Opinion ID: 2544453
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Trial: Qualification of Expert Testimony

Text: The Association contended that WRC should be responsible for 100% of the costs of repairing and maintaining the drainpipes. In support of this contention, the Association provided expert testimony opining that the deterioration in the drainpipes was caused by corrosive inorganic salts coming from fertilizer and brackish water used by the Golf Course owned by WRC. In contrast, WRC offered the testimony of Nolan Perreira as an expert in the field of metallurgy and corrosion analysis. Perreira's qualifications included, inter alia: (1) a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; (2) a Master's Degree in Engineering, specializing in metallurgy and material sciences, from Brown University; (3) a license as a registered professional engineer in the field of metallurgy in California; (4) experience in the United States Navy as a Chief Engineer on a 15,000 ton vessel, responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the vessel's steam and water systems, where he dealt with issues concerning corrosion; (5) experience as a project engineer responsible for water chemistry and hydraulics during the startup construction of a nuclear power plant; (6) deputy director and director of the Maui County Department of Water Supply, where he dealt with issues concerning corrosion and pipe operations; and (7) industrial engineer for Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co., where he recommended materials for use in corrosive and erosion-prone locations. During voir dire, the Association ascertained that Perreira was presently employed as a stockbroker and had worked on only four assignments as an independent engineering consultant in the two-year period preceding the trial. The Association and the County unsuccessfully objected to qualifying Perriera as an expert on the grounds that he did not have the experience or qualifications to testify as to the particular corrosion issues in this case. [10] Perriera opined that there was no evidence that corrosion in the pipes was caused by chemicals that were specifically related to the golf course and that, in fact, the corrosion was caused by wet debris in the drainage pipes that created a corrosion-prone environment. Relying on Perriera's testimony, the trial court concluded: [The Association] has failed to meet its burden of proof to sustain its claim that the corrosion in the 24 and 54 pipe systems on the Wailea Elua property is caused by chemicals or water from the [Golf Course]. As such, WRC cannot be made responsible for 100% of the current cost to repair and/or replace the 24 and 54 drainage systems .... Therefore, the responsibility for the current and future cost to repair and/or replace and maintain the 24 and 54 drainage systems must be ratably shared amongst the parties that use the drainage systems.
Subject to the discussion herein, whether expert testimony should be admitted at trial rests within the sound discretion of the trial court and will not be overturned unless there is a clear abuse of discretion. Montalvo v. Lapez, 77 Hawai`i 282, 301, 884 P.2d 345, 364 (1994).
The County contends that the trial court erred in qualifying Perriera as an expert witness because, although he has a bachelor's degree in metallurgy, his work experience did not involve the study of corrosion analysis except in a tangential way. Therefore, the County submits that the trial court's conclusion that inorganic salts from the golf course did not cause the corrosion in the pipes was erroneous. WRC answers that the trial court did not abuse its discretion. [11] Hawai`i Rules of Evidence (HRE) Rule 702 (1993) sets forth the requirements for qualification of an expert witness. HRE Rule 702 states: If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise. In determining the issue of assistance to the trier of fact, the court may consider the trustworthiness and validity of the scientific technique or mode of analysis employed by the proffered expert. In applying this rule, the trial court must determine whether the expert's testimony is (1) relevant, and (2) reliable. See State v. Vliet, 95 Hawai`i 94, 106, 19 P.3d 42, 54 (2001). The County does not dispute the relevance of Perriera's testimony, but apparently challenges its reliability. The trial court's determination as to reliability is reviewed under the abuse of discretion standard. Id. at 107-08, 19 P.3d at 55-56. [12] In this instance, the trial court did not articulate its rationale for accepting Perriera's qualifications. However, Perriera earned degrees in metallurgy, engineering, and had some work experience involving corrosion issues in water pipes. The County's argument rests on the fact that Perriera was employed as a stockbroker and had little recent experience. It is not necessary, however, for the expert witness to have the highest possible qualifications to enable him or her to testify as an expert. Yap v. Controlled Parasailing of Honolulu, Inc., 76 Hawai`i 248, 254, 873 P.2d 1321, 1327 (1994); see also Larsen v. State Sav. and Loan Assoc., 64 Haw. 302, 304, 640 P.2d 286, 288 (1982). Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in qualifying Perriera as an expert. Because it is within the province of the trier of fact to weigh the evidence and to assess the credibility of the witnesses, and this court will refrain from interfering in those determinations[,] LeMay v. Leander, 92 Hawai`i 614, 626, 994 P.2d 546, 558 (2000), it also follows that the trial court did not err in accepting Perriera's conclusion that inorganic chemicals from the Golf Course were not the cause of the corrosion in the pipes.