Opinion ID: 1631067
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Plaintiff's expert testimony on taillights

Text: ś 33. Carla argues that the trial court erred by excluding two of her experts from testifying on the issue of the taillight visibility. She also contends that the trial court erred by allowing two of R & R's lay witnesses to render opinions on taillight visibility. The issue arose in connection with photographs that depicted what appeared to be dirt on the taillights of the R & R truck on the night of the accident. The trial court granted R & R's motion in limine on this issue, finding that an expert opinion was not necessary to determine what is depicted in a photograph. More specifically, the trial court stated: Whatever the status of the taillights on the trailer immediately following the accident, such status is depicted in the photographs taken by the Mississippi Highway Patrol. It is this court's view that it does not take an expert to advise a jury as to what is depicted in a photograph. The jury can view the photograph itself and make its own determination as what is depicted therein. Thus, the court finds that an opinion from an expert as to what is depicted in a photograph would not be of assistance to the jury. In other words, the trial court prohibited any expert opinions that the taillights of the R & R truck had dirt on them or were dirty at the time of the accident. Carla claims that her experts, Tim Corbitt and Dane Maxwell, would have opined about the dirt on the taillights and how that dirt would have affected the visibility of the lights at night. The trial court, in fact, did not preclude Carla from asking her experts, in a hypothetical situation, about the effects of dirt on taillight visibility. The trial court stated that the expert can talk about if, in fact, there was dirt on the taillight, what effect it would have on the visibility of the trailer. Essentially, a hypothetical. ś 34. This Court finds that the trial court did not err by refusing all experts, both Carla's and R & R's, from testifying concerning dirt on the taillights or that the taillights were dirty. Opinions given by expert witnesses are designed to provide scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge to assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or determine a fact in issue. Miss. R. Evid. 702. This issue, dirt on the taillights, was not of a nature that required an expert opinion, as the jury had enough knowledge to discern whether the photographs depicted dirt on the taillights. Furthermore, it was established that neither Corbitt nor Maxwell was present at the scene of the accident, therefore, they had no first-hand, personal knowledge of the condition of the taillights directly after the accident to assist the trier of fact, nor did the experts inspect the trailer immediately after the accident. This is not to say that the experts had to be present or to inspect the truck immediately, but only that there was no other basis to permit them to testify about the condition of the taillights in the photographs. Accordingly, this issue is without merit. ś 35. As to Carla's argument that the trial court erroneously had permitted lay witnesses for the defense to testify on the condition of the taillights, this issue is without merit. While Carla does not identify which lay witnesses are in question, presumably she means Trooper Ronald Shive and Charles Richard. Both of these witnesses were at the scene of the accident moments after the collision. Trooper Shive testified about his personal knowledge and observations of the conditions at the scene of the accident. See Miss. R. Evid. 601 and 602. He stated that he had no difficulty seeing the trailer, and it had four lights on it. The lights were in proper working order, were bright, and had lenses on them. Trooper Shive also stated that he could see the lights from a distance. ś 36. Richard also testified about his personal knowledge and observations. See Miss. R. Evid. 601 and 602. Richard stated that he had observed the truck lights working when Hunter left the R & R lot and later at the scene of the accident. Once he heard about the accident, Richard said that he began driving to the scene and saw the trailer taillights from a mile away. Richard stated that, after the accident, the tag light and three small lights on the bottom and in the middle of the trailer had to be replaced, because they were torn off in the collision. Because Trooper Shive and Richard testified concerning their first-hand, personal knowledge and observations of the accident scene, the trial court did not err by permitting them to testify concerning their observations of the visibility of the truck taillights after the accident.