Minnesota Jury Instruction - 7.7.1 General Instruction - Comparative Negligence Defense

• Category: Federal - Jury Instructions
• State: Multi-State
• Control #: US-11CF-7-7-1
• Format: Word; Rich Text

Description

This form contains sample jury instructions, to be used across the United States. These questions are to be used only as a model, and should be altered to more perfectly fit your own cause of action needs.

Minnesota Jury Instruction — 7.7.1 GeneraInstructionio— - Comparative Negligence Defense is a vital legal concept utilized in civil cases to determine the extent of liability and damages when multiple parties are involved in an accident or incident. This instruction aims to guide the jury in evaluating the negligence of all parties involved and apportioning the responsibility for the damages accordingly. In cases where multiple parties are responsible for a plaintiff's injuries or losses, the Comparative Negligence Defense allows the jury to assess the degree of negligence each party contributed to the incident. By considering the negligence of all parties involved, the jury can then determine the proportionate damages each party must shoulder. Keywords: 1. Minnesota Jury Instruction: Pertaining to instructions provided to the jury during a trial to guide their decision-making process. 2. Comparative Negligence: A legal principle that allows the jury to allocate fault proportionately amongst multiple parties involved in an incident. 3. General Instruction: A broad instruction that provides a foundational understanding of the legal concept. 4. Defense: A strategy employed by the defendant to minimize liability, arguing that the plaintiff's negligence also contributed to their own injuries or losses. Different types of Minnesota Jury Instruction — 7.7.1 GeneraInstructionio— - Comparative Negligence Defense include: 1. Pure Comparative Negligence: This type of instruction allows the jury to apportion damages strictly based on the percentage of fault assigned to each party, regardless of their level of negligence. 2. Modified Comparative Negligence (50% Bar Rule): Under this instruction, the jury compares the negligence of all parties but imposes a limitation. If the plaintiff is found to be equally or more responsible than the defendant (50% or more), they are barred from recovering any damages. 3. Modified Comparative Negligence (51% Bar Rule): Similar to the 50% Bar Rule, but with a higher threshold. If the plaintiff's negligence is found to be equal to or greater than the defendant's negligence (51% or more), they are barred from recovering damages. These different types of instructions help juries to fairly determine the extent of liability for damages based on the level of negligence contributed by each party involved in the case.