Opinion ID: 426248
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: District Court's Use of a General Verdict

Text: 23 Each of the appellees asserted several claims against Royal including breach of express warranties, breach of an implied warranty of merchantability, breach of an implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, and fraud. XSC separately asserted a claim for intentional interference with XSC's business relationships. Before the jury was instructed, each side submitted proposed special interrogatories and special verdict forms to the trial judge. Appellees objected to Royal's proposed interrogatories and special verdict as being too complex. Royal objected to appellees' proposed interrogatories and special verdict as being too simplistic. The trial judge declined to use either and submitted all appellees' claims to the jury on a general verdict. 24 The decision to use special interrogatories or verdicts rests within the discretion of the trial court. Jones v. Miles, 656 F.2d 103, 106 n. 4 (5th Cir.1981); Jamison Co. v. Westvaco Corp., 526 F.2d 922, 934-35 (5th Cir.1976). The law is well-settled in this circuit that if the judge accepts a general verdict in a case containing multiple issues, the verdict is immune from attack only as long as the evidence under each count is sufficient to authorize the result. Jones v. Miles, 656 F.2d at 106 n. 4; see Smith v. Southern Airways, Inc., 556 F.2d 1347 (5th Cir.1977). 25 Appellees urge us to apply the two-issue rule as adopted by the Florida courts. Under this rule, an appellate court will not grant a new trial where the jury has rendered a general verdict and the appellate court finds no error as to one of the theories on which the jury was instructed. See Colonial Stores, Inc. v. Scarbrough, 355 So.2d 1181, 1185-86 (Fla.1977). In diversity cases in this circuit, an appellate court applies the federal, rather than the state, standard in reviewing challenges to a general verdict. Smith v. Southern Airways, Inc., 556 F.2d at 1347; King v. Ford Motor Co., 597 F.2d 436, 439 (5th Cir.1979) (In diversity cases in this circuit, a district court applies the federal, rather than the state, standard for determining whether a party's evidence is sufficient to defeat a motion for a directed verdict or judgment n.o.v. ...; to entitle it to a new trial ... [an appellant] need only show that the evidence is insufficient to support one of the plaintiffs' theories.) (citations and footnote omitted); but see Keet v. Service Machine Co., Inc., 472 F.2d 138, 140 (6th Cir.1972) (holding state rules applicable to challenges to general verdict). We therefore hold that unless appellees can support submission of each theory of liability submitted to the jury, we must remand the case for a new trial. 1