Opinion ID: 1171274
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: errors assigned to trial rulings

Text: The defendant asserts that the court erred in allowing an expert witness, in answer to a hypothetical question, to give his opinion on the good faith of the insurer. The plaintiffs had called as an expert an attorney experienced in representing insurance companies in damage cases. The defendant's only ground for objection at the time the testimony was offered was that the question was irrelevant and immaterial. An objecting party who has made only a general objection cannot upon appeal assert for the first time a specific ground of objection. State v. Von Klein, 71 Or. 159, 142 P.2d 549 (1914). This is not a case in which we can say that it is apparent from the record that the trial judge must have discerned the ground of objection. See Peters v. Consolidated Freight Lines, 157 Or. 605, 613-614, 73 P.2d 713 (1937). Accordingly, we decline to make an exception to the rule stated in State v. Von Klein, supra. The court correctly overruled the objection on the grounds specified in the objection. The expert's testimony was both relevant and material. Rule 4 of the Uniform Rules of Evidence states a commendable policy: A verdict or finding shall not be set aside, nor shall the judgment or decision based thereon be reversed, by reason of the erroneous admission of evidence unless (a) there appears of record objection to the evidence timely interposed and so stated as to make clear the specific ground of objection, and (b) the court which passes upon the effect of the error or errors is of the opinion that the admitted evidence should have been excluded on the ground stated and probably had a substantial influence in bringing about the verdict or finding. Assignment of error No. 5 alleges that error was committed in not giving defendant's requested instruction No. XXVB: You are not to consider the opinion of experts based upon hypothetical facts as to whether defendant acted in bad faith for the reason that that determination is solely within your province. The defendant excepted to the failure so to instruct, on the ground that the question of good or bad faith was the ultimate question for the jury, and on the ground that the expert testimony had been an invasion of the jury's province. In this court, the defendant argues that (1) since good or bad faith is a technical, legal standard, and was not adequately defined, the answer of the witness constituted an opinion of mixed law and fact; and (2) the question of the defendant's bad faith involved a standard which the jury could have applied without direct expert testimony. In Oregon, expert testimony is not objectionable merely because it constitutes an opinion upon an ultimate fact or invade[s] the province of the jury. Ritter v. Beals et al., 225 Or. 504, 524-525, 358 P.2d 1080 (1961); Schweiger v. Solbeck, 191 Or. 454, 472-473, 230 P.2d 195, 29 A.L.R.2d 435 (1951). But the defendant contends that a question which calls for an opinion on an ultimate issue and, at the same time, requires the application of an undefined legal standard is not permissible. It is questionable just how undefined good faith or bad faith may be. See Radcliffe v. Franklin Nat'l Ins. Co., 208 Or. at 39, 298 P.2d 1002. Juries are capable of making the distinction. See General Accident Fire and Life Assur. v. Little, supra. Assuming, however, that the expert's testimony may have been objectionable on the grounds that some terms were left undefined, an adequate remedy was available during direct examination. If a party thinks an undefined term is likely to hurt him, his recourse is to request leave during direct examination to ask a question in aid of objection. He can ask that the opposing attorney define the questionable or misleading or undefined terms. McCormick, Evidence, § 12, at 27-28 (1954). If the undefined term is not defined during direct examination, the adversary has another opportunity on cross-examination. In Malila v. Meacham, 187 Or. 330, 336-337, 211 P.2d 747 (1949), we faced a similar problem in a malpractice case involving the terms proper and improper. We said that if the opposing party had any doubt as to the meaning of the words, clarification could have been obtained upon cross-examination. We hold that the requested instruction was properly denied. There was little or no danger that the jury would not understand the meaning of good or bad faith. The fact that the jury did not necessarily need the expert testimony did not render the testimony inadmissible. The testimony was at least useful, if not indispensable. It can hardly be said that the average juror was as well equipped as an experienced insurance defense attorney to judge the good or bad faith of an insurer, based upon the facts included within the hypothetical question. We are unwilling to adopt the defendant's protestation that expert testimony in these cases was a one-sided advantage. The defendant was free to use expert testimony, and it was not the plaintiffs' fault if no expert could be found who would testify in answer to the hypothetical question that good faith was employed in protecting the rights of the insured. Two assignments of error assert that the damages should have been limited to one dollar, or such other amount which, by compromise or otherwise, would have released the insured from any liability to the plaintiffs on the excess judgments. The trial court had refused a defense instruction limiting damages to $1.00. The court gave a plaintiffs' instruction telling the jury that the plaintiffs could recover up to the amount of their total unpaid judgments. Since any amount of recovery literally would have released the insured under the terms of the assignments, the defendant argues that the insured had mitigated his damage through his assignment and that the plaintiffs should be permitted to recover no more than the minimum that would release the insured. If the assignments had been worded differently, this problem could have been avoided. We believe, however, that the intent of each assignment is clear. The effect of following the defendant's argument would be to defeat the purpose of these assignments. An injured plaintiff would be reluctant to accept an assignment unless it provided that the insured would be released only upon full recovery from the insurer. And, if the insured could assign only on those terms, he might feel compelled to bring the litigation himself in order to see that his interests were properly protected. The result for the insurer would be the same, but the insured and the plaintiff would be remitted to what the Pennsylvania court aptly called a needlessly complicated and unjust procedure. Gray v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 422 Pa. at 511, n. 7, 223 A.2d at 13, n. 7.