paid in settlement should never be submitted. That figure itself may have little relation to the actual damages of a plaintiff, since it may reflect a compromise, the evaluation of a defendant's potential liability, and many other factors not relevant to a jury's consideration of actual monetary damages. [Emphasis added.]