Opinion ID: 1791667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Plaintiffs' experts (Dr. Wogalter).

Text: ¶ 45. The trial court accepted (without objection) plaintiffs' expert, Dr. Michael S. Wogalter, as an expert in human factors and warnings. [8] Dr. Wogalter testified that he thought the warning labels in the Volkswagen were inadequate. Specifically, in response to questions asked by plaintiffs' counsel, he testified: Q. I'll ask you if you have had an opportunity to review the warning labels that were in the 1995 Jetta that was the subject of this accident. Have you done so? A. Yes, I have. Q. I think they have been actually introduced. The actual sun visor is in evidence, and here is one that's marked as Exhibit 7, which is the actual sun visor, and ask if you can identify that or if you've seen that previously, not the exact label  I mean the label and not the exact visor in your hand. A. Yes, I've seen this label. Q. I'll ask if at my request if you had an opportunity to review that label and if you have an opinion as to whether or not it complies with the requirements and mandates of Federal Motor Safety Standard Act 208? A. I have reviewed it, and I do have an opinion about it. Q. And what is that opinion, Dr. Wogalter? A. That it does not comply. Q. With 208? A. Yes. ¶ 46. At that point, Dr. Wogalter then proceeded to explain why, in his opinion, the sun visor warnings were defective. However, when plaintiffs' counsel announced that he was going to ask questions with regard to the warnings about the dangers of passenger air bags to young children in the right front seat, counsel for defendants objected, pointing out that Dr. Wogalter was not qualified to testify regarding the dangers presented by air bags to young children. This was followed by a proffer, out of the presence of the jury, which clearly demonstrated that Dr. Wogalter had no expertise in the mechanics or dangers of air bags in general, or the Jetta's air bags, in specific. For instance, when asked whether the dangers presented to a child by an air bag depended on how fast it deploys, Dr. Wogalter testified, I would assume so, yes. Then, when asked how fast the Jetta's air bags deployed, he testified, I don't know the miles per hour or the velocity. He further testified that he did not know the peak performance of the Jetta's air bags. The trial judge observed: He's read a few articles, but there's been no showing to the Court that he has factual information or such knowledge for him to give an opinion as to what specific types of warnings there need to be for this kind of air bag in this automobile. I mean I could come up with some warnings or anybody else could that we think may be appropriate warnings, but unless we have some knowledge about air bags and the dangers and have either done testing ourselves or have read extensively in the field where tests were conducted and has some definite knowledge as a recognized expert on this, then it's nothing more than a lay person would have. ¶ 47. Then, based upon Dr. Wogalter's lack of knowledge or expertise in the dangers presented by air bags, the trial court held that he could not testify regarding such dangers. ¶ 48. We recognize that, in many cases, experts must stray slightly, and briefly, from their field of expertise to arrive at opinions and conclusions. However, the area found by the trial court to be off limits involved an evaluation by Dr. Wogalter of the extent of the danger posed by the Jetta's air bags, and then matching that danger with an appropriate warning. This clearly was outside his expertise, and such opinions and testimony was properly excluded. We do not find, however, that the trial court prevented Dr. Wogalter from testifying whether, in his opinion, the warnings on the sun visor were effective, likely to be seen or likely to be heeded. He was allowed to testify that, in his opinion, the sun visor warnings did not comply with federal law, and he was allowed to explain why he held that opinion. ¶ 49. We cannot find that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to allow Dr. Wogalter to testify about the dangers presented by air bags to children.