Opinion ID: 2454536
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Informed consent instruction

Text: Dr. Aronson's final point on appeal is that the trial court erred in instructing the jury on the issue of informed consent. Specifically, Dr. Aronson objected to jury instruction numbers five, six, and nine, arguing that there was a lack of sufficient competent evidence to submit the issue of informed consent to the jury. Jury instruction number five was given as follows: Douglas Harriman claims damages from James Aronson, M.D. and has the burden of proving each of these essential propositions: First, that he has sustained damages; second, that James Aronson, M.D. was negligent or that James Aronson, M.D. failed to give sufficient information to Douglas Harriman to obtain an informed consent. Dr. Aronson objected to jury instruction number five, which was a modification of Arkansas Model Instruction: Civil 3d 203, as the issue of informed consent was added to this instruction. The trial court overruled Dr. Aronson's objection. Also at issue is jury instruction number six, which reads as follows: You'll be given three written interrogatories [sic]. These interrogatories present the issues of fact which you must decide. Second, do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Dr. James Aronson failed to supply to Douglas Harriman that type of information regarding the treatment and surgery as would customarily have been given a patient in the position of Douglas Harriman by other medical care providers with similar training and experience at the time of the treatment and surgery in this locality or a similar locality? Dr. Aronson objected to the submission of jury instruction number six on the basis that there was a lack of sufficient competent evidence in the record to submit the issue of informed consent to the jury. The trial court again overruled Dr. Aronson's objection. Finally, jury instruction number nine was read to the jury, which states that: Prior to plaintiff's surgery the physician has a duty to supply to Douglas Harriman that type of information regarding the treatment and surgery as would have been given to a patient in the position of Douglas Harriman by other medical care providers with similar training and experience at the time of the treatment and surgery in the locality in which the medical care provider practices, or in a similar location. A failure to meet this standard is negligence. In determining whether a physician satisfied his duty to provide information regarding the treatment and procedure, you may consider the following matters: (A) Whether a person of ordinary intelligence and awareness in a position similar to that of Douglas Harriman could reasonably be expected to know of the risk or hazards inherent in such treatment or surgery and surgery. (B) Whether Douglas Harriman knew of the risk or hazard inherent in such treatment or surgery. (C) Whether Douglas Harriman would have undergone the treatment and surgery regardless of the risk involved, or whether Douglas Harriman did not wish to be informed thereof, and (D) Whether it was reasonable for the physician to limit disclosure of information because such disclosure could be expected to adversely and substantially affect Douglas Harriman's condition. It is true that jury instructions stating abstract legal propositions without any evidentiary basis should not be given. Davis v. Davis, 313 Ark. 549, 856 S.W.2d 284 (1993). As we stated earlier, there was sufficient evidence to submit the issue of informed consent to the jury; likewise, there was a sufficient evidentiary basis which supported the trial court's decision to give the related instructions on this issue. Affirmed.