Miller v. Utah Department of Transportation

2012 UT 54, 285 P.3d 1208, 716 Utah Adv. Rep. 17, 2012 WL 3764921, 2012 Utah LEXIS 118
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 31, 2012
DocketNo. 20100629
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 2012 UT 54 (Miller v. Utah Department of Transportation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Utah Department of Transportation, 2012 UT 54, 285 P.3d 1208, 716 Utah Adv. Rep. 17, 2012 WL 3764921, 2012 Utah LEXIS 118 (Utah 2012).

Opinion

Justice DURHAM,

opinion of the Court:

INTRODUCTION

11 Jason and Melissa Miller, individually and as guardians ad litem for their minor child, appeal from a judgment entered after a [1211]*1211jury verdict. The Millers argue that the district court erred in ruling certain evidence inadmissible under federal law, and in denying their requests for an instruction against drawing adverse inferences (adverse inference instruction) regarding the excluded evidence and for jury instructions regarding the statutory cap on damages against the state and the reserve fund from which such damages are paid. They further argue that the court erred in refusing to administer a written questionnaire during voir dire to examine potential jurors' views on tort reform and their possible reluctance as taxpayers to find against the state. Finally, the Millers argue that the court erred in rejecting their request to exclude witnesses under Utah Rule of Evidence 615. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) cross-appeals, challenging the jury instruction regarding its duty of care.

12 We hold that the district court abused its discretion in refusing to issue the adverse inference instruction, and remand for a new trial on that ground. On remand, we offer guidance on the remaining issues pursuant to Utah Rule of Appellate Procedure 80(a). We affirm the district court's ruling that the accident history evidence was inadmissible under 28 U.S.C. § 409 (Section 409). We further affirm the district court's handling of voir dire and the Millers' proposed jury instructions regarding the statutory damages cap and the reserve fund. On the cross-appeal, we affirm the jury instruction regarding UDOT's duty of care. We hold that the district court erred, however, in refusing to entertain the Millers' motion to exclude witnesses.

BACKGROUND

T3 This case arises from a June 2004 automobile accident on Interstate 15. A motorist suffered a medical emergency, causing her to lose control of her car and cross the open median. Her car collided with the Millers' car. She was killed, and the Millers were severely injured and incurred large medical expenses. In September 2005, the Millers sued UDOT, alleging that it negligently failed to install median barriers at the scene of the accident.

14 Prior to trial, the Millers sought to obtain from UDOT evidence regarding the history of accidents on the stretch of highway in question. Reports generated by officers investigating crashes had been compiled by UDOT in connection with its participation in certain federally funded highway projects. Section 409, as explained in detail below, provides that data compiled for such purposes cannot be subjected to discovery or entered into evidence in any state or federal proceeding. UDOT moved for an order to prohibit disclosure and use of the accident history, followed by a motion for a protective order. The district court granted the protective order, ruling that the accident history was not discoverable under Section 409.

15 The Millers then sought to obtain the same accident history data from the University of Utah's Intermountain Injury Control Research Center (the University). The University had acquired the data from UDOT for use in a safety study unrelated to the federal programs covered by Section 409. The Millers sought to compel the University to release the data. The University moved to quash, and the district court granted the motion after reviewing the University's data in camera and determining that it was barred from discovery under Section 409.

T6 Concerned that the jurors, as Utah taxpayers, might be reluctant to find against UDOT, the Millers requested that the district court administer a written jury questionnaire during voir dire to examine potential jurors' willingness to find against the state and their views on tort reform. The court denied this request.

T7 On the second day of trial, the Millers requested that certain witnesses be excluded during testimony. The district court denied this request on the grounds that the Millers had not invoked the exclusionary rule at the outset of trial.

18 At the close of trial, the Millers submitted proposed jury instructions that would inform the jury of the statutory cap on personal injury awards against the state and of the reserve fund from which such awards are paid. The district court rejected these instructions. UDOT objected to a jury in[1212]*1212struction regarding its duty of care; the district court overruled the objection, and the instruction was given to the jury.

T9 The Millers also submitted a proposed jury instruction informing the jury of the existence of Section 409 and directing the jury not to let the absence of accident history evidence affect its deliberations. The district court rejected this proposed instruction.

{10 In a special verdict, the jury found that UDOT was not negligent, and the court entered a judgment of no award. The Millers timely appealed, and UDOT eross-ap-pealed. We have jurisdiction under Utah Code section 78A-3-102(8)(J).

STANDARD OF REVIEW

{11 Since our standard of review varies according to the issues discussed, we enunciate the applicable standards in the appropriate sections of this opinion.

ANALYSIS

I. ADVERSE INFERENCE INSTRUCTION

112 The Millers argue that the district court erred in refusing to grant the Millers' request for a jury instruction directing the jury not to let their deliberations be affected by the absence of evidence barred from discovery under Section 409. We agree.

113 We review a district court's refusal to give a jury instruction for abuse of discretion.1 But in certain cireumstances, the court's discretion will be strictly cabined. For instance, a criminal defendant is generally entitled to have the charged offense defined for the jury. Similarly, "parties are entitled to have their theories of the case submitted to the jury in the court's instructions, provided there is competent evidence to support them." Paulos v. Covenant Transp., Inc., 2004 UT App 35, ¶ 11, 86 P.3d 752 (internal quotation marks omitted).

It is the duty of the trial court to cover the theories and points of law of both parties in its instructions, provided there is competent evidence to support them. However, in determining whether or not the court adequately discharged this duty and fairly presented the issues to the jury, the instructions must be considered as a whole. Furthermore, the trial court may properly refuse to give requested instructions where it does not accurately reflect the law governing the factual situation of the case.

Black v. McKnight, 562 P.2d 621, 622 (Utah 1977) (footnotes omitted); see also, eg., McConmell v. Union Carbide Corp., 937 So.2d 148, 153 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.2006) ("[Rle-fusing jury instructions is reviewed under a mixed standard of de novo and abuse of discretion."). Thus the refusal to give a jury instruction is reviewed for abuse of discretion, although in some circumstances that discretion will be narrowly constrained.

" 14 The Millers' inability to introduce evidence regarding the history of prior accidents at the seene of their own crash neces[1213]

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Bluebook (online)
2012 UT 54, 285 P.3d 1208, 716 Utah Adv. Rep. 17, 2012 WL 3764921, 2012 Utah LEXIS 118, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-utah-department-of-transportation-utah-2012.