Opinion ID: 1922216
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Interrogatories to the Jury

Text: At the conclusion of the charge to the jury, defendant interposed an objection to the use of a verdict form containing four interrogatories to the jury. The defendant specifically objected to interrogatory No. 4, a question that directed the jury, in the event that it found for plaintiff, to consider in its award certain elements of plaintiff's damages. Although defendant alleged on appeal that the verdict form prejudiced or confused the jury, placed too much emphasis on damages, and promoted a double award for pain and suffering that requires a reversal of the judgment, we note that defendant's sole objection at trial related to the court's refusal to use the verdict form that was suggested by defendant. The defendant never argued, as it did on appeal, the question of whether the interrogatories violated Rule 49(b) of the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure, nor did defendant complain to the trial justice that the use of a special interrogatory focused the jury's attention on one element of plaintiff's case, to the prejudice of defendant. Accordingly, we conclude that defendant's failure to articulate itsgrounds for the exclusion of the interrogatory precludes us from reviewing the merits of this argument. General objections to instructions, without specific grounds, are not a sufficient basis for review by this court. Dyson v. City of Pawtucket, 670 A.2d 233, 237 (R.I.1996) (citing Brodeur v. Desrosiers, 505 A.2d 418, 422 (R.I.1986)). Rule 51(b) of the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure requires a party to make an articulate objection that specifically directs the trial court to the error that is alleged. We have repeatedly held that a party may not assign as error a matter not appropriately brought to the attention of the trial justice by `stating distinctly the matter to which the party objects and the grounds of the party's objection,' DiFranco v. Klein, 657 A.2d 145, 147 (R.I.1995), thereby affording the trial justice with an opportunity to correct any potential error before the jury retires to deliberate. Brodeur, 505 A.2d at 421-22. Therefore, the only error reasonably brought to the attention of the trial justice and not raised on appeal was the refusal to utilize jury interrogatories proposed by defendant. We therefore conclude that this issue has been waived.