Court Opinion

ID: 9845060
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:14:48.363697+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:51.213797
License: Public Domain

BOYLE, Justice,
concurring specially.
I fully concur in the lead opinion because, in my view, Instruction No. 12 so prejudiced plaintiffs that a new trial is required.
Although plaintiffs submitted a requested instruction based on IDJI 205 prior to trial, that instruction was rejected and not given by the trial court. Instruction No. 12 was, however, given to the jury over the objection of plaintiffs and, as acknowledged by the lead opinion, it is clearly an erroneous instruction.
In Robertson v. Richards, 115 Idaho 628, 769 P.2d 505 (1989), we held the appropriate instruction in a medical malpractice action should be based on I.C. § 6-1012, rather than utilizing an instruction based on IDJI 205. In the instant appeal, because Instruction No. 12 contained the same “best judgment” language repudiated in Robertson, the guidance contained in Rob*913ertson is applicable and Instruction No. 12 should not have been given.
Ordinarily, the giving of such an instruction would not necessarily require reversal. I ascribe to the well-established principle that we review and consider the jury instructions as a whole and if they adequately present the issues and state the applicable law, reversible error is not committed. Matter of Estate of Roll, 115 Idaho 797, 770 P.2d 806 (1989); McBride v. Ford Motor Co., 105 Idaho 753, 673 P.2d 55 (1983). Reversible error occurs only when an instruction misleads the jury or prejudices a party. Salinas v. Vierstra, 107 Idaho 984, 695 P.2d 369 (1985). When considering the impact of defense counsel’s effective closing argument where the “best judgment” language of Instruction No. 12 was a central theme, it is my opinion that language prejudiced plaintiffs, requiring a new trial.
Had Instruction No. 12 not been given, or even if it had not included the “best judgment” language, I would affirm the trial court’s denial of plaintiffs’ motion for new trial. However, the inappropriate “best judgment” language was utilized in the instruction to the clear prejudice of the plaintiffs. Accordingly, in my view, plaintiffs are entitled to a new trial based on the erroneous instruction and on the significant effect of the defense closing argument which focused on the inapplicable “best judgment” language.