Opinion ID: 2607402
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: limiting plaintiff to only one expert witness.

Text: Plaintiff first argues it was improper for the court to limit the number of plaintiff's expert witnesses during a status or discovery conference. She claims any such limitation should have been imposed during a pretrial conference, not during a discovery or status conference. The ruling occurred on September 7, 1988, during a telephone conference involving the court, counsel for plaintiff, and counsel for Ransdell. The transcript indicates it lasted about five minutes. The court ruled (1) that plaintiff would have 60 days to name another OB/GYN expert and (2) that without permission of the court no additional experts were to be employed by either party. Under Rule 136 (1991 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 113), the court may, at a discovery conference or other appropriate time, designate the time and place of discovery and restrict discovery to certain designated witnesses. In addition, the issues are identified and the possibilities of stipulations and settlement are often explored. There is an exchange of information on the issues of the case and appropriate discovery procedures are determined and ordered. The judge is to require completion of discovery within a definite number of days after the discovery conference has been conducted. Here, the parties had a pretrial conference prior to the initial trial. Under K.S.A. 1991 Supp. 60-216(5), the limitation of the number of expert witnesses is a matter within the discretion of the court. Under the circumstances of this case, the district judge did not err when limiting the number of plaintiff's expert witnesses at the status or discovery conference. Plaintiff next contends the trial court abused its discretion when it limited plaintiff to two expert witnesses. Plaintiff planned to use one of the experts as a rebuttal witness. Plaintiff asserts because she is the party with the burden of persuasion, expert medical testimony on the issues of negligence and causation is absolutely critical. Plaintiff argues her being limited to two expert witnesses while Dr. Ransdell used five expert witnesses placed undue influence upon the defendant's evidence. Plaintiff argues that if she had not been limited to two experts, she would have named a neuroradiologist and a pathologist to counter the defendant's experts, and either a neonatologist or perinatologist to testify as to negligence and causation. Plaintiff's assertions are not correct. During the September 7, 1988, telephone conference, the trial court stated: The parties may wish to discuss or have discussions with experts they are considering but as far as employment, there [are] not to be any experts employed by either party in addition to those already employed in the previous case unless leave of the Court is allowed. In the original case, plaintiff was not limited to any number of experts. Plaintiff chose to have only two expert witnesses, Dr. Abramson and Dr. Miles. When Dr. Ransdell presented his defense in the second trial, Dr. Batnitzky, Dr. Hiszcznskyj, and Dr. Buck were called as witnesses. All three had previously been identified as trial experts almost three years earlier by the defendants. Dr. Ransdell was not allowed to call experts for the second trial who were not listed as defense experts for the first trial. Except for the fact that plaintiff was allowed to substitute an expert for Dr. Abramson, who had refused to provide a copy of his income tax returns, both parties were limited to the experts listed in the first trial. The district judge, in the exercise of judicial discretion, has power to limit the number of expert witnesses at the pretrial conference. A ruling in discretionary matters will not be disturbed on appeal unless there is an abuse of discretion. Powers v. Kansas Power & Light Co., 234 Kan. 89, 99, 671 P.2d 491 (1983). After reviewing the record, we find under the circumstances the plaintiff has failed to show the trial court abused its discretion in limiting the number of plaintiff's expert witnesses.