Opinion ID: 602383
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Drawings Regarding the Wire Ring Retainer

Text: 28 Johnson contends that the district court erred by rejecting two engineering drawings which predate the manufacture of Darlene's Escort and depict a halfshaft and C.V. joint assembly with a wire ring retainer. Johnson's strongest argument regarding the relevancy of these drawings is that they show that, prior to manufacturing Darlene's Escort, Ford was aware of a feasible alternative design for a ring retainer capable of alleviating the cutting problems. Nevertheless, (1) Ford stipulated at trial that a feasible alternative design was available, reducing Johnson's contention to a non-issue, and (2) these drawings are of a halfshaft assembly for a 1985 Tempo/Topaz with a manual transmission rather than for a 1983 1/2 Ford Escort with an automatic transmission. We conclude, therefore, that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding that the drawings are of questionable probative value in the case at issue. 29 Johnson also offered engineering drawings to show that Ford's drawings of a wire ring retainer contained the following legend: Restrictions to help safeguard health, safety and the environment apply to substances used in the item(s) addressed by the document. Ford challenged the admissibility of this evidence at trial and, outside the presence of the jury, Mann testified that this legend addressed materials used in the manufacture of the retainer--namely asbestos--and not the function of the part. Johnson did not offer evidence to controvert this testimony, and he did not again offer the documents into evidence later during trial. Accordingly, we conclude that Johnson has no basis for raising this issue on appeal.