CACI No. VF-3102. Neglect - Individual or Individual and Employer Defendants (Welf. & Inst. Code, §§ 15610.57, 15657; Civ. Code, § 3294(b))
Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (2023 edition)
Download PDF
VF-3102.Neglect - Individual or Individual and Employer
Defendants (Welf. & Inst. Code, §§ 15610.57, 15657; Civ. Code,
§ 3294(b))
We answer the questions submitted to us as follows:
1. Was [name of plaintiff/decedent] [65 years of age or older/a
dependent adult] while [he/she/nonbinary pronoun] was in [name of
employee defendant]’s care or custody?
1. Yes No
1. If your answer to question 1 is yes, then answer question 2. If you
answered no, stop here, answer no further questions, and have
the presiding juror sign and date this form.
2. Did [name of employee defendant] have a substantial caretaking or
custodial relationship with [name of plaintiff/decedent], involving
ongoing responsibility for [his/her/nonbinary pronoun] basic needs?
2. Yes No
2. If your answer to question 2 is yes, then answer question 3. If you
answered no, stop here, answer no further questions, and have
the presiding juror sign and date this form.
3. Did [name of employee defendant] fail to use that degree of care
that a reasonable person in the same situation would have used in
assisting in personal hygiene or in the provision of food, clothing,
or shelter?
3. Yes No
3. If your answer to question 3 is yes, then answer question 4. If you
answered no, stop here, answer no further questions, and have
the presiding juror sign and date this form.
4. Was [name of employee defendant]’s conduct a substantial factor in
causing harm to [name of plaintiff/decedent]?
4. Yes No
4. If your answer to question 4 is yes, then answer question[s] 5
[and] [select 6, 7 or both]. If you answered no, stop here, answer
no further questions, and have the presiding juror sign and date
this form.
5. What are [name of plaintiff/decedent]’s damages?
[a. Past economic loss
[lost earnings $ ]
445
[lost profits $ ]
[medical expenses $ ]
[other past economic loss $ ]
[a. Total Past Economic Damages: $ ]
[b. Future economic loss
[lost earnings $ ]
[lost profits $ ]
[medical expenses $ ]
[other future economic loss $ ]
[b. Total Future Economic Damages: $ ]
[c. Past noneconomic loss, including [physical
pain/mental suffering:] $ ]
[d. Future noneconomic loss, including [physical
pain/mental suffering:] $ ]
5. TOTAL $
[6. Did [name of plaintiff] prove by clear and convincing evidence that
an officer, a director, or a managing agent of [name of employer
defendant] had advance knowledge of the unfitness of [name of
employee defendant] and employed [him/her/nonbinary pronoun]
with a knowing disregard of the rights or safety of others?
[6. Yes No]
[7. Did [name of plaintiff] prove 1 through 4 above by clear and
convincing evidence and also prove by clear and convincing
evidence that [name of employee defendant] acted with
[recklessness/malice/oppression/ [or] fraud]?
[7. Yes No]
[7. [If your answer to question 7 is yes, then answer question 8. If
you answered no, stop here, answer no further questions, and
have the presiding juror sign and date this form.
8. What were [name of decedent]’s damages for noneconomic loss for
pain, suffering, or disfigurement incurred before death?
]
Signed: Presiding Juror
Dated:
VF-3102 ELDER ABUSE & DEPENDENT ADULTS
446
After [this verdict form has/all verdict forms have] been signed, notify
the [clerk/bailiff/court attendant] that you are ready to present your
verdict in the courtroom.
New September 2003; Revised April 2007, April 2008, October 2008, December
2010, December 2016, November 2017
Directions for Use
This verdict form is based on CACI No. 3103, Neglect - Essential Factual Elements,
CACI No. 3104, Neglect - Enhanced Remedies Sought, and CACI No. 3102A,
Employer Liability for Enhanced Remedies - Both Individual and Employer
Defendants.
The special verdict forms in this section are intended only as models. They may
need to be modified depending on the facts of the case.
Question 3 can be modified to correspond to the alleged wrongful conduct as in
element 3 of CACI No. 3103.
Optional questions 6, 7, and 8 address enhanced remedies. If the neglect is proved
by clear and convincing evidence, and it is also proved by clear and convincing
evidence that the individual defendant acted with recklessness, malice, oppression,
or fraud, attorney fees, costs, and a decedent’s predeath pain and suffering may be
recovered. (See Welf. & Inst. Code, § 15657.) If any of these remedies are sought
against the employer, include question 6. (See Welf. & Inst. Code, § 15657(c).)
Question 6 may be altered to correspond to one of the alternative bracketed options
for employer liability in CACI No. 3102A.
If any enhanced remedies are sought against either the individual or the employer,
include question 7. If the neglect led to the elder’s death, in question 5 include only
item 5a for past economic loss. But also include the transitional language after
question 7 and include question 8.
In the transitional language after question 4, direct the jury to answer questions 6 or
7 or both, depending on which questions are to be included. If question 7 is to be
included but question 6 is not, then 7 will be renumbered as 6.
If punitive damages are sought, incorporate language from a verdict form for
punitive damages. (See CACI Nos. VF-3900-VF-3904.)
If there are multiple causes of action, users may wish to combine the individual
forms into one form. If different damages are recoverable on different causes of
action, replace the damages tables in all of the verdict forms with CACI No. VF-
3920, Damages on Multiple Legal Theories.
If the jury is being given the discretion under Civil Code section 3288 to award
prejudgment interest (see Bullis v. Security Pac. Nat’l Bank (1978) 21 Cal.3d 801,
814 [148 Cal.Rptr. 22, 582 P.2d 109]), give CACI No. 3935, Prejudgment Interest.
This verdict form may need to be augmented for the jury to make any factual
ELDER ABUSE & DEPENDENT ADULTS VF-3102
447
findings that are required in order to calculate the amount of prejudgment interest.
VF-3102 ELDER ABUSE & DEPENDENT ADULTS
448
© Judicial Council of California.
