Supreme Court of Rhode Island
Paula A. Beaton v. Philip Malouin
April 8, 20042004 R.I. LEXIS 72
Summary
The court reversed a defense judgment in a negligence action and ordered a new trial. It held that the trial justice improperly excluded an expert's line-of-sight testimony because the expert's assumptions affected the testimony's weight rather than its admissibility, and improperly excluded the defendant's interrogatory answers because they were party admissions not requiring a formal foundation. No separate opinions were filed.
Holding
- Admissibility of the expert's line-of-sight opinion. The trial justice abused her discretion by excluding the expert's line-of-sight testimony, diagrams, and calculations. The testimony was sufficiently testable and relevant to the defendant's alleged negligence, and the expert's underlying assumptions went to the weight of the opinion rather than its admissibility.
- Admissibility of interrogatory answers containing party admissions. The defendant's interrogatory answers were admissible without a formal foundation because they were admissions of a party opponent, and the trial justice abused her discretion by refusing to allow their limited introduction before the plaintiff rested.
Docket 2003-45-Appeal
Cited authorities
- Rule 403 of the Rhode Island Rules of Evidence
- Rule 702 of the Rhode Island Rules of Evidence
- Rule 33(b)
- Rule 613 of the Rhode Island Rules of Evidence
- Rule 33(b)
- Rule 613(b)
- Rule 613(b)
- Rule 801(d)(2)