Opinion ID: 456012
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admission of Revised Fairbanks Sheets Into Evidence

Text: 99 Over objection, the trial court admitted Fairbanks' revised instruction sheets into evidence. A side-by-side comparison of the old and the new Fairbanks sheets was made in the jury's presence. Fairbanks contends that the evidence should have been excluded under Federal Rule of Evidence 407. Rule 407 states: 100 When, after an event, measures are taken which, if taken previously, would have made the event less likely to occur, evidence of the subsequent measures is not admissible to prove negligence or culpable conduct in connection with the event. This rule does not require the exclusion of evidence of subsequent measures when offered for another purpose, such as proving ownership, control, or feasibility of precautionary measures, if controverted, or impeachment. 101 Under Rule 407, evidence of subsequent change may be admitted for the limited purpose of showing the practicability of making a change. See Boeing Airplane Co. v. Brown, 291 F.2d 310, 315 (9th Cir.1961). The district court's decision regarding the relevancy of evidence cannot be reversed absent abuse of discretion. M/V American Queen v. San Diego Marine Construction Corp., 708 F.2d 1483, 1491 (9th Cir.1983). 102 In the instant matter, Transgo explained to the district court that the primary relevance of Fairbanks' subsequent instruction sheet was to demonstrate the lack of credibility of Fairbanks' contentions that it had to copy all of Transgo's sheets in order to compete, and that no matter what changes were made, it would still look like it was a Transgo instruction sheet. Fairbanks' president, Lupo, admitted that the revised sheets were adequate for purposes of marketing. Under the circumstances of this case, the evidence was admissible to show feasibility, which was controverted, or to impeach Lupo's testimony. See, e.g., Kenny v. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, 581 F.2d 351, 356 (3d Cir.1978) (where defendant opens up issue by claiming that all reasonable care was being exercised, plaintiff may attack that contention by showing later repairs inconsistent with it), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 1073, 99 S.Ct. 845, 59 L.Ed.2d 39 (1979). The trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the evidence.