Opinion ID: 2585591
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Expert TestimonyProperty Damage at Mid State

Text: Kathryn Huibregtse was the principal engineer responsible for the remediation design at the Mid State landfill site. RP at 852. She is a professional engineer with a degree in chemical engineering who specializes in the evaluation of how chemical constituents are transported through the environment underground. RP at 833-41. The trial court allowed Huibregtse, over objection, to offer opinions regarding the transport and deposit of chemicals and the existence of groundwater contamination at Mid State. RP at 900-01. Huibregtse's testimony involved six key subject areas: (1) the nature of the wastes placed into the site; (2) local rainfall data from 1971-72; (3) local and site-specific geology and hydrogeologies; (4) observation of on-site equipment operators; (5) documentation of site conditions by the Owen Ayres consulting firm; and (6) observation concerns of state officials regarding depth of bedrock and other operational issues. Pl.'s Trial Ex. 3679. CU argues the trial court improperly admitted the expert testimony of Huibregtse. Specifically, CU alleges that because Weyerhaeuser offered no proof of the factual assumptions underlying Huibregtse's opinion, her opinion was improperly admitted. Revised Br. of Appellant at 56. The admissibility of expert testimony is governed by Evidence Rules (ER) 702 and 703. [13] The determination of the admissibility of expert testimony is within the discretion of the trial court and will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion. See, e.g., State v. Stenson, 132 Wash.2d 668, 715, 940 P.2d 1239 (1997), cert. denied, 523 U.S. 1008, 118 S.Ct. 1193, 140 L.Ed.2d 323 (1998). A court abuses its discretion when its decision is based on untenable grounds or is manifestly unreasonable or arbitrary. Testimony that will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact is to be admitted. ER 702. [14] However, it is an abuse of discretion for a court to admit expert testimony that lacks an adequate foundation. Walker v. State, 121 Wash.2d 214, 218, 848 P.2d 721 (1993). CU challenges two aspects of Huibregtse's testimony and argues there was no evidence that (1) drainage trenches were dug to the level of bedrock, or (2) sufficient hazardous materials were deposited to cause subsequent contamination. But CU both misconstrues Huibregtse's testimony and ignores evidence that supports it. Huibregtse's testimony made clear when she was offering an opinion based upon evidence generally relied upon by experts in her field. RP at 876, 898-99. When an expert bases her opinion on evidence of a type reasonably relied upon by experts in the particular field, the underlying facts or data need not be admissible. ER 703. Further, Huibregtse's assumptions are supported by substantial evidence. See, e.g., Pl.'s Trial Ex. 1008 at 2 (noting size of service area); Pl.'s Trial Ex. 3679 at 2 (noting hazardous nature of household waste); id. at 7 (initial trenches dug to bedrock); id. at 3-4 (monthly rainfall at site from August 1971 to December 1972); id. at 4 (site began accepting waste in August 1971 and one trench was half full by October 1971). In support of its argument, CU relies entirely on two cases wherein the appellate court affirmed a trial court's decision not to admit expert testimony ( State v. McDonald, 98 Wash.2d 521, 529, 656 P.2d 1043 (1983) and State v. Pittman, 88 Wash.App. 188, 198, 943 P.2d 713 (1997)). CU's use of these cases ignores that we review the trial court's decision for abuse of discretion. As we explained in McDonald, the trial court did not abuse its very wide discretion in deciding to exclude the expert opinion evidence as the testimony did not establish to the court's satisfaction  the first factual matter, nor did the offered testimony  satisfy the court on the second issue. McDonald, 98 Wash.2d at 529, 656 P.2d 1043 (emphasis added). The trial court did not abuse its discretion to admit the expert testimony of Ms. Huibregtse.