Jury instructions in North Carolina are outlined in North Carolina’s Pattern Jury Instructions for Civil Cases, Rule 101.25. N.C. PATTERN JURY INSTR. CIVIL 101.25 (2016). This rule alerts the jury that expert witnesses are allowed to testify as to their opinions. Id. It also instructs the jury that regardless of the witness’s status as an expert, the jury has the authority to determine how much weight to afford each expert witness’s testimony. Id. The rule instructs the jury to analyze the expert’s “training, qualifications, and experience or the lack thereof” to determine how much weight to give the expert’s testimony. Id. Furthermore, the jury should analyze the reasons for the expert’s conclusions, and whether any other evidence presented during the trial supports those conclusions. Id. Lastly, the rule instructs that the jury is not bound by testimony from an expert and can choose to completely disregard an expert’s testimony if it finds reason to do so. Id.
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