Opinion ID: 1890530
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: ¶ 6. There are several standards of review that must be used in analyzing the issues in this appeal. First, when reviewing jury instructions on appeal, we must read them as a whole. Sentinel Indus. Contracting Corp. v. Kimmins Indus. Serv. Corp., 743 So.2d 954, 968 (Miss.1999). While a party is entitled to have jury instructions submitted that represent his or her theory of the case, an instruction that incorrectly states the law, is covered fairly elsewhere in the instructions, or is without foundation in the evidence need not be submitted to the jury. Humphrey v. State, 759 So.2d 368, 380 (Miss.2000). This Court will not find reversible error where the instructions actually given, when read together as a whole, fairly announce the law of the case and create no injustice. Coleman v. State, 697 So.2d 777, 782 (Miss.1997) (citing Collins v. State, 691 So.2d 918, 922 (Miss.1997)). Moreover, the standard of review of jury verdicts is as follows: Once the jury has returned a verdict in a civil case, we are not at liberty to direct that judgment be entered contrary to that verdict short of a conclusion on our part that, given the evidence as a whole, taken in the light most favorable to the verdict, no reasonable, hypothetical juror could have found as the jury found. Id. (citing Bell v. City of Bay St. Louis, 467 So.2d 657, 660 (Miss.1985)). ¶ 7. The standard of review for whether a peremptory instruction should be granted is the same as the standard for a directed verdict. Herrington v. Spell, 692 So.2d 93, 97 (Miss.1997). The standard of review in cases where a directed verdict has been granted is as follows: [t]his Court conducts a de novo review of motions for directed verdict....If the Court finds that the evidence favorable to the non-moving party and the reasonable inferences drawn therefrom present a question for the jury, the motion should not be granted. Pace v. Fin. Sec. Life of Miss., 608 So.2d 1135, 1138 (Miss.1992) (citation omitted). Additionally, this Court has held that [a] trial court should submit an issue to the jury only if the evidence creates a question of fact concerning which reasonable jurors could disagree. Vu v. Clayton, 765 So.2d 1253, 1254 (Miss.2000) (quoting Vines v. Windham, 606 So.2d 128, 131 (Miss.1992)).