Opinion ID: 1057781
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jury Instruction N

Text: When reviewing the substance of jury instructions given by a trial court, this Court's responsibility is to see that the law has been clearly stated and the instructions cover all issues which the evidence fairly raises. Bennett v. Sage Payment Solutions, Inc., 282 Va. 49, 55, 710 S.E.2d 736, 740 (2011). A litigant is entitled to jury instructions supporting their theory of the case if there is sufficient evidence to support that theory and if the instructions correctly state the law. Id. There must be more than a scintilla of evidence introduced in support of a requested instruction. Id. The determination whether a jury instruction accurately states the relevant law is a question of law that we review de novo. 19 Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy Assocs. v. Summit Group Props., LLC, 283 Va. 777, 782, 724 S.E.2d 718, 721 (2012).
Jury Instruction N directed the jury to construe any ambiguities in the contracts against the drafter. On appeal, ORC argues that under Delaware law the doctrine of contra proferentem is a rule of last resort and thus an instruction on this doctrine should not have been given in this case. ORC cites numerous Delaware cases in support of its position on appeal. At trial, however, ORC never raised any arguments under Delaware law or referred the trial court to any Delaware case law that would prohibit this instruction from being given. The trial judge informed the parties that he was going to use a Virginia Model Jury Instruction instead of the federal model instructions or Delaware instructions the parties originally submitted. The parties did not object to this decision by the trial court and have not assigned error to it on appeal. The only objection to the instruction offered by ORC was that Lawlor was not entitled to it because he participated in the drafting of the various contracts at issue. That was the only argument made to the trial court against this instruction, and therefore that is the only argument we will consider on appeal. Rule 5:25. Accordingly, we will not consider the argument ORC makes on appeal based upon Delaware law. 20 At trial, Bisignano testified that he was the principal drafter and that Lawlor merely gave him several copies of form contracts. The trial court judge found that both parties were involved in the drafting, and determined that he would grant Instruction N and leave it to the jury to decide who the drafter was as a matter of fact, and then apply the principle of contra proferentem. While it appears from the record that Lawlor did present more than a scintilla of evidence to support the proposition that he was not the drafter of the terms in question, a jury verdict based on an erroneous instruction need not be set aside if it is clear that the jury was not misled. Riverside Hosp., Inc. v. Johnson, 272 Va. 518, 536-37, 636 S.E.2d 416, 426 (2006). Applying this principle, we conclude that even if Instruction N was improperly given, such error would not require the jury verdict to be set aside in this case. The instruction did not dictate to the jury who the drafter was; rather, it left the contested issue to their resolution.