Opinion ID: 1112080
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: cross-examination of rosenbluth.

Text: Norris contends that the trial court erred by restricting the scope of cross-examination of Gatts' expert witness, Mr. Rosenbluth. On direct examination, Rosenbluth opined that Gatts' automobile had a jammed throttle which caused the unwanted acceleration of her vehicle and her brake system failed to halt her vehicle. He based his view partly on his own successful inducement of an engine runaway in an Audi 5000 vehicle, and partly on his review of various statements recounting the accident and the testimony at trial. On cross-examination, Norris asked two questions to which Gatts objected. The first question posed to Rosenbluth was whether he understood there to have been a wood pile at the accident scene which Gatts' vehicle came to rest on or against after the accident. Gatts objected to this question on grounds of relevance and on the ground that it was beyond the scope of direct examination. The court sustained the objection. The second question posed to Rosenbluth was whether he was familiar with a statement by an eyewitness (Mr. Rudolph) that he could not recall seeing Gatts' brake lights come on, and what effect that statement had in formulating his opinion. This question was also objected to on the ground that it was beyond the scope of direct examination. In our view, Rosenbluth's direct testimony included an opinion as to what happened to the Gatts vehicle. Therefore, these two questions were properly the subject of Norris' cross-examination of Rosenbluth and the trial court erred in sustaining Gatts' objections to them as being beyond the scope of direct examination. We view this error as harmless, however, and decline to reverse on this point. The objection to the first question was properly sustained on grounds of relevancy. It is not important what type of object the vehicle came to rest against after the accident. The second question was actually answered by Rosenbluth. He stated that he took Rudolph's statement to be indeterminate as to the issue of whether or not the brake lights came on. Therefore, there was no reversible error in the trial court's restriction of Gatts' cross-examination of Rosenbluth.