Labat v. Rayner

District Court, E.D. Louisiana·Decided August 26, 2021·No. 2:20-cv-00447·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA

DENIRA M. LABAT, et al. CIVIL ACTION

VERSUS NO. 20-447

SYDNEY M. RAYNER, et al. SECTION M (5)

ORDER & REASONS Before the Court are the motions in limine of plaintiffs Denira Labat and Sean Esprit (together, “Plaintiffs”) to exclude reports of defendants’ experts,1 to exclude any reference to Esprit’s criminal history, arrest, or conviction,2 and to exclude any reference to Esprit’s subsequent accident history.3 Also before the Court are Defendants’ motions in limine to limit testimony of Plaintiffs’ treating physicians,4 to limit and/or exclude medical records,5 and to quash trial subpoenas.6 Having considered the parties’ memoranda, the record, and the applicable law, the Court issues this Order & Reasons. I. BACKGROUND This case arises from a car accident involving an attempted left turn. On October 27, 2018, Labat was driving her brother, Esprit, home from his grandmother’s funeral repast in a 2006 Acura TL. She was proceeding south (toward downtown) on St. Bernard Avenue, a divided street with a median. Rayner was visiting New Orleans for the first time to attend a music festival. She was

1 R. Doc. 50. 2 R. Doc. 51. Defendants Sydney M. Rayner, Michael Bell, and Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company (“Metropolitan”) (collectively, “Defendants”) oppose the motion. R. Doc. 71. 3 R. Doc. 52. Defendants oppose the motion. R. Doc. 72. 4 R. Doc. 53. Plaintiffs ostensibly oppose the motion, R. Doc. 75, although their opposition seems more directed to Defendants’ motion to limit and/or exclude medical records, R. Doc. 54. The Court has considered it in connection with both motions. 5 R. Doc. 54. 6 R. Doc. 55. driving Bell’s Ford F-150 truck on A.P. Tureaud Avenue, which dead-ends into St. Bernard from the east. Rayner failed to stop in the crossing or to yield to approaching southbound traffic on St. Bernard. Instead, in “one continuous motion,” having crossed the northbound lane of St. Bernard, she continued through the median, without stopping or yielding, turning left onto St. Bernard (into the southbound lane of traffic). As a consequence, the front of Rayner’s truck struck the rear

driver’s side of Labat’s passing car, causing it to spin 360˚ counterclockwise before coming to a stop. Plaintiffs allege that they sustained injuries as a result of the accident. This Court granted Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment explaining that “[a]s the sole proximate and legal cause of the accident, Rayner bears complete fault for it.”7 In preparation for trial on the remaining issue of damages, the parties filed various evidentiary motions which will be considered in turn. II. LAW & ANALYSIS A. Motion in limine to exclude reports of Defendants’ experts, R. Doc. 50 In their motion, Plaintiffs seek to exclude the independent medical examination reports and resume of Dr. Everett Robert, and the expert reports and resumes of Ian Hegwood/Hegwood &

Company, LLC and John W. Theriot, Johnathon A. Stolz and Jason R. Shellhaas of Malcolm M. Dienes, LLC.8 Plaintiffs argue these reports constitute inadmissible hearsay.9 Defendants do not oppose the motion. Hearsay, an out-of-court statement offered “in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted in the statement,” cannot be admitted at trial. Fed. R. Evid. 801(c), 802. “Expert reports are hearsay because they are out of court statements offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted.” Marquette Transp. Co. v. Eagle Subaru, 2010 WL 1558921, at *3 (E.D. La. Apr. 15,

7 R. Doc. 41 at 13. 8 R. Doc. 50-1 at 2 (citing R. Doc. 48 at 15). 9 Id. at 2-3. 2010). “‘As a general rule, expert reports are hearsay, and therefore generally not admissible as exhibits, although they may be the subject of testimony and might be used to impeach a witness or refresh a witness’ recollection.’” Assoc. Terminals of St. Bernard, LLC v. Potential Shipping HK Co., 2018 WL 947660, at *4 (E.D. La. Feb. 16, 2018) (quoting Flowers v. Striplin, 2003 WL 25683914, at *1 (E.D. La. May 22, 2003)) (alteration omitted). Because the expert reports

constitute inadmissible hearsay, they are excluded. B. Motion in limine to exclude any reference to plaintiff’s criminal history, arrest, or conviction, R. Doc. 51

Plaintiffs move “to exclude any testimony, evidence, argument, or reference regarding Mr. Esprit’s criminal history, arrest, or conviction.”10 Plaintiffs argue that such information is inadmissible character evidence and has no bearing on this trial, which is limited to the determination of the injuries he (and Labat) suffered.11 In opposition, Defendants argue that this motion is premature and must be reserved for trial to determine if the history is relevant.12 However, Defendants state that they “will agree not to introduce Dr. Robert’s report at trial or have Dr. Robert testify to any matter regarding this criminal history, arrest or conviction that is not relevant or subject to the Permitted Uses under FRCP 404(b)(2).”13 Rule 403 of the Federal Rules of Evidence states that a court may exclude relevant evidence “if its probative value is substantially outweighed by a danger of one or more of the following: unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, [or] misleading the jury.”14 “Evidence of a person’s

10 R. Doc. 51-1 at 1. 11 Id. at 3. 12 R. Doc . 71 at 1-2. 13 Id. 14 See also Fed. R. Evid. 609 advisory committee note to 1990 amendment (the amended rule, which addresses impeachment by evidence of a criminal conviction, “reflects the view that it is desirable to protect all litigants from the unfair use of prior convictions, and that the ordinary balancing test of Rule 403, which provides that evidence shall not be excluded unless its prejudicial effect substantially outweighs its probative value, is appropriate for assessing the admissibility of prior convictions for impeachment of any witness other than a criminal defendant”). character or character trait is not admissible to prove that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character or trait.” Fed. R. Evid. 404(a)(1). Similarly, “[e]vidence of any other crime, wrong, or act is not admissible to prove a person’s character in order to show that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character.” Id. 404(b)(1). However, such evidence can be admissible “for another purpose, such as proving motive, opportunity, intent,

preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident.” Id. 404(b)(2). Rule 609 outlines the rules for “attacking a witness’s character for truthfulness by evidence of a criminal conviction.” Regardless of the length of the underlying crime’s punishment, the criminal conviction “must be admitted if the court can readily determine that establishing the elements of a crime required proving – or the witness’s admitting – a dishonest act or false statement.” Id. 609(a)(2). Although Defendants have not explained how Esprit’s criminal history may be relevant, because he will be a witness at trial, it is proper to defer ruling on this issue until trial so the Court can make a decision on the question with the benefit of context. There may be instances when

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