Haefner v. Batz Seed Farms, Inc.

The trial court has the duty of giving the jury instructions adequate to enable it to intelligently perform its function. We are of the opinion that the failure of the court to give an instruction to the jury which would apprise it of the duty which the defendant owed to the plaintiff constitutes prejudicial error requiring a new trial.

The jury's finding that the defendant was negligent in the discharge of its duty toward the plaintiff is meaningless because no definition of the duty was given.

What test did the jury apply in measuring defendant’s conduct ? Under the safe-place statute an…