Opinion ID: 1678279
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: issues

Text: DID THE TRIAL COURT ERR IN REFUSING KAARUPS' PROPOSED JURY INSTRUCTION ON A LAY PERSON'S RIGHT TO RELY ON EXPERTS? Kaarups' proposed instruction number 1 was refused by the trial court. It provided: The disparity of the parties must also be borne in mind. Ordinary men are not usually acquainted with all the intricacies of engineering while the engineer is presumed to be an expert on the subject; and it is a matter of common knowledge that lay persons are accustomed to rely largely on the engineers for information as to their rights and liabilities in a construction or development project. This proposed instruction was properly refused. First, it is fundamental that jury instructions must be considered as a whole in determining if prejudicial error was committed in giving or refusing to give certain instructions. Beyer v. Cordell, 420 N.W.2d 767 (S.D.1988); Jahnig v. Coisman, 283 N.W.2d 557 (S.D.1979). The trial court instructed the jury as to negligence and the standard of care that the law expects of all persons. The court further instructed the jury on the distinction between land surveyors and engineers. These instructions adequately set forth the standard of care applicable to this case. Considering the instructions as a whole, there was no prejudicial error committed. Further, although Schmitz/Kalda is an engineering firm, a genuine issue of fact existed as to whether Schmitz/Kalda was hired to provide engineering or land surveying services. Schmitz and Kalda were registered land surveyors and registered engineers. The jury could improperly apply the proposed instructions to Schmitz/Kalda, since it is a firm of engineers, even though the jury found that Schmitz/Kalda provided surveying services in this case. The proposed instruction is not properly limited. Finally, the proposed instruction is a modification of this court's wording in Moore v. Kluthe & Lane Insurance Agency, Inc., 89 S.D. 419, 234 N.W.2d 260 (1975). In that case, this court held that: `The disparity of the parties must also be borne in mind. Ordinary men are not usually acquainted with all the intricacies of insurance contracts, while the insurer is presumed to be an expert on the subject; and it is a matter of common knowledge that the insured are accustomed to rely largely on the insurer for information as to their rights and liabilities.' Id. at 265. The proposed instruction may be a proper extension to the engineering field of this court's holding in Moore. However, this court need not reach that question. The trial court should present only those instructions which are supported by competent evidence in the record. Kallis v. Beers, 375 N.W.2d 642 (S.D.1985). There was no evidence offered through experts or otherwise that engineers are experts on the intricacies of federal or state water law. The trial court properly refused to instruct the jury to presume such knowledge. Since the trial court's instructions adequately cover the law in this case, the proposed instruction is not properly limited and the instruction is not supported by competent evidence in the record, the trial court properly refused this instruction.