Opinion ID: 2105341
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: preexisting condition apportionment instruction

Text: Gustafson also assigns error regarding the trial court's instruction concerning Gustafson's preexisting back condition. In instruction No. 16, the trial court instructed the jury that [a] person who has a condition or disability at the time of an injury is not entitled to recover damages for that condition. However, he is entitled to recover damages for any aggravation of such preexisting condition or disability proximately resulting from the injury. This is true even if the person's condition or disability made him more susceptible to the possibility of ill effects than a normally healthy person would have been, and even if a normally healthy person probably would not have suffered any substantial injury. Where a preexisting condition or disability is so aggravated, the damages as to such condition or disability are limited to the additional injury caused by the aggravation. Gustafson submitted requested instruction No. 23, which stated: The [d]efendant takes the [p]laintiff as it finds him, that is, if the [d]efendant is liable to [p]laintiff, the [d]efendant is liable for all of the consequences which its negligence played any part, even the slightest, in producing [p]laintiff's injury and [p]laintiff is entitled to be compensated for all injury and damage suffered by him, even the improbable or unexpectedly severe consequences of [d]efendant's negligence or wrongful act. If you find for [p]laintiff, you should compensate him for any aggravation of an existing disease or physical defect (or activation of any such latent condition), resulting from such injury. If you find that there was such an aggravation, you should determine, if you can, what portion of [p]laintiff's condition resulted from the aggravation and make allowance in your verdict only for the aggravation. However, if you cannot make that determination or if it cannot be said that the condition would have existed apart from the injury, you should consider and make allowance in your verdict for the entire condition. (Emphasis supplied.) Gustafson specifically complains regarding the refusal of the trial court to give the emphasized portion of the instruction. We have previously referred to similar language as the apportionment instruction. We have held that the apportionment instruction is appropriate where there is evidence of a preexisting condition but the degree to which that condition may have been aggravated could not be determined. Kirchner v. Wilson, 251 Neb. 56, 554 N.W.2d 782 (1996). We have also held that in the absence of proof of aggravation, an instruction on apportionment of damages would be inappropriate. Renne v. Moser, 241 Neb. 623, 490 N.W.2d 193 (1992). In the present case, the evidence clearly demonstrates that Gustafson suffered three injuries, presented three separate causes of action, and was asymptomatic prior to the first accident. While the general verdict in this case does not provide information as to whether the jury found that the injuries arose as a result of one or more of the incidents, whether the jury awarded damages for the aggravation of a preexisting injury occurring in one of the first two incidents, or whether Burlington was not negligent and therefore not responsible for any preexisting condition, Gustafson suffered no prejudice by the court's refusal to give his requested instruction. Neb.Rev.Stat. § 25-1122 (Reissue 1995) specifically states that a jury, by its general verdict, pronounce[s] ... upon all or any of the issues either in favor of the plaintiff or defendant. Because the jury through its general verdict presumptively held all causes of action in favor of the plaintiff, Gustafson, the apportionment language in this instance was irrelevant, and the court committed no reversible error in refusing to give the instruction. Finding no reversible error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court upon the verdict of the jury. AFFIRMED.