Britt v. Chrysler Corp

In Britt v. Chrysler Corp., 699 So. 2d 179 (Ala.1997) the Civil Court of Appeals of Alabama affirmed the trial court's exclusion of a plaintiff's expert testimony in an air bag case because the expert did not provide an adequate explanation for the basis of his opinion. During his deposition, the expert conceded that he had not (1) been to the scene of the accident, (2) seen the car involved in the accident, (3) known the speed plaintiff was traveling before the crash, (4) known the angle of the impact of the crash, nor (5) known the cause of the plaintiff's injuries. 699 So. 2d at 180-82. Although the expert submitted a post-deposition affidavit that contradicted his deposition testimony, the appellate court concluded that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in excluding the opinion on the ground that the expert had failed to offer an adequate explanation for his "opinion that the air bag system was dangerous and defective." Id.