Verdicts and Verdict Sheets

• Author: Edward L. Birnbaum/Carl T. Grasso/Ariel E. Belen
• Pages: 449-494

VERDICTS,

VERDICT SHEETS

33-1

CHAPTER 33

VERDICTS AND VERDICT SHEETS

I. TYPES OF VERDICTS

A. General Points

§33:01 Form of Verdict

§33:02 General Verdict Def‌ined

§33:03 Special Verdicts Def‌ined

§33:04 General Verdict With Interrogatories Def‌ined

§33:05 Type of Verdict Is Within Court’s Discretion

§33:06 Objections to Form of Verdict

B. Special Verdicts

§33:20 Benef‌it of Special Verdicts

§33:21 Separability

§33:22 Applicable to Parties Only

§33:23 Ask All Necessary Questions

§33:24 Be Suff‌iciently Specif‌ic

§33:25 Do Not Be too Detailed or Ask too Many Questions

§33:26 Avoid Potential Ambiguities

§33:27 Verdict Interrogatories Must Correctly State the Law

§33:28 Verdict Interrogatories Must Be Based on Claims Supported by Evidence

§33:29 Verdict Interrogatories Must Be Consistent with Prior Rulings

C. General Verdict With Interrogatories

§33:30 Inconsistencies

§33:31 Other Complications

II. WHEN SPECIAL VERDICTS [OR GENERAL VERDICT WITH INTERROGATORIES] SHOULD BE USED

§33:40 Situations Requiring Special Verdicts

§33:41 Multiple Theories of Liability

§33:42 Inconsistent Theories of Liability

§33:43 Apportionment of Fault

§33:44 Third Parties

III. VERDICT SHEET

A. General Points

§33:50 Contents

§33:51 Itemized Verdicts for Damages

§33:52 Objecting to the Verdict Sheet

B. Preparation of Verdict Sheet

§33:60 Verdict Sheet Forms

§33:61 Avoid Confusing or Ambiguously-Worded Questions

VERDICTS,

VERDICT SHEETS

New York Trial Notebook 33-2

§33:62 Word Questions to Permit Yes or No or Numerical Answers

§33:63 Number and Order of Questions

§33:64 Questions Must Be Evenhanded

§33:65 Account for All Parties

§33:65.1 Account for All Non-Party Tortfeasors

§33:66 Account for All Theories

§33:67 Seat Belt Use

§33:68 “Serious Injury”

C. Court’s Instructions on How to Answer Verdict Sheet

§33:80 Propriety of Verdict Sheet Determined in Conjunction With Charge

§33:81 Instructions as to Which Questions to Answer

§33:82 Jury Must Adhere to Instructions on Sheet

D. Damages

§33:90 Itemization

§33:91 “Serious Injury”

§33:92 Forms

§33:93 Order of Questions

§33:94 No Double Recovery

§33:95 All Items Must Be Accounted For

§33:96 Collateral Sources

§33:97 Wrongful Death

IV. INCONSISTENT VERDICTS

§33:100 General Rule

§33:101 What Constitutes an Inconsistency?

§33:102 Preserving the Record

§33:103 Multiple Consistent Theories

§33:104 Multiple Inconsistent Theories

§33:105 Negligence but No Proximate Cause

§33:105.1 Defect but No Negligence

§33:106 Negligence and Foreseeability

§33:107 Apportioning Liability

§33:108 Vicarious Liability

§33:109 Third Party Liability

§33:110 Punitive Damages

§33:111 Inconsistent Damages

§33:112 Loss of Consortium

§33:113 Joint Trials

§33:114 Informed Consent in Medical Malpractice Cases

VERDICTS,

VERDICT SHEETS

33-3 Verdicts and Verdict Sheets §33:05

I. TYPES OF VERDICTS

A. General Points

§33:01 Form of Verdict

A verdict deciding liability may take one of three forms:

• General verdict.

• Special verdicts.

• General verdict with interrogatories.

[CPLR 4111 (a)-(c).]

§33:02 General Verdict Def‌ined

    

verdict merges all matters of law and fact together, however numerous, and cannot be broken up into its constituent

parts. [Schabe v. Hampton Bays Union Free School District, 103 AD2d 418, 425, 480 NYS2d 328, 334 (2d Dept

1984).] In very simple cases, a general verdict may be all that is needed. [See, e.g., Lukas v. Trump, 281 AD2d 400,



See §33:40 .]

§33:03 Special Verdicts Def‌ined

     

  

outcome of the trial based on those answers and enter judgment for the appropriate parties. Accordingly, the jury



jury’s answers to the special verdicts.

   



to the outcome of the case over which there is a legitimate dispute. [See, e.g., Banque Indosuez v. Sopwith Hold-

ings Corp., 257 AD2d 519, 684 NYS2d 531 (1st Dept 1999) (special verdicts that asked whether there were any





Simone v. McNamara, 59 AD3d 349, 873 NYS2d 621 (1st Dept 2009) (the trial court within

    

the gravel courtyard/parking area, as the court felt that this would help the jury focus on the foreseeability and

reasonableness elements that followed in the next interrogatory).]

§33:04 General Verdict With Interrogatories Def‌ined



as to return a general verdict. A general verdict with interrogatories is in essence a combination of the general

and special verdicts. A general verdict with interrogatories is not favored due to the potential for inconsistencies

between the interrogatory answers and the general verdict. [See §33:100 .]

§33:05 Type of Verdict Is Within Court’s Discretion

Whether to submit a general or special verdict to the jury is within the discretion of the trial judge. [Johnson

v. Artkraft Strauss Sign Corp., 45 AD2d 482, 359 NYS2d 773 (1st Dept 1974).] However, it may be an abuse of

discretion to submit a case on a general verdict when a general verdict would hide errors in the jury’s application

     

not appropriate, see §33:40.] The propriety of special interrogatories is examined within the context of the court’s

charge, and is within the court’s discretion. [Simone v. McNamara, 59 AD3d 349, 873 NYS2d 621 (1st Dept 2009).]