Legal Definitions - jury question

Jury Question

A "jury question" refers to a specific matter that a jury is responsible for deciding during a trial. This term can apply in two primary ways:

• An issue of fact: This is a dispute about what actually happened, which the jury must resolve by evaluating the evidence presented by both sides.
• A special interrogatory: This is a specific, written question posed by the judge to the jury, requiring them to provide a direct answer that helps clarify their findings or forms the basis of a special verdict.

Here are some examples illustrating how "jury question" applies:

• In a personal injury lawsuit following a slip-and-fall incident, the plaintiff claims the store floor was wet and unmarked, causing their fall. The store argues the floor was dry or that warning signs were present. A key jury question for the jurors to decide would be: "Was the floor wet and unmarked at the time of the plaintiff's fall?" The jury must examine witness testimonies, surveillance footage, and other evidence to determine this crucial fact. Their answer to this question directly impacts whether the store can be held liable.

• Consider a breach of contract case where a company alleges another company failed to deliver goods on time, resulting in financial losses. The defendant company claims the delay was due to unforeseen circumstances explicitly covered by a 'force majeure' clause in the contract. A central jury question would be: "Was the delay in delivery caused by an event covered under the contract's force majeure clause?" The jury would analyze the contract terms and the evidence of the unforeseen circumstances to answer this factual dispute, which is essential for determining if a breach occurred.

• During a complex intellectual property trial involving patent infringement, the judge might ask the jury to answer several specific questions in addition to a general verdict. For instance, the judge might pose the jury question: "Did the defendant's product infringe upon Claim 3 of the plaintiff's patent?" and separately, "Was Claim 3 of the plaintiff's patent valid?" These specific questions, known as special interrogatories, require the jury to make detailed findings on particular legal and factual points, helping the court understand the precise basis for their ultimate decision on infringement and damages.