Opinion ID: 1828329
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Brown's Disqualification as an Expert Witness (Issue I)

Text: Although the Bagleys argue that the trial court erred in disqualifying Brown under Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469 (1993), the trial court never referred to Daubert in its order; it simply stated that it found that the expert testimony of David Brown should be excluded. The Bagleys assert that the appellate courts of this state have never recognized that Daubert is controlling in any case ... other than those involving the admission of DNA evidence. This is an accurate statement of the status of the Daubert standard in our state courts as of the time of this appeal. [T]his Court has not abandoned the `general acceptance' test stated in Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013, 1014 (D.C.Cir.1923), and it has not adopted the Daubert standard in civil cases. Courtaulds Fibers, Inc. v. Long, 779 So.2d 198, 202 (Ala.2000). The Daubert standard applies by statute in Alabama only to the admissibility of DNA evidence. Ala.Code 1975, § 36-18-30; see Turner v. State, 746 So.2d 355 (Ala.1998). The Bagleys do not advocate the adoption of Daubert  just the contrary. They argue that neither Daubert nor Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (D.C.Cir. 1923), could apply in this case, given what they characterize as the non-rocket science nature of Brown's investigations and conclusions. The Bagleys state that as they had stated in the case, throughout, their expert employed no novel scientific methodology that would invoke the application of Daubert ... or Frye  (emphasis added). Only Mazda urges in its brief the adoption of Daubert, but both it and Creekside emphatically argue that there is no showing that the trial judge relied on Daubert in excluding Brown's testimony. `Our review is limited to the issues that were before the trial court  an issue raised on appeal must have first been presented to and ruled on by the trial court.' Norman v. Bozeman, 605 So.2d 1210, 1214 (Ala.1992) (citation omitted). Robinson v. Benton, 842 So.2d 631, 638 (Ala.2002). Further, [a]n appeals court will consider only those issues properly delineated as such, and no matter will be considered on appeal unless presented and argued in brief. Ex parte Riley, 464 So.2d 92 (Ala. 1985). Braxton v. Stewart, 539 So.2d 284, 286 (Ala.Civ.App.1988). Therefore, in addressing this issue, we need not reassess the continued applicability of Frye versus Daubert. The Bagleys argue to us, and confirm that they argued to the trial court, that neither apply to Brown's testimony; they argue to us that the error committed by the trial court was its presumed reliance on Daubert. Therefore, our analysis of the admissibility of Brown's testimony is governed by Rule 702, Ala. R. Evid., and the even broader considerations governing the admission of expert testimony found in Rule 104 and Rule 403, Ala. R. Evid. (None of the parties take the position that Brown's testimony could or should be evaluated under Rule 701, Ala. R. Evid., dealing with opinions expressed by a witness not testifying as an expert.) All expert testimony must satisfy the requirements of Rule 702, Ala. R. Evid., which provides: If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise. (Emphasis added.) Rule 104, Ala. R. Evid., states, in pertinent part: (a) Questions of Admissibility Generally. Preliminary questions concerning the qualification of a person to be a witness, the existence of a privilege, or the admissibility of evidence shall be determined by the court, subject to the provisions of section (b). In making its determination it is not bound by the rules of evidence except those with respect to privileges. The Advisory Committee's Notes to Rule 104(a) state: Like preexisting Alabama law, and like the corresponding federal rule, this section recognizes that preliminary questions intended to establish conditions precedent to admissibility are for the court rather than the jury. C. Gamble, McElroy's Alabama Evidence § 464.01 (4th ed. 1991); Fed.R.Evid. 104.... This principle is ... applied when a trial court determines whether a witness's qualifications authorize the witness to testify as an expert. See Ala. R. Evid. 702. Rule 403, Ala. R. Evid., provides: Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. In order to decide if the trial court clearly exceeded its discretion in excluding Brown's testimony, we must determine whether Brown's testimony would assist the jury in deciding whether the Mazda axle-retention design is defective and, if so, whether the probative value of his testimony could be said to be substantially outweighed by the dangers or considerations in Rule 403. In order to prove that a product is defective for purposes of the AEMLD, a plaintiff must prove that `a safer, practical, alternative design was available to the manufacturer at the time it manufactured the [automobile]. The existence of a safer, practical, alternative design must be proved by showing that: `(a) The plaintiff's injuries would have been eliminated or in some way reduced by use of the alternative design; and that `(b) taking into consideration such factors as the intended use of the [automobile], its styling, cost, and desirability, its safety aspects, the foreseeability of the particular accident, the likelihood of injury, and the probable seriousness of the injury if that accident occurred, the obviousness of the defect, and the manufacturer's ability to eliminate the defect, the utility of the alternative design outweighed the utility of the design actually used.' Hannah v. Gregg, Bland & Berry, Inc., 840 So.2d 839, 857-58 (Ala.2002) (quoting Beech v. Outboard Marine Corp., 584 So.2d 447, 450 (Ala.1991), quoting in turn General Motors Corp. v. Edwards, 482 So.2d 1176, 1191 (Ala.1985), overruled on other grounds, Schwartz v. Volvo North America Corp., 554 So.2d 927 (Ala.1989)) (emphasis omitted). As noted, Brown testified that the retention system used by Mazda was an acceptable system, and that it was defective only because it relied upon a part known to wear  the bearing. He stated that he could not establish the engineering sequence of events that resulted in the accident and that he could not establish what mechanism caused the remnants of the bearing to put a load on the collar or how the collar came off. Brown stated that the alternative design he recommended could also fail, resulting in the axle's eventually separating from the vehicle. He admitted that he knew of no automobile manufacturer incorporating both a retention collar and a C-clip. With reference to his statement that a C-clip retention system was a feasible alternative design used in the automobile industry in 1980, he conceded that he could not recall if the system he had in mind also employed a retention collar. The feasibility of incorporating both a retention collar and a C-clip in the same axle shaft is not otherwise addressed in the record. Brown acknowledged that a system using only a C-clip could allow the axle shaft to separate from the vehicle and that because of the necessity for grinding a groove into the axle shaft to accommodate a C-clip, manufacturing defects in the axle shaft could occur. He opined that a system using only a C-clip could result in more axle separations than the pressure-fitted collar design. He acknowledged that Mazda's retention system was an acceptable design but for the fairly low probability of retention collar sliding. He conceded that he could not testify as to the mechanism by which the collar [in the 1980 Mazda] came loose, but that among the possibilities, which he enumerated without ranking as to relative probability, was that the collar was defectively installed or that it didn't have the right ... interference fit. He explained that he could not be more specific because he did not have the axle from the 1980 Mazda. Varin, who did have the axle, was able to establish that the wheel bearing was installed at least seven years after the subject vehicle was manufactured by Mazda, and that the collar bore punch marks, indicating the use of a hand punch, which was not part of Mazda's manufacturing process. He stated: It is certain ... that if the force required to install the bearing at the time of repair had met the requirement of 2.7 tons, it would not be possible for forces to be imposed on the bearing during subsequent vehicle operation to dislodge the axle shaft from the bearing and collar. The Advisory Committee's Notes to Rule 702 explain that [a]s under preexisting Alabama law, both questions  whether a witness is qualified as an expert and whether, if so qualified, that witness may give expert opinion or testimony on the subject in question  are left largely to the discretion of the trial judge. Hagler v. Gilliland, 292 Ala. 262, 292 So.2d 647 (1974). Under Rule 702, the trial court could have found that Brown was qualified to testify as an expert witness based on his education and experience, but that his testimony would not assist the trier of fact. Based upon Brown's testimony, the trial court could have properly found that his testimony did not establish that Mazda's retention design was defective at the time the 1980 Mazda was manufactured because of all the considerations recounted above, particularly the fact that Brown could not state that a safer, practical, alternative design using both a retention collar and a C-clip was available in 1980. Even if Brown's testimony satisfied the requirements of Rule 702, the trial judge could have excluded his testimony under Rule 403. The trial court could have properly found that the probative value of Brown's testimony was substantially outweighed by the danger of ... misleading the jury because of the considerations already discussed. Although the trial court gave no reason for its judgment, this Court will assume that it made whatever findings would be necessary to support its judgment. Lakeview Townhomes v. Hunter, 567 So.2d 1287 (Ala.1990). Richard Brown Auction & Real Estate, Inc. v. Brown, 583 So.2d 1313, 1316 (Ala. 1991). Therefore, for all of the reasons explained, we cannot conclude that the trial court exceeded its discretion in excluding Brown's testimony. Relating to this issue, the Bagleys concede in their brief that if the Court deems the [Bagleys'] expert to be disqualified, then no further inquiry is necessary as [to] the AEMLD claim since it cannot be supported without expert testimony on the issue of whether or not the design was unreasonably dangerous. We agree; because we conclude that the trial court did not exceed its discretion when it excluded Brown's testimony, we need not examine further whether the trial court erred in entering a summary judgment in favor of Creekside and Mazda on the Bagleys' AEMLD claim. This conclusion disposes of the Bagleys' issues II [12] and III.