Opinion ID: 1102111
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: did the trial court err in refusing to give jury instruction p-12?

Text: ¶ 10. The trial court refused to give Southland's proposed jury Instruction P-12: You are instructed that a construction contractor who has followed plans or specifications furnished by the owner, and which have proven to be defective or insufficient, will not be responsible to the owner for loss or damage which results solely from the defective or insufficient plans or specifications, in the absence of negligence on the contractor's part, or any express warranty by him as to the plans and specifications being sufficient or free from defects. Therefore, if you find by a preponderance of the evidence that the Plaintiff followed plans and specifications provided by the Defendant, that these plans and specifications were defective or insufficient, and that there was no negligence by the Plaintiff or express warranty provided by the Plaintiff, then you may find that the Plaintiff, Southland Enterprises, is not responsible to Newton County for any damage to the Chunky Duffee Road which resulted from these plans and specifications. ¶ 11. Southland argues that the law is clear in Mississippi that when a construction contractor follows plans and specifications furnished by the owner which then prove to be defective or insufficient, it is not responsible to the owner for the loss of damage that results from the defective or insufficient plans or specifications when the contractor has not been negligent or provided any express warranty. Trustees of First Baptist Church of Corinth v. McElroy, 223 Miss. 327, 334, 78 So.2d 138, 141 (1955). Further, if, without fault on his part, the contractor fulfills his obligations to complete the work in accordance with plans and specifications provided by the owner, he is not responsible for the adequacy of the final product. Mayor & City Council of City of Columbus v. Clark-Dietz & Associates-Engineers, Inc., 550 F.Supp. 610, 625 (N.D.Miss.1982), appeal denied sub nom. Clark-Dietz & Assocs-Engineers, Inc. v. Basic Constr. Co., 702 F.2d 67 (5th Cir.1983). See also Employers Ins. of Wausau v. Miss. State Highway Comm'n, 575 So.2d 999, 1002 (Miss.1990). ¶ 12. Southland contends that the substantial evidence at trial showed that the road work problems occurred because the County required the project to be completed in December, when it is not recommended to perform sealing work. Southland submits that the refusal to grant Instruction P-12 was reversible error and that the case should be reversed and remanded for a new trial on the issue of damages only, as the jury has already found that Newton County is liable. ¶ 13. The County argues that the proposed instruction would have been improper because it would have misled the jury and it would not have allowed the jury to consider the probability that Southland used defective materials. The trial court refused to give the instruction because it was bothered about the issue of whether the material was defective or not. ¶ 14. In addition, the County submits that the jury was adequately informed by Instruction D-3 that the State Aid Specifications were part of the contract and that the jury might consider those specifications in light of the evidence to determine whether Southland had fulfilled its obligation under the bid contact. Also, Instruction P-3 directed the jury that the burden of proof was on the County to prove that there was failure of consideration by Southland to complete the project in a workmanlike manner that would pass without objection in the trade. ¶ 15. In this case, the jury was left to decide between two theories: (1) whether the County or Southland was at fault for allowing the road work to be performed during cold winter months; and (2) the probability of whether Southland used defective materials that could have contributed to the failure of rock to adhere to the road. Although the jury found for Southland, the jury must have either considered the possibility that Southland used defective material or it must have considered that the County was not entirely responsible for performing the work when the temperature was too low. This is evident from the jury's award of only $21,697.24, the cost for the completion of the leveling work alone. If the jury awarded the amount to Southland entirely on the basis of the probability that Southland used defective materials, then the jury's verdict was in accordance with the law. However, we find that if the jury considered Southland even partially responsible for performing the work when the temperature was too low, then the jury's verdict was in error according to the law. Unfortunately, the instructions given to the jury did not preclude the jury from considering whether Southland was at fault for performing the road work during a time period that is not within the normal specifications. ¶ 16. Southland argues that, if P-12 had been granted, the jury might have awarded Southland the entire amount of the contract. The trial judge, on the other hand, was concerned that Instruction P-12 may have misled the jury into believing that it could not consider the probability that Southland used defective material. However, Instruction P-12 allows the jury to consider any negligence attributable to Southland. This Court finds that the jury, given Instruction P-12, could have still considered the probability that Southland used defective material. ¶ 17. Most importantly, Instruction P-12 would have ensured that Southland could not be liable for any damages resulting from the County's requirement that the project be completed by December 30, 1999. The County was aware that sealing work should not be performed during the colder winter months, yet it still required the work to be performed before December 30. Unfortunately, as a whole, Instruction D-3, which allowed the jury to consider the evidence in light of the State Aid Specifications, and Instruction P-3, which directed the jury that the burden of proof was on the County to prove that there was failure of consideration on the part of Southland to complete the project in a workmanlike manner, do not adequately instruct the jury on the law. Without Instruction P-12, there is a possibility that the jury might have considered Southland to be partly at fault for performing the road work at a time prohibited by the State Aid Specifications. According to McElroy, Southland should not be at fault for performing the construction work as per the specifications provided by the County. McElroy, 78 So.2d at 141. The trial court erred in refusing Instruction P-12.