Opinion ID: 1754136
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: dr. smock's testimony

Text: Gorman argues that Dr. Smock was not qualified to give his opinion as to the point of impact. We disagree. Although Dr. Smock testified that he does not consider himself an accident reconstructionist, his knowledge, skill, experience, training [and] education [34] sufficiently demonstrate his qualifications to testify in this regard. Dr. Smock has completed three years in residency in emergency medicine and a one year fellowship in forensic medicine. He serves as both an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Louisville and an emergency physician at the University of Louisville Hospital. Dr. Smock has worked with the Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office and the Jefferson County Coroner's Office for eleven years. While working on his master's thesis prior to medical school, he did a study of motor vehicle accident deaths over an eighteen-month period. As part of this study, he would go to the scene of fatal motor vehicle accidents, examine the scene and help the police collect evidence. The study resulted in Dr. Smock creating a program known as the Fatal Accident Response Team which still goes to accident scenes involving fatalities in Jefferson County. He has made a study involving shoe scuff marks and how scuff marks interact with the roadway. He has trained Louisville and Jefferson County police officers regarding trace evidence, including shoe scuff marks. Additionally, Dr. Smock has attended accident reconstruction courses at Northwestern University and the University of North Florida. Clearly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing Dr. Smock to testify as an expert. [35] Gorman's objection to Dr. Smock's qualifications went to the weight of his testimony. Dr. Smock based his opinion of Gorman's position relative to Hunt's vehicle at the time of impact in large part on a scuff mark in the highway allegedly left by Gorman's shoe. Gorman complains that Dr. Smock did not personally observe the scuff mark or view a photograph of it but that he relied on the testimony of an investigating officer. Gorman therefore argues that this lack of personal observation by Dr. Smock precluded him from testifying as to the point of impact. Again, we disagree. An expert may express an opinion based upon evidence furnished by a third party [i]f of a type reasonably relied upon by experts in the particular field in forming opinions or inferences on the subject . . . . [36] Here, Dr. Smock based his opinion upon information from a police officer who had investigated the accident, and we believe that it was reasonable for him to do so. We also note that this officer had already testified at trial before Hunt called Dr. Smock to the stand, and Gorman had every opportunity to cross-examine the officer regarding the scuff mark. Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing Dr. Smock to rely upon this information in expressing his opinion.