Oregon Statutes 31.605 – Special questions to trier of fact; jury not to be informed of settlement
(1) When requested by any party the trier of fact shall answer special questions indicating:
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 31.605
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
(a) The amount of damages to which a party seeking recovery would be entitled, assuming that party not to be at fault.
(b) The degree of fault of each person specified in ORS § 31.600 (2). The degree of each person’s fault so determined shall be expressed as a percentage of the total fault attributable to all persons considered by the trier of fact pursuant to ORS § 31.600.
(2) A jury shall be informed of the legal effect of its answer to the questions listed in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) The jury shall not be informed of any settlement made by the claimant for damages arising out of the injury or death that is the subject of the action.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the court may order that two or more persons be considered a single person for the purpose of determining the degree of fault of the persons specified in ORS § 31.600 (2). [Formerly 18.480]