Opinion ID: 2002819
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the trial court erred by instructing on comparative negligence without contributory negligence.

Text: In determining whether a jury instruction resulted in prejudicial error, the instructions are reviewed as a whole. Dwyer v. Christensen, 77 S.D. 381, 92 N.W.2d 199 (1958). The following instructions are relevant to this review: Instruction # 5: [claims of the parties] (S.D.P.J.I. 20.01) The plaintiffs claim that they were injured and sustained damages as a proximate result of the negligence of the defendant in one or more of the following respects: that the defendant did drive and operate a motor vehicle upon a public highway in such manner and with such negligence and want of ordinary care as to cause the same to collide and crash into the rear and left side of the vehicle of the plaintiffs without just cause or reason and rendered said vehicle of the plaintiffs a total loss, injuring the occupants therein. The defendant denies that he was guilty of negligence in the doing of the things claimed by the plaintiffs, and alleges that the accident and resulting damages to plaintiffs, if any, was caused by the negligence of Douglas K. Beyer. (emphasis added) Instruction # 17: [negligence] (S.D.P.J.I. 10.01) Under the law as applied to the present case, every person is responsible for injury to the person or property of another, caused by such person's want of ordinary care or skill, subject to the defense of contributory negligence. When used in these instructions, negligence means want of such ordinary care or skill. Such want of ordinary care or skill exists when there is a failure to do that which a reasonably prudent person would do or when there is done that which a reasonably prudent person would not do; this in each instance in the same or similar circumstances as existed in connection with the conduct which is under consideration. (emphasis added) Instruction 17A: [comparative negligence] (S.D.P.J.I. 11.02) If the jury should find the plaintiff contributorily negligent, as elsewhere in these instructions defined, the plaintiff may still recover if the jury should find that such contributory negligence of the plaintiff was slight in comparison with the negligence of the defendant. This rule has no application unless such contributory negligence of the plaintiff was slight in comparison with the negligence of the defendant. If the jury considers that such contributory negligence of the plaintiff exceeds that which in the circumstances is slight negligence in comparison with the negligence of the defendant, the plaintiff cannot recover. If the jury should find that the plaintiff is contributorily negligent but under the rule just stated the plaintiff is still entitled to recover, then the damages to be awarded to the plaintiff must be reduced in proportion to the amount of the plaintiff's contributory negligence. (emphasis added) Beyers objected to the proposed instruction on contributory negligence (which instruction was refused) and to the instruction on comparative negligence (which instruction was given). Beyers claim, on appeal, that the trial court erred in giving a jury instruction which was not supported by competent evidence in the record. Frazier v. Norton, 334 N.W.2d 865 (S.D.1983). They also claim that giving the comparative negligence instruction was error when this instruction referred to a definition of contributory negligence which was not given. Cordell responds that the negligence instruction (No. 17) and the comparative negligence instruction (No. 17A), viewed as a whole, properly instructed the jury on the rights and duties of the parties. Cordell also claims that Beyers objected only to the proposed contributory negligence instruction and that Beyers' alleged acquiescence to the comparative negligence instruction should preclude them from taking advantage of any error they helped to create. However, the record shows the Beyers objected to both instructions. Therefore, this is not a case of invited error. Taylor Realty Co. v. Haberling, 365 N.W.2d 870 (S.D. 1985). Although the reference to an earlier instruction defining contributory negligence where no such specific instruction was given may have created some confusion, if Instructions Nos. 5, 17, and 17A sufficiently instructed the jury, no error would exist. However, these instructions did not contain important information which would have been presented to the jury in a contributory negligence instruction. South Dakota Civil Pattern Jury Instruction § 11.01 states: In such actions as this, and except as otherwise elsewhere stated in these instructions, a claimant for damages cannot recover if he was himself contributorily negligent. Such contributory negligence exists when such claimant was himself negligent as negligence has been defined in another instruction, and when such negligence of the claimant, combined with the negligence of another or others, causes the accident. Therefore, and if the jury should find such claimant himself negligent, it would not be contributory negligence unless the jury should also find that if it had not been for such claimant's negligence the accident would not have happened. (emphasis added) The jury in this case was never informed that even if they found either one or both of the Beyers negligent, it would not be contributory negligence unless they also found, but for that negligence, no accident would have occurred. There is no assurance that the jury made this determination because they were not so instructed. The failure to give a contributory negligence instruction was error in this case. Zager v. Johnson, 174 Neb. 106, 116 N.W. 2d 1 (1962); Kollodge v. F. and L. Appliances, 248 Minn. 357, 80 N.W.2d 62 (1956); cf. Zacher v. Budd Co., 396 N.W.2d 122 (S.D.1986). Therefore, we reverse and remand for a new trial. WUEST, C.J., and MORGAN, J., concur. MILLER, J., concurs in part and dissents in part. HENDERSON, J., dissents in part and specially concurs in part.