Opinion ID: 1673907
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Issues regarding the hard hat

Text: Appellants' first point on appeal contests the trial court's decision to admit evidence that Rodgers was not wearing his hard hat at the time of the accident. Appellants moved in limine to exclude any evidence of nonuse of the safety device but, based upon appellee's assertions that Dr. Yates would testify that wearing a hard hat would have made some difference in connection with at least the nature and extent of appellant's injuries, the trial court denied the motion. At trial, however, Dr. Yates testified that, in his opinion, a hard hat would not have made any difference with regard to the spinal injury and may have made some difference in connection with the laceration. At the time of the pretrial hearing on appellants' motion in limine, the trial court had a reasonable expectation that relevant evidence would be forthcoming at trial. Moreover, the decision to admit evidence is within the trial court's discretion. On appeal, we will not reverse a trial court's ruling on the admission of evidence absent an abuse of that discretion nor will we reverse absent a showing of prejudice. Misskelley v. State, 323 Ark. 449, 915 S.W.2d 702 (1996), cert. denied, 519 U.S. 898, 117 S.Ct. 246, 136 L.Ed.2d 174 (1996). Here, we cannot say that the trial court erred by admitting the evidence when appellee claimed that relevant testimony would be presented at trial and when appellant's employer, appellee, and OSHA regulations required the use of a hard hat on the job site.
Appellants' second issue on appeal challenges the trial court's refusal to submit a curative instruction to the jury cautioning it to disregard any evidence of Rodgers's failure to wear a hard hat as evidence of comparative fault. Notably, a review of the record demonstrates that appellee failed to present any evidence that the hard hat would have made any difference in diminishing appellant's spinal injuries. In fact, the trial court expressly acknowledged that there was no evidence that the hard hat would have prevented any spinal injury. In contrast to what appellee predicted, Dr. Yates testified within a reasonable degree of medical certainty that a hard hat would not have made a significant, or even small, difference with regard to Rodgers's injuries. Indeed, the only evidence that the hard hat would have made any difference was with respect to appellant's laceration. However, the trial court denied appellants' motion to offer the jury one of two limiting instructions. The first proffered instruction cautioned the jury to disregard Rodgers's failure to wear a hard hat [w]hen determining whether any negligence on the part of Carl Rodgers was a proximate cause for any damages. The second instruction stated that the jury could consider the evidence only with regard to the issue of what damages, if any, Carl Rodgers is entitled to for the laceration to his head. Appellants correctly argue that appellee bears the burden of proof for establishing its affirmative defense of comparative fault. See Baumgartner v. Rogers, 233 Ark. 387, 345 S.W.2d 476 (1961); Skinner v. R.J. Griffin & Co., 313 Ark. 430, 855 S.W.2d 913 (1993). Appellee must prove that Rodgers's failure to wear a hard hat was a proximate cause of any of his injuries, and we require the jury to base its decision upon proof, not mere speculation or conjecture. See Cates v. Brown, 278 Ark. 242, 247, 645 S.W.2d 658, 661 (1983). At best, appellee offered evidence that the hard hat may have made some difference with respect to the laceration injury. Other evidence indicated that a hard hat was required on the job site. Although the proof offered at trial may have warranted a limiting instruction, we cannot say that the trial court erred by refusing to submit either of the two proffered instructions. The first instruction is not supported by the evidence presented at trial, and the second contains an improper comment upon the evidence. Accordingly, we affirm the trial court on this point.
For their next point on appeal, appellants contend that the trial court abused its discretion by excluding testimony from M.I. Starns, appellants' expert witness who was prepared to testify that the hard hat would not have diminished the severity of Rodgers's injuries. Starns claimed that he had done extensive hard-hat research over the past fifteen years for OSHA, ANSI, and industrial firms. He also reported testifying in other hard-hat lawsuits when expert testimony was needed to corroborate the lack or severity of injuries. In Starns's opinion, given the manner in which the pipe knocked appellant down, Rodgers would sill have sustained his injuries with or without a hard hat. In response, appellee claims that Starns is no expert. Starns never spoke with Rodgers, never investigated the job site, is not a licensed engineer or medical doctor, and does not hold a four-year degree from any institution, despite his past claims to the contrary. Moreover, the determination of an expert's qualifications is a matter within the trial court's discretion. First Commercial Trust Co. v. Rank, 323 Ark. 390, 915 S.W.2d 262 (1996). Appellants counter that this court has been liberal concerning expert's qualifications and ability to testify. See Ark. R.Evid. 702; Dildine v. Clark Equip. Co., 282 Ark. 130, 666 S.W.2d 692(194). In Dildine , we cautioned that too rigid a standard should be avoided, and if some reasonable basis exists from which it can be said the witness has knowledge of the subject, his evidence is admissible. Id. Adopting this reasoning, appellants suggest that the relative weakness or strength of Starns's testimony should be a matter of weight and credibility for the jury rather than admissibility. Under the instant facts, we disagree. In light of our standard of review, we decline to overturn the trial court's decision to disallow Starns's testimony. In any event, Starns's testimony was merely cumulative because Dr. Yates, a qualified expert, testified that the failure to wear a hard hat would not have made a difference in Rodgers's spinal injuries. Accordingly, we find no basis for finding that the trial court abused its discretion in excluding M.I. Starns's testimony.