Speight v. Mahalis

8 Pa. D. & C.5th 49
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedMay 28, 2008
Docketno. 1499
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 8 Pa. D. & C.5th 49 (Speight v. Mahalis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Speight v. Mahalis, 8 Pa. D. & C.5th 49 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2008).

Opinion

MASSIAH-JACKSON, J.,

At the conclusion of a jury trial in July 2007, plaintiff Edward Speight Jr. was awarded $75,000. Plaintiff, Ms. Lachette Smith was awarded $50,000. The litigation ensued as a result of a motor vehicle accident wherein defendant-driver, William Whitlock, hit the plaintiffs’ vehicle which had been stopped at a red light in Philadelphia. Both plaintiffs suffered injuries as a result of the impact.

Because Mr. Whitlock died prior to trial, the estate of Mr. Whitlock filed a pretrial motion in limine to preclude trial testimony from any person with an interest adverse to the interest of the decedent. Dead Man’s Act, 432 Pa.C.S. §5930. That motion was granted by the trial court.

Defendant-appellant’s position is that the plaintiffs should not have been permitted to present any trial witnesses. This appeal from the order denying defendants’ post-trial motions has been filed. See exhibit “A”, attached hereto.

In accordance with Rule 1925(a) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure, this court respectfully submits to the Superior Court the memorandum in support of order denying the defendants’ post-trial motions, dated March 27,2008, as the reasons for the ruling. See exhibit “B”, attached hereto.

[51]*51EXHIBIT “A”

ORDER

And now, March 27, 2008, after considering the motions for post-trial relief filed by the defendants, and the plaintiffs’ response thereto, and for the reasons set forth in the memorandum filed this date, it is hereby ordered that all of the defendants’ motions are denied.

Judgment is entered in favor of Edward Speight Jr. in the amount of $75,000. Judgment is entered in favor of Lachette Smith in the amount of $50,000.

EXHIBIT “B”

MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF ORDER DENYING THE DEFENDANTS’ POST-TRIAL MOTIONS

MASSIAH-JACKSON, 1, March 27,2008 — Following a motor vehicle collision in July 2004, plaintiffs, Edward Speight Jr. and Ms. Lachette Smith, commenced this litigation in June 2006. The defendant-driver, William Whitlock, died on April 17,2006. Accordingly, the caption reflects that the co-executors and the estate of Mr. Whitlock are named defendants.

The trial testimony was presented on July 16, 2007. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Mr. Speight in the amount of $75,000 and in favor of Ms. Smith in the amount of $50,000.

The estate filed post-trial motions urging a new trial. After receipt of the trial transcript, the parties submitted [52]*52post-trial memoranda in support of their positions. The parties agreed to waive oral argument.

For all of the reasons which follow, the estate’s motions for post-trial relief are denied.

A. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On July 18, 2004, the plaintiffs, Mr. Edward Speight and his friend, Ms. Lachette Smith, were in their automobile which was stopped at a red light on Port Royal Avenue in Philadelphia. William Whitlock was driving on Henry Avenue and attempted, to make a left turn onto Port Royal Avenue. Mr. Whitlock hit the plaintiffs’ vehicle.

An ambulance and police arrived. Both plaintiffs were transported to nearby Roxborough Memorial Hospital. N.T. 58. X-rays were taken and medications prescribed for both individuals. They were released from the hospital. Both plaintiffs continued out-patient treatments and physical therapy with Dr. John Bowden.

One month prior to trial, counsel met with the trial court to discuss the litigation. Each side submitted a memorandum to comment on the applicability of the Dead Man’s Act, 42 Pa.C.S. §5930, to this case. N.T. 5-6, July 16, 2007.

The estate’s motion in limine sought to preclude testimony from any person with an adverse interest. This trial court granted the defense motion in limine. No person with an interest adverse to the decedent testified about the circumstances of the accident. N.T. 5-6.

[53]*53B. LEGAL DISCUSSION

Pennsylvania’s Dead Man’s Act states in pertinent part:

“42 Pa.C.S. §5930. Surviving party as witness, in case of death, mental incapacity, etc.
“. . . where any party to a thing or contract is dead, neither any surviving or remaining party to such thing or contract, nor any other person whose interest shall be adverse to the said right of such deceased ... shall be a competent witness to any matter occurring before the death of said party.”

The Act provides that one whose interest is adverse to the interest of a decedent is not a competent witness to any matter which occurred before the decedent’s death.

The estate has reiterated two reasons in support of its position that Police Officer Harmer and Dr. John Bowden should not have testified at trial. First, the defendant-estate contends that these two witnesses provided testimony adverse to the decedent and should have been precluded. The estate relies on Schroeder v. Jaquiss, 580 Pa. 381, 861 A.2d 885 (2004) and Anderson v. Hughes, 417 Pa. 87, 208 A.2d 789 (1965). Second, the defendant-estate contends that Rule 703 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence does not permit an expert witness to provide opinions and conclusions if the underlying facts upon which the opinions were based are inadmissible evidence.

On each occasion at the pretrial proceeding and in the motion in limine and at this post-trial juncture, these two [54]*54arguments proffered by the estate have been rejected because they are not consistent with Pennsylvania law.

1. Police Officer Harmer Was Qualified To Reconstruct the Circumstances of the Auto Accident

Despite the earlier rulings of the trial court, counsel for the estate objected to the police officer’s expertise in front of the jury and in the middle of plaintiffs’ counsel’s opening statement. Compare, N.T. 6 and N.T. 25, July 16, 2007. The objection again specifically challenged whether or not the investigating officer could render his conclusions as an expert witness. The court ruled that with the proper foundation, the officer would be qualified as an expert. N.T. 25, 100.

Rule 703 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence states:

“The facts or data in the particular case upon which an expert bases an opinion or inference may be those perceived by or made known to the expert at or before the hearing. If of a type reasonably relied upon by experts in the particular field in forming opinions or inferences upon the subject, the facts or data need not be admissible in evidence.”

The law permits an expert to express an opinion based on information and materials not admissible into evidence if they are of a type which the expert would reasonably rely on in his profession. See Milan v. PennDOT, 153 Pa. Commw. 276, 287-88, 620 A.2d 721, 727 (1993), alloc. denied, 535 Pa. 650, 633 A.2d 154 (1993) accident reconstruction; Bernstein, 2007 Pa. Rules of Evidence, comment 5(d) and (e) to Pa.R.E. 703 (Gann).

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8 Pa. D. & C.5th 49, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/speight-v-mahalis-pactcomplphilad-2008.