Opinion ID: 2514260
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Did the trial court err in permitting questioning about the training of Railroad employees?

Text: The Railroad argues that the district court erred in permitting the engineer, a former Railroad employee, and Howell to testify to certain training they had received. Howell called as a witness the engineer who was operating the locomotive at the time of the accident. The engineer had begun working for the Railroad on January 18, 1995, as a brakeman. Howell asked the engineer what training the Railroad had given him before he began working as a brakeman. The Railroad objected on the ground that he was not working as a brakeman or conductor at the time of the accident, and the trial court overruled that objection. The engineer then answered that the Railroad had him read the book of rules and that he then had on-the-job training. The engineer also testified that after working four months as a brakeman, he became a conductor, and that three months after that he became an engineer. He was then questioned about the authority of a brakeman, conductor, and engineer. One of the arguments raised by the Railroad was that Howell was in charge of the train at the time of the accident, and it was therefore his decision to proceed into the Snake Lead without first running a locomotive down the track to clear the snow. The question to which the Railroad objected was foundational to the testimony given by the engineer regarding the duties and authority of a brakeman, conductor, and engineer. The trial court did not err in overruling the objection. The Railroad next argues that the trial court erred in permitting an engineer, who worked for the Railroad at the time of the accident, to compare the engineer-training program of the Union Pacific Railroad with that of the Railroad. The witness had been trained as an engineer by the Union Pacific Railroad and had worked on the track, including the Snake Lead, later purchased by the Railroad from the Union Pacific Railroad. After that purchase, he was hired by the Railroad as an engineer. Howell did not ask him to compare the training he had received at the Union Pacific Railroad with that provided by the Railroad. Rather, Howell asked him to state what he did to become qualified as a locomotive engineer. The Railroad objected on the ground of relevance, and the trial court overruled that objection because the question went to the witness' qualifications. The witness then briefly described his training. The trial court did not err in permitting the testimony because it was relevant to the witness' qualifications as an expert witness. Finally, the Railroad argues that the trial court erred in permitting Howell to testify to training he had received on matters not relevant to this accident. The Railroad did not object to those questions, however. Therefore, it did not preserve the right to challenge on appeal the admission of such evidence. I.R.E. 103(a)(1). C. Did the trial court properly instruct the jury? The Railroad argues that the trial court did not properly instruct the jury on the issues of negligence and causation. The standard of review for issues concerning jury instructions is limited to a determination whether the instructions, as a whole, fairly and adequately present the issues and state the law. When the instructions, taken as a whole, do not mislead or prejudice a party, an erroneous instruction does not constitute reversible error. Lunders v. Estate of Snyder, 131 Idaho 689, 963 P.2d 372 (1998). 1. Did the trial court properly instruct the jury on the issue of negligence? The Railroad contends that the trial court erred in failing to give its proposed instructions numbered 13 and 14 stating that the harm had to be foreseeable in order for the Railroad to be negligent. [1] The trial court's instructions to the jury included the following: