§ 588 General and special findings.

When a jury decides a civil case, they normally give one overall decision called a general verdict. This tells the court who won and what the outcome is, without going into detail about how they got there.

But either side in the case can ask for something extra. If a party requests it, the judge can have the jury also answer specific factual questions, on top of the general verdict. These questions have to be written out by the party asking for them.

This gives both sides a way to see how the jury reached its decision. If the jury's answers to the specific questions do not match up with their overall verdict, it can raise questions about the verdict itself. This tool helps make sure the jury's reasoning is clear and consistent.