Opinion ID: 1713838
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Requested Charges

Text: National Security claims error because the trial judge refused the following written requested charges: 19. The Court charges you that you cannot return a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff on his claim of outrageous conduct unless you are first reasonably satisfied by the evidence that the Defendant, National Security Insurance Company, either authorized certain individuals to engage in conduct which you find to have been outrageous or ratified such conduct after being advised that it had been committed. 20. The Court charges you that the tort of outrageous conduct is based upon intentional acts of the Defendant. In this case you must be reasonably satisfied by the evidence not only that certain persons intentionally engaged in conduct against the Plaintiff which you find to be outrageous as I have defined the term, but you must also be reasonably satisfied by the evidence that the Defendant, National Security Insurance Company, actually and intentionally authorized those persons to commit the conduct you find to have been outrageous or you must be reasonably satisfied by the evidence that the Defendant, National Security Insurance Company, had knowledge that such conduct had been committed and with such knowledge intentionally ratified it, before you would be authorized under the law to return a verdict. 21. The Court charges you that you cannot award the plaintiff punitive damages based upon his claim of outrageous conduct unless you are reasonably satisfied by the evidence that the Defendant, National Security Insurance Company, either authorized the conduct or ratified it after having knowledge that such conduct had been committed. 22. The Court charges you that even if you should be reasonably satisfied by the evidence that certain individuals engaged in outrageous conduct against the Plaintiff, you would not be authorized under the law to return a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff on his claim of outrageous conduct if you have not been reasonably satisfied by the evidence that such conduct was actually authorized by the Defendant or ratified by the Defendant after the Defendant had knowledge of such conduct. Rule 51, A.R.C.P., provides that the refusal of a requested written instruction, although a correct statement of the law, shall not be cause for reversal on appeal if it appears that the same rule of law was substantially and fairly given to the jury in the court's oral charge. After a review of the court's oral charge, we opine that the trial judge substantially and fairly charged the jury on the question of agency, the elements of the tort of outrageous conduct, and the question of damages.