Opinion ID: 471593
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admission of the Wachter Letter

Text: 14 During cross-examination of plaintiff David Mello, K-Mart's counsel offered into evidence a letter dated November 26, 1982, from Jim H. Wachter, plaintiffs' former counsel in Tennessee, to Dr. Medka Suwanaawonjse, a doctor who treated Mr. Mello after the accident, requesting a copy of Dr. Suwanaawonjse's medical report. The Wachter letter contained the following description of Mr. Mello's accident: 15 Mr. and Mrs. Mello have consulted and retained me relating to his Claim for the multiple injuries received by Mr. Mello when a hydraulic jack placed under an auto he was working on, malfunctioned, resulting in the auto coming down on the left upper portion of his body. Mr. Mello was lying on his right side at the time, being in the process of attempting to tighten the muffler brackets. As I recall, one of the rear wheels was off the auto for repairs, or whatever. 16 The Wachter letter was offered in evidence on cross-examination for the purpose of impeaching Mr. Mello's testimony that the left rear wheel was not off the car at the time of the accident, and the district court admitted it with the limiting instruction that it was being admitted only on the issue of [Mr. Mello's] credibility. Plaintiffs contend that the admission of the Wachter letter for impeachment purposes was improper and prejudicial, because whether the wheel was on or off the car was collateral to the main issues in the litigation. 4 17 We disagree. Whether the wheel was on or off the car was generally relevant to how the accident happened, and, in particular, to K-Mart's contention that Mr. Mello was contributorily negligent or else had assumed the risk that the jack would collapse. Balancing the letter's probative value against the danger of unfair prejudice, United States v. Pisari, 636 F.2d 855, 858 (1st Cir.1981), we cannot say that the district court abused its discretion in allowing K-Mart to use the Wachter letter for the limited purpose of impeaching Mr. Mello's credibility on this matter. Indeed, at another point in the trial, plaintiffs consented to admission of the Wachter letter as part of Mr. Mello's hospital record.