Opinion ID: 1253673
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The charge as a whole was sufficient.

Text: It is well-settled that assumption of the risk is an affirmative defense which the defendant bears the burden of proving. Baldwin v. Piedmont Mfg. Co., 102 S.C. 402, 86 S.E. 379 (1915); see also Englert, Inc. v. Netherlands Ins. Co., 315 S.C. 300, 433 S.E.2d 871 (1993) (defendant has burden of proving affirmative defenses listed in Rule 8(c), SCRCP); Rule 8(c), SCRCP (assumption of risk is affirmative defense). The question here is whether the charge as a whole conveyed this burden to the jury. We agree with the Court of Appeals that it did not, especially in light of the instructions defining the plaintiff's burden of proof: As the trial begins, the scales are even, but throughout the course of the trial as the testimony and the evidence comes in, the scales may tip back and forth. If after all of the evidence has been presented, the scales remain even or they tip ever so slightly in favor of the defendant, then the plaintiffs would not have satisfied their burden of proof in this particular matter. By contrast, the charge regarding SCE&G's affirmative defense indicated only that the jury should consider SCE&G's defenses and if the jury found the plaintiff assumed the risk, it should find for SCE&G. This charge gave the jury no standard by which to determine if SCE&G had established its defense. The Court of Appeals properly found the charge inadequate.