Opinion ID: 1631067
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mark Dunlap

Text: ś 48. As previously stated, the trial court qualified Dunlap as an expert in State and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Codes. Dunlap's expert report opined that Preston's death was due to the truck not being in compliance with the FMCSRs. In addition, Dunlap opined that the truck should not have been on the road and that it posed a hazard to any driver approaching the truck from the rear. In his deposition testimony, Dunlap stated that he was unable to give an opinion on visibility on the night of the accident. Without being there, I wouldn't be able to say. He also stated that the lack of reflective tape does not make a vehicle invisible. As discussed in the preceding issue, Dunlap's proffered testimony at trial on the issue of causation was that [t]he only thing that I could comment on is the fact the truck should never have been on the road in the first place. That would be my causation. ś 49. The trial court stated: In reviewing the depositions of this witness, it appears that like the witness Mori, Dunlap anticipates offering opinion testimony concerning the visibility of the subject truck at night [citation omitted] and the cause of the accident. While the court will permit this witness to state opinions as to the purpose of certain state and federal regulations, the court remains of the view that testimony regarding the visibility of the trailer at night will not assist the trier of fact and, again, it does not appear to this court that there are sufficient facts and/or data for the witness to testify as to whether the deceased would have been able to see the trailer prior to the accident or as to the cause of the accident. Thus, opinions along those lines will not be permitted, and to the extent the defendants' motion seeks to prohibit this witness from testifying and/or offering opinions regarding the visibility of the trailer at night, whether the deceased would have been able to see the trailer prior to the accident and/or the cause of the accident, such motion is hereby GRANTED.