Opinion ID: 1938319
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Instruction referring to loss of profits.

Text: Trial court's instruction 7 was an adaptation of Iowa Uniform Jury Instructions No. 3.8 and 3.8A. Defendants objected to this instruction as being patterned after instructions designed to be employed in injury, and not death, situations, and specifically objected to portions dealing with profits. On appeal, defendants urge it was error for trial court to instruct that there can be no recovery for profits, but such evidence may be considered in determining the fair and reasonable value of any loss of earning capacity. Without approving this sentence otherwise, it is sufficient here to refer to that portion of division I of this opinion in which we hold in this case past profits may be considered as bearing on earning capacity. But the last paragraph of instruction 7 relates to future loss of earning capacity and concludes, You will give no consideration to evidence of loss of profits, except to the extent that such evidence shows the value of decedents' services to their business, as distinct from profits of the business. Defendants' brief vigorously attacks this quoted sentence. Of course, there was no evidence of loss of profits in this case, probably because defendants successfully eliminated such proof by a limine motion. But in any event, we hold this portion of the instruction would be inappropriate. Projections of future profit losses would be held inadmissible for the same reasons we hold projections of the net worth of the corporation under decedents' management would be inadmissible. Instruction 7 should be appropriately restructured on retrial.