Opinion ID: 3170646
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Mr. Miranda’s Report

Text: {10} The Court of Appeals concluded that Mr. Miranda’s opinion that Sanchez would have had decreased perception and reaction time and that he would have been able stop the motorcycle before it impacted the van were unfounded and speculative. Id. ¶¶ 10-12, 17. The Court of Appeals noted that in forming his opinion, Mr. Miranda reviewed various reports, diagrams, narratives, and photographs; visited the accident scene and inspected the area a little over two years after the accident; took measurements of the intersection, noted the layout and conditions of the traveling lanes; and determined visibility from all directions of the intersection. He also determined the posted speeds for both roads at the intersection. Id. ¶ 15. However, the Court of Appeals stated that it was “unable to find anything in the record to indicate that the intersection was in substantially the same condition on September 26, 2008 [when Mr. Miranda inspected it] as it was on August 27, 2006 [the date of the accident].” Id. ¶ 16. With respect to Mr. Miranda’s statements about average reaction and perception time for an unexpected event, the Court of Appeals determined that Mr. Miranda did not “explain[] how he got to the specific time frames.” Id. ¶ 17. It further stated that “[t]hese deficiencies in testimony eliminate the foundation for [Mr. Miranda’s] opinions that Sanchez would have had decreased perception and reaction time and consequently did not adequately perceive the van as a hazard in time to stop his motorcycle.” Id.