Court Opinion

ID: 9769214
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 14:39:50.83699+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:58.122101
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing
PER CURIAM.
In his motion for rehearing respondent contends that the erroneous admission of the hearsay testimony of Dr. Duncan could not have been prejudicial. His contention, in substance, is that “the doctor’s opinion is the important thing,” and that since the expression by Dr. Duncan of his opinion under the circumstances in this case was not prejudicial error under the rule of the Oes-terle, Huffman and Hunter cases (cited in the principal opinion supra), “any objection to his expressing the basis therefor” obviously should fall. We expressly did not rule that the admission into evidence of the opinion of Dr. Duncan was not prejudicial under what we referred to as the aggravated circumstances of this case. In making the above contention respondent ignores the basic theory which permits the admission of an opinion of an expert witness and which excludes hearsay testimony.
As an exception to the general rule that a witness may not express an opinion, an expert witness may do so when qualified as such and when the subject matter is not of such common knowledge to invade the province of the jury. See generally, Stephens v. Kansas City Gas Co., 354 Mo. 835, 191 S.W.2d 601, and Christian v. Jeter, Mo.Sup., 287 S.W.2d 768. However, the expert witness must base his opinion on facts established by competent evidence. Craddock v. Greenberg Mercantile, Inc., Mo.Sup., 297 S.W.2d 541. When the expert witness does not have personal knowledge of those facts he must be asked, by use of the hypothetical question, to assume the truth of those facts, particularly when disputed. See De Donato v. Wells, 328 Mo. 448, 41 S.W.2d 184, 82 A.L.R. 1331; Hyman v. Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., 359 Mo. 1097, 225 S.W.2d 734. 1 If the expert witness bases an opinion upon facts, some of which are not within his personal knowledge but which are otherwise supported by competent evidence without those *322facts being submitted to him in a hypothetical question, then the error is in the form of the question, not that the opinion is based on facts which are not established by competent evidence. That is the situation to which the Oesterle, Huffman and Hunter cases apply. The jury is called upon to evaluate the testimony as to the facts, and to determine what credence it will give to an expert opinion based on those facts. In this case counsel for respondent followed the incorrect procedure of requesting the expert witness to express an opinion based in part on disputed facts of which he had no personal knowledge without submitting them in a hypothetical question. But, in addition, for the obvious purpose of emphasis, counsel sought to fortify the proof of certain facts by having the expert witness recite to the jury facts which were completely hearsay as to him and upon which he could not possibly be subject to cross-examination.
Respondent admits in his motion for rehearing that “The fact that [he] claimed to have suffered an injury in an accident on August 24,1956, with resulting symptoms was the whole basis of [his] case,” and he further admits that there was a dispute in the evidence “as to the date and fact of an accident, and the symptoms immediately following.” This is not the situation where erroneous hearsay testimony was offered to prove an immaterial fact or “a fact over which there was no real dispute.” See Corley v. Andrews, Mo.App., 349 S.W.2d 395, 401; Gaines v. Schneider, Mo.App., 323 S.W.2d 401; and Pope v. St. Louis Public Service Company, Mo.Sup., 341 S.W.2d 123. But, respondent says, everything the doctor testified to was otherwise properly in evidence either because of his personal testimony or hospital records, and therefore the hearsay recital to the jury of these facts by the doctor could not possibly have been prejudicial.
The doctor testified among other things, as shown in the principal opinion, that respondent “gave a history of an injury to his stomach and his chest” which occurred on August 24, 1956, and that “he described a twisting, straining injury to his chest and abdomen.” It is true that in substance respondent so testified, but of course not' in those precise words. However, this is by no means the complete story. Appellant denied that on August 24, 1956, respondent sustained any injury while working for it, and on cross-examination of respondent it brought out that he knew that if he sustained an injury while at work he was supposed to file a report, but that he did not at any time file any such report, and that he made no claim to appellant of an injury or an accident until more than two years after the alleged occurrence, and that was made by the filing of this lawsuit. In attempting to explain why he made no report of his injury respondent testified that it was in the summer of 1957 before he first decided that the incident with the barrel caused his physical condition, but he also testified in attempting to show the severity of his injuries that it was on the day the incident happened that he decided the barrel caused his condition. Respondent also testified that in 1955, about a year before the alleged accident, while painting a jeep he had become nauseated and sick at his stomach with cramping and vomiting. He related that in May 1957 and again in June 1957, while performing work not connected with his employment in carrying rocks and in shoveling sand, he suffered seizures in which he became nauseated and had cramping and vomiting. These symptoms are substantially the same as those described by respondent at the time of the alleged accident which he did not report to his employer and which his co-worker, who was helping to load the barrel, was not even aware had happened. This coworker, respondent’s witness, also stated that after they had moved the barrels approximately one half mile and had unloaded them respondent then mentioned that he thought he had hurt his back, not his chest or stomach. Respondent’s testimony was not such that it would remove all possible question whether the alleged accident occurred and whether respondent’s *323condition resulted from that accident. After respondent presented this picture with its inconsistencies and qualifications, Dr. Duncan was called to the stand and was qualified not only as an expert witness but as one of the most outstanding specialists in his field and in the community. Then, over objection, Dr. Duncan recited to the jury that plaintiff had told him that he had in fact suffered a twisting, straining injury to his chest and abdomen on August 24, 1956, with certain immediately resulting symptoms. He then related various treatments and hospitalizations, hearsay as far as the doctor was concerned, including the hospitalization for the incident resulting from the rock carrying incident, and he recited these incidents and occurrences in such a way that it left no doubt to the hearer that everything wrong with respondent resulted from a twisting, straining injury which occurred on August 24, 1956. The hearsay story recited by Dr. Duncan consisted in substance of the most favorable facts that respondent had testified to on direct examination, but he made no mention of the facts and circumstances respondent testified to on direct and on cross-examination which tended to cast some question on his story. Dr. Duncan could not be cross-examined concerning the correctness of those facts, and this demonstrates the soundness of the rule concerning the admission of hearsay testimony. No attempt has been made to exhaust the showing of how and in what manner the hearsay testimony of Dr. Duncan was prejudicial. The above is sufficient.
In the motion for new trial respondent places substantial reliance on Corley v. Andrews, Mo.App., 349 S.W.2d 395, 401, which was published subsequent to the preparation of the principal opinion. It was there held that the fact that a doctor, testifying as an expert witness, was permitted to testify as to what plaintiff told him concerning events, complaints and symptoms occurring prior to the doctor’s examination could not in that particular case be said to have been prejudicial because the “evidence was cumulative merely,” a phrase which we think is misleading because in some situations improper cumulative evidence can be prejudicial, and because “the testimony was offered to prove that plaintiff had suffered a myocardial infarction, a fact over which there was no real dispute.” Corley v. Andrews should not be construed to extend the rule of non-prejudicial error beyond its application to the particular facts of that case.
Magill v. Boatmen’s Bank, 288 Mo. 489, 232 S.W. 448, 450, 451, is particularly appropriate to this case. There error was assigned “in admitting the testimony of Dr. Fry, detailing what plaintiff said she had suffered prior to his examination of her.” It was held that the “assaulted portion of Dr. Fry’s testimony was erroneous and constitutes reversible error.” In that case, as here, it was contended on motion for rehearing that the error “resulted in no harm to appellant, as the same facts * * * have been proven by other witnesses.” In a per curiam to that case it was pointed out that the plaintiff’s testimony “was not the same class of evidence sought to be shown by the testimony of Dr. Fry. In other words, the * * * testimony of plaintiff should be classed as direct evidence, while that of Dr. Fry is considered expert evidence.” It was further pointed out that “when counsel introduce a noted specialist, or one standing high in his profession, the jury are expected [at least by the counsel who offers the specialist as a witness] to give his testimony full credit in passing upon plaintiff’s compensation [and we add, the cause of his injury]. If it is based upon matters prohibited by law, and timely objections have been made to its introduction, it becomes the plain duty of this court to reverse and remand the cause for a new trial.” If, as respondent argues, the doctor’s opinion is the important thing, then there is a well-established proper procedure for getting that opinion before the jury for its consideration, but the impressive testimony of an expert witness should not be used, by the *324employment'of improper hearsay testimony, to bolster the proof of disputed essential facts.
Respondent’s motions for rehearing and in the alternative to transfer the cause to the court en banc are overruled.