Opinion ID: 2638559
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: facts

Text: [¶3] On December 17, 2001, Smith filed a negligence action against Paiz. Smith alleged that Paiz negligently operated her motor vehicle causing an accident resulting in injury. Smith's husband was also a party, claiming loss of consortium. The district court issued a Scheduling Order, which required Smith to designate her expert witnesses: The Plaintiff shall designate expert witnesses and provide the Defendant with a brief outline of the testimony of each expert by April 15, 2002. On April 15, Smith filed a Designation of Plaintiff's Expert naming one expert, Dr. Kanter. Pursuant to the Scheduling Order, Paiz filed her Designation of Expert Witnesses on May 24, 2002. Included in Paiz's designation were two of Smith's treating physicians, Dr. Fischer and Dr. Rangitsch. [¶4] On June 21, 2002, Smith filed her Pretrial Memorandum, which listed six of her treating physicians as witnesses: Dr. Barnes, Dr. Vernon, Dr. Reckling, Dr. Greene, Dr. Rangitsch, and Dr. Fischer. In the memorandum, Smith stated that these healthcare providers would testify about Smith's treatment and current condition, and prognosis for her future health care needs. Paiz responded with a Motion to Strike the named doctors as witnesses on the grounds that they had not been designated as expert witnesses pursuant to the court's Scheduling Order. Paiz claimed the late designation prejudiced her because all of [Smith's] strategy in the case and decisions with regard to [Paiz's] own expert witness designation and independent medical examinations were based on Smith's designation of only Dr. Kanter as an expert. [¶5] Paiz reiterated her position in a Supplement to Motion to Strike Witnesses, and Smith responded with a Memorandum in Opposition to [Smith's] Motion to Strike Witnesses. Relying on W.R.C.P. 26(b)(4), [1] Smith contended that she did not have to designate her treating physicians as expert witnesses because they had not acquired or developed their knowledge or opinions in anticipation of litigation or trial and, accordingly, were not experts. She also argued that no prejudice attached to Paiz because of the failure to designate the treating physicians as experts. Smith stressed that Paiz was in possession of all of her medical records and had deposed several of the witnesses. Smith concluded that since Paiz had access to the records on which the treating physicians' opinions would be based and had the opportunity to depose each of them, she could not then claim prejudice. [¶6] On July 17, 2002, the district court issued its Order on Motions. The court found that Smith's failure to properly designate the witnesses as experts precluded her from offering any opinion testimony requiring expertise from them. The court ordered that the doctors could testify as fact witnesses about their treatment of Smith but, as fact witnesses, they were not allowed to provide expert opinions, including diagnoses, prognoses or determinations of causation requiring medical expertise. The court did allow Smith to elicit expert opinion testimony from her two treating physicians, who had been designated as experts by Paiz, so long as a proper foundation was established. [¶7] The matter proceeded to trial and the jury found Paiz to be 60 percent at fault and Smith 40 percent. The jury set Smith's damages at $2,500, which was reduced to $1,500 under the comparative fault statute. The jury set the damages of Smith's husband, Donald Smith, at zero dollars. Smith has appealed.