Opinion ID: 3170646
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Mr. Miranda’s Affidavit

Text: {12} The Court of Appeals also analyzed Mr. Miranda’s affidavit. Id. ¶ 23. It determined that no facts were presented to establish that Sanchez had not been scanning for hazards just before the crash. Id. On that point, it noted that “[Mr. Miranda’s] opinions are based on a sober and experienced motorcyclist scanning for hazards as he approaches the intersection, recognizing that the van driver might not stop at the stop sign, and thus perceiving the van as a potential danger.” Id. ¶ 24. The Court of Appeals also noted, however, that there was no evidence to show that Sanchez was an experienced driver, stating, “[Mr. Miranda] assumes Sanchez was an experienced motorcyclist . . . [; however, there] is nothing in the record to support how long Sanchez had been driving a motorcycle, whether a safety training class was required to obtain the driver’s [motorcycle] endorsement, or whether he was otherwise experienced with operating a motorcycle.” Id. {13} The Court of Appeals ultimately concluded that Mr. Miranda’s opinions were incomplete and would not be helpful to the fact-finder. Id. ¶ 31. It based this conclusion on the fact that the “[e]xpert’s ultimate opinion that alcohol played a significant role in this tragic accident is significantly undermined by speculation and a lack of foundation.” Id. ¶ 25. {14} Plaintiff appealed to this Court, maintaining that a genuine issue of material fact exists with respect to causation. She asserts that the Court of Appeals affirmed the district court on perceived defects in Mr. Miranda’s testimony that Defendants never raised, and therefore, she had no reason to know she would need to address. Plaintiff further asserts that both lower courts made improper determinations about the expert’s credibility in granting, then affirming, summary judgment. Finally, Plaintiff argues that if this Court overrules the Court of Appeals, a new judge should be assigned to the case on remand to the district court. {15} For the reasons that follow, we overrule the lower courts and remand for further proceedings. We hold that Plaintiff presented enough evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact as to the cause of the accident; therefore, summary judgment was inappropriate. 5 Because we resolve the case on this issue, we do not address Plaintiff’s remaining contentions concerning the summary judgment determination. Further, we decline Plaintiff’s request to remand the case to a new judge.