Opinion ID: 1287416
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: instruction on breach of contract and warranty

Text: Sturzenegger argues that the district court should have instructed the jury on his theories of recovery for breach of contract and breach of warranty. Sturzenegger argues that breach of contract was recognized as a theory of recovery under similar circumstances by this court's decision in K.M.H. v. Lutheran Gen. Hosp. [69] In K.M.H., a patient sued a hospital after she was sexually assaulted by a male nurse. We reversed a summary judgment entered for the hospital, finding that the petition alleged in general terms an implied contract, imposing upon the hospital the duty and obligation to provide plaintiff a private, secure environment for her care and to protect her privacy, safety, and security. [70] But unlike K.M.H., this is not an appeal from a summary judgment. The district court's decision to refuse Sturzenegger's breach of warranty instruction was made after a complete trial, and based on the evidence presented, we conclude that Sturzenegger was not prejudiced by the district court's refusal. [38] To establish reversible error from a court's failure to give a requested jury instruction, an appellant has the burden to show that (1) the tendered instruction is a correct statement of the law, (2) the tendered instruction was warranted by the evidence, and (3) the appellant was prejudiced by the court's failure to give the requested instruction. [71] Here, even assuming (without deciding) that Sturzenegger's proposed instruction was a correct statement of the law and warranted by the evidence, there was no prejudice. Sturzenegger's evidence did not establish any basis for awarding damages other than those caused by sexual abuse. The theory of Boys Town's defense was that the alleged abuse had not occurred. And Sturzenegger's testimony did not establish any duty on the part of Boys Town, based in warranty or contract, that was greater than its duty in tort to prevent Sturzenegger from being sexually abused. In short, the evidence did not establish any duty or damages based on breach of warranty that was not coextensive with those encompassed by the tort theory on which the jury was instructed. Therefore, Sturzenegger did not show that he was prejudiced by the court's refusal of his breach of warranty instruction. [39] Sturzenegger also argues, briefly, that the court should have instructed on other theories, such as intentional infliction of emotional distress. Those theories suffer from the same defect as his breach of warranty argument. Furthermore, Sturzenegger only assigned as error the court's refusal of contract and warranty theories. And errors argued but not assigned will not be considered on appeal. [72] For those reasons, we find no merit to Sturzenegger's assignment of error relating to jury instructions.