Stacie Cavner, Apps/x-resps v. Continental Motors Inc., Resp/x-app ( 2019 )

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
STACIE CAVNER and PRESTON No. 76178-1-1
CAVNER, husband and wife, and
parents of HUDSON CAVNER and DIVISION ONE
MYLES CAVNER, minors; RACHEL
ZIENTEK, a single woman; TAMMY UNPUBLISHED OPINION
ZIENTEK and MICHAEL ZIENTEK,
husband and wife, and parents of
Rachel Zientek; THE ESTATE OF
MYLES CAVNER, by its personal
representative CAROLANN O'BRIEN
STORLI; CAROLANN O'BRIEN
STORLI, as litigation guardian ad Litem
for HUDSON CAVNER, a minor,
Appellants/Cross-Respondents,
V.
CONTINENTAL MOTORS, INC., a
foreign corporation,
Respondent/Cross-Appellant,
NORTHWEST SEAPLANES, INC., a
Washington corporation; and ACE
AVIATION, INC., a Washington
corporation,
Defendants. FILED: March 18, 2019
•
ANDRUS, J. — Preston Cavner, his wife, son, and babysitter were seriously
injured, and another son killed, when the single-engine Cessna airplane Preston
piloted crashed on takeoff from an Anchorage, Alaska airport. Two families sued
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
STACIE CAVNER and PRESTON No. 76178-1-1
CAVNER, husband and wife, and
parents of HUDSON CAVNER and DIVISION ONE
MYLES CAVNER, minors; RACHEL
ZIENTEK, a single woman; TAMMY UNPUBLISHED OPINION
ZIENTEK and MICHAEL ZIENTEK,
husband and wife, and parents of
Rachel Zientek; THE ESTATE OF
MYLES CAVNER, by its personal
representative CAROLANN O'BRIEN
STORLI; CAROLANN O'BRIEN
STORLI, as litigation guardian ad Litem
for HUDSON CAVNER, a minor,
Appellants/Cross-Respondents,
V.
CONTINENTAL MOTORS, INC., a
foreign corporation,
Respondent/Cross-Appellant,
NORTHWEST SEAPLANES, INC., a
Washington corporation; and ACE
AVIATION, INC., a Washington
corporation,
Defendants. FILED:
ANDRUS, J. — Preston Cavner, his wife, son, and babysitter were seriously
injured, and another son killed, when the single-engine Cessna airplane Preston
piloted crashed on takeoff from an Anchorage, Alaska airport. Two families sued
No. 76178-1-1/2
the aircraft engine manufacturer, Continental Motors, Inc. (CMI), under
Washington's Product Liability Act, Chapter 7.72 RCW, alleging design and
manufacturing defect claims and a failure to warn claim. After CMI alleged that
pilot error caused the crash, Stacie, Hudson, and Myles's estate asserted a
contingent cross-claim against Preston.
The trial court dismissed the design defect claim based on Estate of Becker
v. Avco Corp., 192 Wash. App. 65, 365 P.3d 1273 (2015)(holding airplane design
defect claim preempted by federal aviation law). The parties tried the
manufacturing defect and failure to warn claims against CMI and the cross-claim
against Preston. The jury exonerated CMI of any liability and found Preston 100
percent at fault for the crash.
Plaintiffs appeal, seeking a new trial on all claims, and CMI cross-appeals
certain legal rulings in the event we remand any claim for trial.
We reverse the dismissal of Plaintiffs' design defect claim. We affirm the
jury's finding that Preston was negligent and that his negligence was a proximate
cause of the crash. We affirm the jury's findings for CMI on the manufacturing
defect and failure to warn claims. We remand for a trial limited to the question of
whether CMI's engine was not reasonably safe as designed, whether any design
defect was a proximate cause of the crash, and if so, how much fault to allocate
between CMI and Preston Cavner.
FACTS
Stacie and Preston Cavner own a lodge in remote Alaska. Preston, a
licensed pilot, regularly flew to the lodge from an Anchorage, Alaska airport. In
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March 2010, Preston purchased a 1976 Cessna U206F airplane in Washington for
his family's use at the lodge. The Cessna had a six cylinder engine, model no.
10-520-F, manufactured by Alabama-based CMI.
Because the Cessna U206F is considered a "high performance airplane,"
Preston needed additional instruction before he could obtain a Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) endorsement to act as pilot in command of this model of
plane. Preston hired an instructor to travel with him as he flew the plane from
Washington to Alaska to provide the requisite instruction. Preston experienced no
problems with the plane's engine while en route to Alaska. He then used the plane
almost daily between March 2010 and June 1, 2010, without incident.
On May 31, 2010, Preston and his family flew to Anchorage to pick up
Rachel Zientek, a 16-year-old family friend who planned to stay with them for the
summer to look after the children. The following day, Preston loaded the plane
with lumber, tile, grout, groceries, luggage, and other family possessions to deliver
to the lodge. He fueled the plane and loaded his passengers. Stacie sat in the
front passenger seat, holding Myles, age 4, in her lap. Rachel sat in the seat
behind Preston, holding Hudson, age 2, in her lap.
On takeoff, the plane lifted off, flew approximately one half mile, and
crashed into an abandoned building. A fire engulfed the plane, killing Myles.
Stacie sustained a collapsed lung, and severe burns over her entire body, leading
to the amputation of her legs below the knee and of a part of her right hand.
Hudson sustained severe burns on his head, ear, shoulder,forearm, left hand, and
right foot. Preston had extensive facial injuries and burns to his legs, and lost the
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No. 76178-1-1/4
sight in his right eye. Rachel's injuries included vertebral fractures, third degree
burns to her arms, and more severe burns to her legs, specifically her feet and
ankles, which resulted in removal of all ten toes.
In May 2012, Plaintiffs, Preston, Stacie, and Hudson Cavner, the Estate of
Myles Cavner, Rachel Zientek, the babysitter, and her parents, Tammy and
Michael Zientek, filed suit against CM1.1 They alleged that CMI was liable for the
plane crash because the engine components were not safe as designed or
manufactured, and that CMI failed to provide adequate instructions on how to
properly test for adequate compression in the engine's cylinders. Plaintiffs also
named as defendants Ace Aviation, Inc. and Northwest Seaplanes, alleging they
failed to detect unreasonably low compression in the engine's cylinders during
inspections. Plaintiffs settled with these defendants before trial.
CMI contended Preston overloaded the plane, failed to load it properly to
ensure an appropriate center of gravity, failed to secure the load which shifted
during the crash, pinning the passengers, and misused the wing flaps during
takeoff. CMI alleged Preston's negligence was the sole cause of the crash. Stacie,
Hudson, and Myles's estate filed a contingent cross-claim against Preston.2
Before trial, this court held that a claim of design defect in an aircraft fuel
system was preempted by federal law. Becker, 192 Wash. App. at 79. Based on the
1 Where necessary, this opinion refers to the plaintiffs by their first names for convenience
and clarity.
2 The Zienteks did not assert a cross-claim against Preston because they sued Preston in
state court in Texas and settled their claims in 2012.
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No. 76178-1-1/5
Court of Appeals decision in Becker, the trial court dismissed Plaintiffs' design
defect claim, and excluded evidence of engine design defects as irrelevant, except
as relevant to the Plaintiffs' failure to warn claim.
During a three-month trial, the parties presented competing experts who
opined on the existence of manufacturing defects, the adequacy of CMI's
instructions to mechanics for diagnosing cylinder compression problems, and
causation.
Plaintiffs' manufacturing defect claim was based on expert testimony that
there were metal "burrs" (sharp metal edges) in check ball housings in the
cylinders, a defect in the manufacturing process. Their experts testified that the
presence of burrs violated CMI's design specifications. They opined that burrs
break off and lodge between the check ball and its seat, making the valves
inoperable. One expert, Donald Sommer, testified the metal burrs caused the
valves in Preston's engine to seal improperly, leading to a loss of,engine power
and ultimately the crash.
CMI presented evidence that a post-crash examination of the check ball
housings revealed no burrs present in the cylinders. CMI's experts testified that
even if burrs were present, they would have been caught in the engine's oil filter
and would have been too small to cause engine failure.
Plaintiffs based their failure to warn claim on CMI's decision to depart from
an aviation industry compression test and to develop its own protocol for evaluating
the adequacy of cylinder compression in its engine. Plaintiffs' experts opined that
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No. 76178-1-1/6
CMI failed to warn of compression problems with this model of engine and that
CM! promoted the use of an unsafe compression testing protocol.
CM! disputed Plaintiffs' evidence that its compression testing protocol was
inadequate. It presented evidence that the protocol was supported by engineering
tests, had been approved by the FAA, and had been in use for decades.
The parties also disputed the cause of the plane crash. Plaintiffs' experts
testified that Preston's Cessna crashed because the engine lost cylinder
compression and could not develop full power. They attributed the loss of
compression to defective valve lifters and the presence of burrs in the check ball
housings. But CMI presented expert testimony that post-crash testing proved the
engine had the capability of developing full power, and that the valve lifters
operated without problems. CM! also presented testimony from several
eyewitnesses of the crash who did not see or hear anything suggesting the plane
lost power while in flight.
To support its claim that pilot error caused the crash, CMI presented
evidence that Preston loaded the Cessna in excess of the maximum allowable
gross takeoff weight of 3,600 pounds, violating FAA regulations and the pilot
operating handbook for this plane.3 CMI also presented evidence that Preston
failed to calculate the center of gravity and failed to balance the load to maintain
the appropriate center of gravity.
3 Like an automobile manual, each plane has a flight manual, or pilot operating handbook,
unique to the plane it accompanies.
6
No. 76178-1-1/7
Plaintiffs' experts did not dispute that Preston overloaded the plane. While
they disagreed as to the exact weight of the fully loaded plane, all agreed the plane,
with passengers and cargo, was at least 471 pounds overweight. Nevertheless,
the parties disputed whether Preston's overloading the Cessna rendered the plane
unsafe to fly. CMI's experts testified that the FAA, by setting a maximum takeoff
weight of 3,600 pounds, determined flying that model of plane above its weight
limit was not safe. Plaintiffs' experts disagreed that the plane was unsafe to fly
and testified that Preston's overloading the plane did not cause the accident.
CMI's experts also testified that Preston's use of wing flaps during takeoff
contributed to the crash. Preston testified he set the wing flaps at 30 degrees on
takeoff. According to CMI's experts, the maximum flap angle allowed by the FAA
on takeoff is 20 degrees if the plane is at or below the maximum gross takeoff
weight. Further complicating the situation, Preston had hired a mechanic to install
a fiberglass exterior cargo carrier, known as a "belly pod," on his plane. The belly
pod manufacturer issued a supplemental pilot operating handbook that specified
the maximum flap deflection on takeoff for a plane modified with its belly pod could
be no greater than 10 degrees for any takeoff weight in excess of 3,450 pounds.
Preston did not follow this operating procedure.
While CMI presented evidence that operating the plane with 30 degrees of
flap angle rendered the plane unsafe and unairworthy, Plaintiffs' experts testified
that a Cessna U206F equipped with a belly pod is capable of flying safely with 30
degrees of flap. Plaintiffs' experts also opined that misuse of the flaps on takeoff
did not cause the accident.
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No. 76178-1-1/8
The jury found against Plaintiffs on their manufacturing defect and failure to
warn claims. It found no negligence on the part of Stacie, and found Preston 100
percent at fault for the crash. The jury found the Plaintiffs had the following
damages: $4,265,768 for Hudson, $3,785,621 for Rachel, $1 million for each of
Rachel's parents, $493,000 for Myles's estate, $4,119,724 for Preston, and
$6,086,705 for Stacie. The trial court entered judgments in favor of the Cavner
family members against Preston. Plaintiffs' claims against CM! were dismissed.
ANALYSIS
A. Dismissal of Desipn Defect Claim
After trial, the Washington Supreme Court reversed Becker, holding the
Federal Aviation Act and FAA regulations did not preempt design defect claims
under Washington's Product Liability Act. Estate of Becker v. Avco Corp., 187
Wash. 2d 615, 623-24, 387 P.3d 1066 (2017). Because the law changed between
the time of trial and this appeal, we conclude Plaintiffs' design defect claim must
be reinstated.
CMI argues remand is not warranted because the jury determined Preston's
negligence was the sole cause of the crash, and Plaintiffs cannot, as a matter of
law, establish any design defect proximately caused the crash. But the jury's
proximate cause finding would preclude remand only if we could conclude the
jury's finding would have been the same had the design defect claim been
presented to it. See McDaniel v. City of Seattle, 65 Wash. App. 360, 369, 828 P.2d
81(1992)(jury finding of probable cause to arrest plaintiff rendered dismissal of
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No. 76178-1-1/9
malicious prosecution claim harmless error because jury's finding went to element
of dismissed claim). We cannot reach such a conclusion here.4
Plaintiffs alleged the engine's cylinders and valve lifters were defective in
design. Although some of this evidence may have been presented at trial in the
context of the experts' discussion of the failure to warn claim and causation, the
jury rendered no finding as to the existence of a design defect. The jury was only
asked whether the engine was "not reasonably safe in construction" based on a
manufacturing defect claim under RCW 7.72.030(2). Plaintiffs' design defect claim
arose under RCW 7.72.030(1). The standard jury instructions for manufacturing
defect claims and design defect claims differ materially. See 6 WASHINGTON
PRACTICE: WASHINGTON PATTERN JURY INSTRUCTIONS: CIVIL 110.01, 110.02 (6th ed.
2017). The jury was not asked whether CM l's engine was "not reasonably safe as
designed." Therefore, we cannot conclude as a matter of law that the jury's
causation finding precludes Plaintiffs' design defect claim. Without knowing
whether the jury would have found a design defect, we cannot assume the jury
would have determined that such a design defect, if any, was not a proximate
cause of the crash.
Plaintiffs argue if we remand the design defect claim for trial, we must
vacate the jury's determination that Preston was 100 percent at fault for the crash
because the jury was not asked to compare his fault with that of CMI in the context
4 At oral argument, the parties contested whether the evidence supporting Plaintiffs' design
and manufacturing defect claims was the same. After oral argument, Plaintiffs moved for leave to
supplement the clerk's papers with a copy of CMI's Motion to Determine that Federal Law Applies
to the Standard of Care. We hereby grant that motion.
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No. 76178-1-1/10
of an alleged design defect. We agree. Generally, where two issues are so
intertwined a jury could not fairly decide one in isolation without danger of injustice
to the other, the new trial must be had on both issues. Walker v. State, 67 Wn.
App.611,622, 837 P.2d 1023(1992), rev'd on other grounds, 121 Wn.2d 214,848
P.2d 721 (1993). Here, if a jury determines a design defect exists and that defect
was a proximate cause of the crash, the jury must also determine the appropriate
allocation of fault between CMI and Preston. Vacating the jury allocation of fault
against Preston does not lead us to reverse any of the jury's other findings. We
address the appropriate scope of remand below.
B. Choice of Law
Because we reinstate the design defect claim, we must address CMI's
cross-appeal on the appropriate choice of law. CM! contends the trial court erred
in applying Washington law to this case. This court conducts a de novo review of
a trial court's decision regarding its conflict of law analysis. Williams v. Leone &
Keeble, Inc., 170 Wash. App. 696, 704, 285 P.3d 906 (2012).
CM! argues Alaska law should govern because the place of injury is
presumptively conclusive. We disagree. Washington has abandoned the lex loci
delicti rule and follows the "most significant relationship test"from the Restatement
(Second) of Conflict of Laws. Singh v. Edward Lifesciences Corp., 151 Wash. App.
137, 143, 210 P.3d 337 (2009); Zenaida-Garcia v. Recovery Sys. Tech., Inc.,
128 Wash. App. 256, 261-62, 115 P.3d 1017 (2005).
Under this test, when a conflict exists, Washington courts decide which law
applies by determining which jurisdiction has the most significant relationship to a
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No. 76178-1-1/11
given issue. Singh, 151 Wash. App. at 143. There is an actual conflict here because
Alaska has abolished joint liability, Alaska Stat. § 09.17.080(d), while Washington
law provides for joint liability in cases where the plaintiffs are fault-free,
RCW 4.22.070. Alaska also caps noneconomic damages, while Washington does
not. Compare Alaska Stat. § 09.17.010 (capping noneconomic damages in
personal injury cases resulting in severe permanent physical impairment or
disfigurement to $1 million or $25,000 multiplied by the person's life expectancy,
whichever is greater), with Sofie v. Fibreboard Corp., 112 Wash. 2d 636, 669, 771
P.2d 711 (1989) (holding cap on noneconomic damages unconstitutional under
article I, section 21 of Washington State Constitution).
Because there is an actual conflict in applicable law, we must evaluate the
contacts both quantitatively and qualitatively. Woodward v. Taylor, 184 Wash. 2d
911, 917, 366 P.3d 432 (2016); Singh, 151 Wash. App. at 143. We evaluate the
contacts for their relative importance to the issue, including "(a) the place where
the injury occurred, (b) the place where the conduct causing the injury occurred,
(c)the domicile, residence, nationality, place of incorporation and place of
business of the parties, and (d) the place where the relationship, if any, between
the parties is centered." Zenaida-Garcia, 128 Wash. App. at 260 (quoting Johnson
v. Spider Staging Corp., 87 Wash. 2d 577, 581, 555 P.2d 997(1976)). "If the contacts
are evenly balanced, the second step of the analysis involves an evaluation of the
interests and public policies of the concerned states to determine which state has
the greater interest in determination of the particular issue." Id. at 260-61.
No. 76178-1-1/12
Although the injuries occurred in Alaska, which weighs in favor of Alaska
law, the parties dispute where the "conduct causing the injury" occurred. Plaintiffs
contend CMI's defectively designed products, the engine cylinders, were shipped
to and installed in Preston's airplane in Washington. The evidence at trial indicated
that the prior owner, a Washington resident, had all six cylinders replaced with CMI
parts in 2005 in Washington. Plaintiffs argue introducing the defective cylinders
into the stream of commerce in Washington was the conduct causing the crash.
On the other hand, CM! argues Preston's negligence occurred in Alaska. In
Martin v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 114 Wash. App. 823, 61 P.3d 1196 (2003),
however, this court held that in product liability cases, we look to the conduct
alleged by the plaintiff and not the allegation of contributory negligence. The
defendant in that case, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, argued the motorists'
injuries and death were not caused by a defective commercial truck wheel but
were, instead, caused by the truck owner, Humbert Construction, overloading the
vehicle in Oregon. Id. at 830. The court stated, "Goodyear's arguments in favor
of Oregon law rely heavily on acts and omissions committed by Humbert, but
Humbert's acts and omissions are not relevant to this inquiry. Instead, we must
focus on the contacts pertinent to the products liability claims against Goodyear."
Id. (emphasis added). Thus, under Martin, the conduct causing Plaintiffs' injuries
was the design of an allegedly defective cylinder. That conduct occurred in
Alabama, not in Washington or Alaska. Therefore, this factor does not weigh in
favor of either party.
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No. 76178-1-1/13
As to residency, the Cavners are Alaska residents. The Zienteks are Texas
residents. CMI is an Alabama corporation. None of the parties to the appeal reside
or are domiciled in Washington. This factor seems to weigh against Washington.
The final factor is the place where the relationship of the parties "is
centered." Plaintiffs argue the relationship between CMI and the Plaintiffs is
centered in Washington because Preston purchased the plane in Washington,
CMI's allegedly defective cylinders were installed here, and Preston had the
engine's compression inspected here. The plane was flown for years in
Washington before being sold in this state, but then Preston flew the plane for
months in Alaska before the crash. We conclude these contacts seem to balance
each other out.
In Johnson, the Supreme Court indicated that we are not to merely count
contacts when assessing choice of law; we must instead consider which contacts
are the most significant. 87 Wash. 2d at 581. The most significant contacts appear
to be the place where the injuries occurred (Alaska), the place where the allegedly
defective product was installed in the plane (Washington), the place where the
allegedly defective product was purchased (Washington), the place where it was
used (Washington and Alaska), and the place where the majority of Plaintiffs reside
(Alaska). Under these facts, both Alaska and Washington have a relationship to
this lawsuit, and the contacts are evenly balanced.
Given this balance, we must evaluate which state has the greater interest
in the products liability dispute in light of the public policies at issue. We find
Johnson the most helpful here. In that case, a Kansas resident was killed when
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No. 76178-1-1/14
scaffolding designed and manufactured in Washington collapsed. 87 Wash. 2d at
578. Kansas law limited recovery to $50,000, while Washington allowed unlimited
recovery in a wrongful death action. j.çj. at 582.
The Supreme Court recognized that a state's interest in limiting wrongful
death damages is to protect defendants from excessive financial burdens and to
eliminate speculative claims and difficult computation issues. Id. at 582-83. It
concluded, however, that the interest was primarily local, meaning it was enacted
to protect its own residents. Id. at 583. But applying a Kansas law capping
damages would not protect any Kansas resident because the defendant was a
Washington company. Id. at 583-84.
On the other hand, the Supreme Court noted that Washington has a strong
deterrent policy of full compensation which would be advanced by the application
of its own of law. Id. at 583. "Unlimited recovery will deter tortious conduct and
will encourage respondents to make safe products for its customers." Id. And as
this court.recently recognized in Singh, the scaffolding company in Johnson sold
its products in all 50 states, only a few of which had limitations on wrongful death
recoveries, making it highly unlikely the manufacturer relied on the Kansas
limitation. Singh, 151 Wash. App. at 144.
In this case, Alaska law would limit Plaintiffs' ability to recover full
compensation for their injuries. Imposing Alaska's cap on damages would not
protect any Alaskan resident because CMI is an Alabama corporation. Under
Alaska law, Stacie's noneconomic damages would be capped at $1,079,750 and
Hudson's would be capped at $1.7 million. The jury awarded Stacie and Hudson
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No. 76178-1-1/15
$3 million and $2 million in noneconomic damages respectively. Applying Alaska
law to this case would harm, not benefit, Alaskan residents.
Moreover, CMI is one of the two primary aircraft engine manufacturers in
the world. It distributes engines not only in Washington and Alaska, but around
the world. Like the manufacturer in Johnson, CMI cannot argue it justifiably relied
on the damage cap under Alaska law when it chose to sell its engines in states
with no caps on noneconomic damages.
Under these facts, Washington's interest in providing full compensation to
tort victims and its interest in protecting persons from injuries from defective
products outweighs any interest Alaska might have in protecting an out-of-state
manufacturer whose product arrived in that state through the stream of commerce.
We,therefore, affirm the trial court's ruling that Washington law applies.
C. Evidentiary Issues
Plaintiffs challenge several evidentiary rulings on appeal. First, they argue
the jury's finding that Preston was negligent should be reversed because the trial
court erred in limiting evidence the aircraft could fly safely in an overloaded
condition and erred in admitting lay witness testimony that overloading the plane
caused the crash. Second, they seek a new trial on their failure to warn claim,
arguing the trial court abused its discretion in limiting the number of warranty
claims they could present to the jury. Finally, Plaintiffs contend the cumulative
effect of these alleged errors denied them a fair trial.
The standard of review for evidentiary rulings made by the trial court is
abuse of discretion. Peralta v. State, 187 Wash. 2d 888, 894, 389 P.3d 596 (2017).
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No. 76178-1-1/16
This court will reverse a trial court's evidentiary rulings only when no reasonable
person would take the view adopted by the trial court. Id.
1. FAA Ferry Permits and Pilot Testimony
Plaintiffs argue that the trial court erred in excluding evidence that the FAA
allowed Cessna U206 aircraft to be flown over the certified gross takeoff weight.
They contend they should have been allowed to present evidence the FAA issues
"ferry permits," under which pilots may overload this aircraft between 115 and 130
percent of the takeoff weight limit.
CMI moved pretrial to exclude any evidence of FAA ferry permits under ER
401 and 403. CMI argued FAA ferry permits are only available for Cessnas built
in the 1980s or later because those models were structurally stronger than the
1976 model Preston owned. The trial court granted the motion, reasoning that the
evidence had limited probative value because Preston's plane did not qualify for
such a permit, and the key issue was the capability of his plane to fly when
overloaded and not whether the FAA had issued permits to other planes to fly in
an overloaded state. The court deemed the prejudicial value of such evidence
outweighed its probative value.
During trial, Plaintiffs sought reconsideration of this ruling, arguing that CMI
had opened the door to ferry permits when CMI's expert, Douglas Marwill, testified
"[i]n this particular case[,] the FAA has determined that in flight at a weight beyond
3600 pounds is not a safe area to be in." Plaintiffs submitted two declarations from
expert Steve Meyers, challenging the factual assertion that Preston's plane could
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No. 76178-1-1/17
not have qualified for a ferry permit. CMI, in turn, submitted a declaration from
Marwill, contesting the factual basis for Meyers' opinions.
The trial court determined Marwill's testimony did not open the door to FAA
ferry permit evidence. It concluded the criteria for granting a ferry permit was
"really quite subjective. . . and I don't find that that is probative, that subjective
determination for another airplane is probative of the capacity of the Cavner
airplane to overcome the prejudicial nature of that testimony." The court ruled
Plaintiffs could present evidence "regarding the capacity of the Cavner airplane,
and if their expert is going to come in and say this airplane can fly above 3600
pounds gross weight for takeoff, they can."
On appeal, Plaintiffs contend their experts' testimony regarding the FAA
ferry permits was "conditionally relevant" and admissible under ER 104(b)to show
Preston's plane could have qualified for an FAA permit to fly as much as 130
percent overweight. They argue the trial court erroneously made the factual
determination that Preston's plane could not qualify for this permit as a matter of
law, instead of allowing the jury to make that determination.
We find no indication, however, that Plaintiffs ever raised ER 104(b) at the
trial court level as a basis for admitting ferry permit evidence. "A party may only
assign error in the appellate court on the specific ground of the evidentiary
objection made at trial." State v. Guloy, 104 Wash. 2d 412, 422, 705 P.2d 1182
(1985). By failing to raise an ER 104(b) objection at trial, Plaintiffs waived this
objection.
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No. 76178-1-1/18
The trial court balanced the probative value of the evidence that under
certain circumstances, the FAA might have granted Preston a permit to fly this
plane overweight, against the potential to mislead the jury into concluding the FAA
would have granted such a permit to do so as the plane was configured on June
1, 2010. Because a trial court has considerable discretion in administering ER
403, reversible error is found only in the exceptional circumstances of a manifest
abuse of discretion. Carson v. Fine, 123 Wash. 2d 206, 226, 867 P.2d 610 (1994).
Plaintiffs did raise ER 611 as a basis for questioning Marwill about FAA ferry
permits to impeach his opinion that the FAA determined flying a Cessna U206F in
excess of 3,600 pounds was unsafe. But courts have the discretion to deny cross-
examination if the evidence sought is speculative. Farah v. Hertz Transporting,
Inc., 196 Wash. App. 171, 187, 383 P.3d 552(2016), review denied sub nom., Farah
v. Hertz Transp., Inc., 187 Wash. 2d 1023, 390 P.3d 332 (2017). The trial court
essentially determined it was speculative to assume Preston could have qualified
his plane, as configured on the day of the accident, for an FAA ferry permit.
Additionally, Plaintiffs were able to effectively cross-examine Marwill even without
evidence of ferry permits. Plaintiffs elicited testimony from him that the Cessna
U206F was able to fly over the weight limitation without crashing. Marwill
conceded "the airplane could fly a few hundred pounds over gross weight." .
Moreover, Plaintiffs presented extensive evidence that the Cessna U206F
aircraft is a "workhorse," able to haul substantial loads and still perform well, that
Preston's plane was "more than capable" of climbing at that weight and
configuration, and that the plane actually flew for up to one half mile before
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No. 76178-1-1/19
crashing, despite being overloaded. Several experts testified that neither the
overweight condition of Preston's plane nor the manner in which Preston loaded it
caused the accident. Expert Donald Sommer testified the plane may not have
been "airworthy" as defined by the FAA, but the plane remained safe to fly.
Excluding evidence of FAA ferry permits did not preclude Plaintiffs from presenting
this evidence or from effectively cross-examining CMI experts. Thus, Plaintiffs
have not demonstrated any manifest abuse of discretion.
Plaintiffs also seek to reverse the finding of Preston's negligence based on
the exclusion of testimony from experienced pilots, Gary Graham and Jerry Wells,
who would have testified they regularly and safely fly Cessna U206 aircraft loaded
in excess of 3,600 pounds.
CMI also moved pretrial to exclude this evidence under ER 401 and 403. It
argued Graham's and Wells's testimony had limited probative value unless
Plaintiffs could establish the planes the pilots had flown were configured in a
substantially similar manner to Preston's plane. The court denied the motion,
ruling the pilots could testify if Plaintiffs could lay a foundation to show some link
between the pilots' opinions and the configuration of Preston's plane. The court
stated, "It doesn't have to have every bell and whistle that the Cavner plane had
on it, but it has to be a like scenario. In my mind that would include the significant
feature of the belly pod."
The parties revisited this issue during trial when Plaintiffs discussed the
scope of testimony from pilot Gary Graham. Plaintiffs stated Graham, an
experienced Alaskan pilot, would testify he had flown Cessna U206F aircraft many
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No. 76178-1-1/20
times in overweight conditions, including once with as much as 1,000 pounds over
the FAA maximum. He had not flown the plane with a belly pod but had observed
one being flown. Plaintiffs noted Graham would testify the presence of the belly
pod did not make any difference from his observation and experience. The trial
court explicitly ruled this testimony was permitted. Neither Graham nor Wells
testified at trial.
A trial court has the discretion to determine whether an expert witness's
experiences are substantially similar to those at issue at trial. Breimon v. Gen.
Motors Corp.,8 Wn.App. 747, 755-56, 509 P.2d 398(1973). Its decision will stand
unless there has been an abuse of discretion prejudicial to the losing party. Id.
Plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate any abuse of discretion in the trial
court's description of what was necessary to lay the proper foundation for the pilots'
testimony. Nor have Plaintiffs demonstrated any prejudice. Plaintiffs introduced
evidence from other pilots that the Cessna U206F aircraft, whether or not equipped
with a belly pod, is a workhorse, capable of flying safely in an overloaded condition.
In addition, Preston testified he was trained to load this plane 115 percent
overweight and flew his own plane routinely in an overloaded state without
incident. Kyle Walker, the mechanic who installed the belly pod and worked for
Preston for a short period of time, flew Preston's plane in what he thought was an
overloaded condition without incident.
Finally, Preston's expert, Steve Meyers, testified he conducted a test flight
with a Cessna U206F plane, equipped with a belly pod and loaded with as much
weight as Preston loaded onto his plane on the day of the accident. The test flight
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No. 76178-1-1/21
was videotaped and shown to the jury during trial. Meyers testified the test flight
demonstrated the plane could climb at a weight of 4,154 pounds, and he was able
to stabilize the plane in equilibrium and make turns in a helix pattern safely and
without incident. In their closing, Plaintiffs pointed out that even CMI's experts
admitted the plane could be safely flown in excess of 3,600 pounds. Plaintiffs have
not demonstrated an abuse of discretion or any prejudice from the trial court's
rulings relating to the proffered pilot testimony.
2. Lay Witness Testimony under ER 701(c)
Plaintiffs next ask us to reverse the jury's finding of Preston's negligence
because the trial court erred in admitting impermissible opinion testimony from 10
lay witnesses as to the cause of the crash.
ER 701 provides that if:
the witness is not testifying as an expert, the witness' testimony in
the form of opinions or inferences is limited to those opinions or
inferences which are (a) rationally based on the perception of the
witness,(b) helpful to a clear understanding of the witness'testimony
or the determination of a fact in issue, and (c) not based on scientific,
technical, or other specialized knowledge within the scope of rule
702.
When ruling on the admissibility of ER 701 opinion evidence, the court does not
abuse its discretion if the ruling "is fairly debatable." State v. King, 135 Wash. App.
662, 672, 145 P.3d 1224 (2006), abrogated on other grounds, State v. Schaler,
169 Wash. 2d 274, 236 P.3d 858 (2010). Even if a trial court errs in admitting lay
opinion testimony under ER 701, the admission of such evidence is subject to the
harmless error standard. Ashley v. Hall, 138 Wash. 2d 151, 158-59, 978 P.2d 1055
(1999).
- 21 -
No. 76178-1-1/22
Plaintiffs moved to exclude any opinions from eyewitnesses, many of whom
were experienced pilots or airplane mechanics. They argued CMI should be
prohibited from eliciting "opinion" testimony—such as "the plane was struggling to
take off"—from persons not properly identified in CMI's expert disclosures. CMI,
however, maintained the eyewitnesses should not be disqualified from testifying
about their impressions of the plane's takeoff simply because they had specialized
knowledge about some aspects of aviation.
The trial court refused to issue a blanket ruling about the appropriate scope
of eyewitness testimony because the parties planned to call most through video
depositions. The court reserved ruling until it could review the witnesses'
testimony. It provided a general guideline as to what it deemed appropriate
testimony from the eyewitnesses:
Generally speaking, eyewitnesses get to testify about what they
heard, what they saw,. . . .[T]hey can testify about some of their
impressions.
We used the term "struggling," but if, you know, if I see
someone driving up the hill and they're burning the clutch, I'd be able
to say,"They were struggling getting up the hill," right? But if they're
going to the next phase or the next tier which is, "Well, based on all
my years of experience as a pilot and seeing the nose up and the tail
down and hearing the engine, I concluded this plane was grossly
overloaded and the pilot was at fault," you're not going there with
your lay. . . witnesses or your eyewitnesses to the crash.
The trial court reviewed the parties' deposition designations and ruled on
objections. Plaintiffs asked the court to reconsider its ruling on objections to the
testimony of two witnesses, Carl Merculief and James Barbeau. The court denied
the motion except it excluded Merculief's testimony that typically a "stall attitude"
occurs when a plane is "too heavy" or "overloaded." CM, appears not to have
- 22 -
No. 76178-1-1/23
redacted this specific question and answer when it edited the video of Merculief's
testimony, and it seems that the jury heard the testimony despite the trial court's
ruling. But Plaintiffs did not object or move to strike the testimony. They argue on
appeal that "[a]ny motion to strike that one statement would have been pointless,
given the similar evidence allowed by the trial court, and would only have drawn
attention to that other evidence."
In general, lay opinion testimony should be excluded where the opinion
calls for that of an expert. Id. at 156. Lay witnesses, however, may testify about
their first-hand observations. Unger v. Cauchon, 118 Wash. App. 165, 177,73 P.3d
1005 (2003). At times, it can be difficult to describe an event without offering an
opinion or impression of what the witness saw or heard. As the Ninth Circuit noted:
We understand [ER] 701 to mean that "opinions of non-
experts may be admitted where the facts could not otherwise be
adequately presented or described to the jury in such a way as to
enable the jury to form an opinion or reach an intelligent conclusion.
If it is impossible or difficult to reproduce the data observed by the
witnesses, or the facts are difficult of explanation, or complex, or are
of a combination of circumstances and appearances which cannot
be adequately described and presented with the force and clearness
as they appeared to the witness, the witness may state his
impressions and opinions based on what he observed. It is a means
of conveying to the jury what the witness has seen or heard."
United States v. Yazzie, 976 F.2d 1252, 1255 (9th Cir. 1992)(alteration omitted)
(quoting United States v. Skeet, 665 F.2d 983, 985 (9th Cir. 1982)).
Plaintiffs argue if an opinion is based on a witness's specialized knowledge,
it is only admissible under ER 702 and is inadmissible under ER 701. The case
law, however, is not as definitive as Plaintiffs suggest. The line between what is
permissible lay opinion under ER 701 and what is opinion testimony ordinarily
- 23 -
No. 76178-1-1/24
expected only from a qualified expert under ER 702 is understandably difficult at
times to draw. See Asplundh Mfq. Div. v. Benton Harbor Eng'g, 57 F.3d 1190,
1199-1200 (3d Cir. 1995). The requirement that lay opinion testimony be "helpful
to a clear understanding of the witness's testimony," however, ensures that any
such opinion must be reliable. Id. at 1201. "In other words,[ER]701 requires that
a lay opinion witness have a reasonable basis grounded either in experience or
specialized knowledge for arriving at the opinion that he or she expresses." Id.
In addition, a lay witness's practical experience in a given area can provide
a basis for his or her opinion testimony. McInnis & Co., Inc. v. W.Tractor & Equip.
Co., 67 Wash. 2d 965, 970,410 P.2d 908(1966)(owner of company with knowledge
of composition, use, and operation of equipment permitted to express opinion as
to equipment's value). Furthermore, ER 701 gives the trial court considerable
discretion in deciding, on the basis offacts in each individual case, whether opinion
testimony would be helpful to the jury. 5B Karl B. Tegland, WASHINGTON PRAcTicE:
EVIDENCE LAW & PRACTICE § 701.7 (6th ed. 2016).
In this case, the trial court reviewed the deposition transcripts of all the
eyewitnesses and excluded any testimony that might have strayed into the area
reserved for expert witnesses under ER 701(c). None of the eyewitnesses
expressed any opinion as to the cause of the crash or any piloting errors. Most of
the testimony to which Plaintiffs object was simply witness recollections and
impressions of what they heard and saw on the day of the crash. Many of the
eyewitnesses had significant aviation experience, which given the location of the
crash, was not unexpected. While their impressions and observations benefitted
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No. 76178-1-1/25
from their piloting experience, none of them entered the realm of expert testimony
by opining as to the cause of the crash or piloting errors Preston may have
committed. The opinions were all rationally based on the witnesses' perceptions
and helpful to a clear understanding of the witnesses' testimony.
Plaintiffs' reliance on Prescott v. R&L Transfer, Inc., 111 F. Supp. 3d 650
(W.D. Pa. 2015), is misplaced. In that case, Prescott sustained injuries after the
tractor-trailer he was driving left the roadway and crashed into an embankment.
Id. at 653. Prescott alleged that an R&L employee, also driving a tractor-trailer,
forced him off the road and caused the accident. Id. Prescott sought to exclude
testimony from another R&L truck driver, Robert Thomas, who passed the scene
of the accident—traveling at 65 miles per hour—over nine hours after the accident
occurred. Id. at 658. At his deposition, Thomas testified that tire marks at the
scene of the accident were consistent with a driver falling asleep at the wheel. Id.
The court excluded this opinion under Rule 701. Id. First, it concluded that
Thomas did not have firsthand knowledge that the tire marks he saw originated
from Prescott's vehicle. Id. It ruled that his observations were insufficient to
provide the necessary basis for an opinion that Prescott fell asleep at the wheel.
Id. The court also concluded that because Thomas did not witness the accident,
his opinion as to whether the driver fell asleep at the wheel was not helpful to the
jury. Id. at 658-59.
This case is not analogous to Prescott. All the lay witnesses saw the plane,
either while taxiing, on takeoff, or in the air, on June 1, 2010. Each witness detailed
his or her observations. The fact that those observations were informed by
- 25 -
No. 76178-1-1/26
experience as a pilot or mechanic, or both, does not by default make them
inadmissible opinion testimony. Plaintiffs have not demonstrated an abuse of
discretion in the court's analysis under ER 701.
Even if the trial court erred in admitting the challenged evidence, Plaintiffs
have not established that the evidentiary rulings constitute reversible error. The
trial court correctly excluded as improper opinion testimony the statement from
Merculief that "[the plane] was in a stall attitude," and a stall "typically" occurs when
a plane is "too heavy" or "overloaded." CMI inadvertently failed to redact this
testimony during the editing process. But Plaintiffs made the strategic decision not
to request an instruction from the trial court for the jury to disregard this testimony.
Improper opinion testimony may be cured by instructing the jury to disregard the
improper testimony. State v. Hager, 171 Wash. 2d 151, 159, 248 P.3d 512 (2011).
Plaintiffs' failure to request such a curative instruction precludes assigning appeal
to the admission of Merculief's improper opinion testimony.
In addition, improperly admitted evidence is harmless if the error "is of minor
significance compared to the overall evidence as a whole." State v.
Evervbodvtalksabout, 145 Wash. 2d 456, 469, 39 P.3d 294 (2002). Merculief's
statement was of minor significance when compared to the overall evidence of
Preston's negligence. We conclude the trial court did not abuse its discretion in
admitting the lay witness testimony.
3. Exclusion of CMI Warranty Claims
Plaintiffs also seek a new trial on their failure to warn claim, arguing the trial
court erred in limiting the number and type of warranty claims Plaintiffs could
- 26 -
No. 76178-1-1/27
present to the jury. At trial, Plaintiffs offered 60 warranty claims CMI had received
over a period of 10 years to establish CMI was on notice of compression or lifter
problems in its engines. The court ruled that warranty claims would be admissible
if(1) the claim involved the 10-520F engine;(2) the engine had been installed in a
Cessna U206 aircraft; (3) the warranty claim identified either a compression issue
or a valve lifter issue; (4) CMI allowed repairs on the engine in response to the
claim; and (5) the warranty claim predated the June 1, 2010 accident. Ultimately,
the trial court admitted 22 of the 60 warranty claims Plaintiffs offered.
To prevail on their failure to warn claim under RCW 7.72.030(1)(c), Plaintiffs
had to prove that CMI knew or should have learned about a danger connected with
its product requiring the issuance of warnings or instructions concerning the
danger. In products liability cases, evidence of other accidents or claims may be
admissible to establish notice to the manufacturer of a particular danger. Davis v.
Globe Mach. Mfg. Co., 102 Wash. 2d 68, 77, 684 P.2d 692 (1984). Like other
evidentiary rulings, the admissibility of prior claims to show notice is left to the
discretion of the trial court. Id.
Plaintiffs contend the trial court erred in excluding warranty claims relating
to the same engine, model 10-520, simply because that engine had been installed
in a plane other than a Cessna U206. The alleged defect, they argue, was in the
engine, not in the plane. But the evidence was admissible for the limited purpose
of establishing CMI was on notice of the alleged defect. Plaintiffs do not explain
how the 38 excluded warranty claims would have notified CM! of a danger when
the 22 admitted warranty claims did not. The exclusion of cumulative evidence is
- 27 -
No. 76178-1-1/28
generally not reversible error. Havens v. C&D Plastics, Inc., 124 Wash. 2d 158, 169-
70, 876 P.2d 435(1994). The exclusion of cumulative "notice" evidence is similarly
not reversible error. Kimball v. Otis Elevator Co., 89 Wash. App. 169, 173, 947 P.2d
1275 (1997) (harmless error to exclude maintenance reports showing elevator
misleveling problems, as it was cumulative of admitted evidence). Even if the trial
court erred in limiting the admissible warranty claims to those relating to 10-520
engines installed in Cessna U206 airplanes, the trial court's decision was harmless
error, and we affirm the jury's verdict on Plaintiffs' failure to warn claim.5
4. Cumulative Error
Plaintiffs contend the cumulative errors denied them a fair trial. In criminal
cases, cumulative error may warrant the reversal of a conviction even where a trial
court's individual errors were harmless. In re the Pers. Restraint of Cross, 180
Wash. 2d 664, 690, 327 P.3d 660 (2014), abrogated on other grounds, State v.
Gregory, 192 Wash. 2d 1, 427 P.3d 621 (2018). The test to determine whether
cumulative errors require reversal is whether the totality of the circumstances
"substantially prejudiced the defendant and denied him a fair trial." Id.
It is not clear the cumulative error doctrine applies in a civil case. Plaintiffs
rely on Storey v. Storey, 21 Wash. App. 370, 585 P.2d 183 (1978), to extend the
doctrine to civil appeals. But Storey affirmed a decision to grant a new trial based
on the trial court's findings that a defendant's repeated intentional, improper, non-
responsive answers and volunteered remarks prejudiced the plaintiffs. Id. at 372.
5 On remand, the trial court will determine whether any or which warranty claims should be
admitted to prove the existence of a design defect.
- 28 -
No. 76178-1-1/29
Thus, it was the cumulative effect of the defendant's prejudicial conduct that
warranted a new trial, not the cumulative effect of errors allegedly committed by
the trial court.
Nevertheless, even were the doctrine to apply, Plaintiffs must still establish
the existence of multiple errors. Plaintiffs raise the fact that defense counsel
willfully violated a pretrial order by telling the jury in CMI's opening statement that
the FAA revoked Preston's license as a result of the accident. Before trial began,
the trial court denied Plaintiffs' motion to exclude reference to the status of
Preston's pilot license, including the FAA's revocation of it, determining that the
fact of the license revocation was admissible but the reason for that revocation
was not. But in opening, CMI stated that the FAA had investigated the crash and
revoked Preston's license as a result.
Plaintiffs sought the exclusion of all evidence of pilot error as a sanction for
CMI's violation. The trial court denied Plaintiffs' motion to exclude pilot error
evidence and denied any motion for a mistrial. It concluded that any prejudice
could be cured by excluding all evidence of Preston's license revocation. Plaintiffs
requested a general curative instruction, which the trial court gave.
After the jury rendered its verdict, Plaintiffs moved for a new trial based, in
part, on the misconduct of CMI's counsel during opening statements. The trial
court denied the motion:
The Court has previously (in some instances, more than once)
considered the other basis brought now by [P]laintiffs in their request
for a new trial. Plaintiffs have failed to produce new evidence or
advance a sufficient alternative basis for the Court to reconsider its
prior rulings. With respect [to] any alleged cumulative effect
- 29 -
No. 76178-1-1/30
produced by defendant CMI's misconduct (the Court is particularly
focused here on . . . counsel's opening statement and the
withholding of the check ball housing diagram) the Court must
consider whether these incidents, combined with the others
referenced in their motion, produce a trial that was fundamentally
unfair.
Each side was able to present, and vigorously prosecute, their
respective theories of this case. The jury heard those theories,
considered the admissible evidence, and rendered its verdict. The
various rulings on misconduct (and the sanctions imposed) and the
Court's evidentiary rulings subject of this motion did not prevent, in
this Court's estimation, a fair hearing for [P]laintiffs.
(citation omitted).
"As a general rule, the trial courts have wide discretionary powers in
conducting a trial and dealing with irregularities which arise." Aluminum Co. of Am.
v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 140 Wash. 2d 517, 538-39, 998 P.2d 856 (2000)(Alcoa)
(quoting State v. Gilcrist, 91 Wash. 2d 603, 612, 590 P.2d 809 (1979)). In Alcoa, the
Supreme Court held a new trial may be granted based on the prejudicial
misconduct of counsel only if the moving party establishes that the conduct
complained of constitutes misconduct and the misconduct is prejudicial in the
context of the entire record. Id. When a party challenges the effect on the jury of
events occurring during trial, we accord considerable deference to the trial court.
Taylor v. Cessna Aircraft Co., 39 Wash. App. 828, 831,696 P.2d 28(1985).
Plaintiffs do not argue the trial court's handling of CMI's misconduct
constitutes an independent basis for a new trial. Instead, they contend the
prejudice they incurred, when combined with the prejudice from other alleged
errors, justifies a new trial. We disagree.
- 30 -
No. 76178-1-1/31
First, Plaintiffs have not established any trial errors occurred. Second, the
trial court promptly addressed CM l's violation of the order in limine, excluded all
evidence regarding Preston's license revocation, and granted a curative
instruction. Finally, the trial court was in a much better position than this court to
evaluate the impact of the statement made by CMI in opening and the jury's ability
to disregard statements or arguments of counsel when not supported by evidence
presented at trial.
Because we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion on any
of these evidentiary rulings and that cumulative error does not justify a new trial,
we affirm the jury's finding that Preston was negligent on June 1, 2010.
D. Appropriateness of Sanctions for CMI's Nondisclosure of Technical Drawing
Next, Plaintiffs seek a new trial on their manufacturing defect claim, arguing
the trial court abused its discretion in fashioning the appropriate remedy to address
CMI's willful nondisclosure of a technical drawing.
Plaintiffs presented evidence that a metallurgist, Dr. Richard McSwain,
examined Preston's engine after the crash and discovered the presence of burrs,
or sharp metal deformities, on the inside of 11 out of 12 valve check ball housings.
Dr. McSwain testified these burrs can dislodge, float in the oil, and jam themselves
between the check ball and its seat, rendering the check valve inoperative. To
establish the presence of the burrs deviated from CMI design specifications,
Plaintiffs elicited testimony from Dr. McSwain that CMI's assembly drawing for both
the intake and exhaust lifters bore a note saying "Remove all burrs." He opined
the presence of burrs evidenced a manufacturing flaw.
- 31 -
No. 76178-1-1/32
On cross-examination, CMI sought to elicit testimony that the note on the
technical drawing for the assembly did not apply to the valve lifter subassembly.
Dr. McSwain disagreed with this contention.
Plaintiffs' expert Donald Sommer also testified that the presence of burrs
demonstrated poor manufacturing technique. Sommer, a former engineer with
Eaton Corporation, the company CMI used to manufacture the valve lifter
subassembly, testified that when he worked for Eaton, its technical drawings
always required burrs to be removed during the manufacturing process. He
rejected CMI's contention that the note "Remove all burrs" on the CMI assembly
drawing did not apply to Eaton's check ball housing.
During CMI's case-in-chief, approximately six weeks into trial, CMI
produced Eaton's subcomponent drawing for the check ball housing on the valve
lifters. Eaton's drawing contained the instruction to "Remove all burrs." John
Barton, a CMI expert, testified he had received the drawing three or four weeks
earlier. Counsel for CMI disclosed he too had received a copy of the drawing weeks
earlier and had chosen not to disclose it.
Plaintiffs moved for sanctions, seeking a directed verdict on the issue of a
manufacturing defect. The trial court found that before trial, Plaintiffs requested
production of the subassembly drawing, but CMI did not possess or control it at
that time. It also found Plaintiffs asked CM! to produce the drawing during trial,
CMI obtained a copy of the drawing from Eaton, and counsel for CM! made the
decision not to produce it. The trial court found, however, that the harm caused by
this withholding did not justify the relief Plaintiffs sought. It concluded that a
- 32 -
No. 76178-1-1/33
directed verdict was not the least severe sanction to be imposed "under Jones or
Burnet."6 Instead, the court allowed Plaintiffs to cross-examine CMI witnesses
regarding the timing of the production of the subassembly drawing to ensure the
jury knew it was not Plaintiffs' fault for not discussing the drawing in their case-in-
chief. The court determined the most appropriate relief was to allow Plaintiffs to
recall their experts at CMI's expense.
Dr. McSwain and Sommer returned to explain when they first received the
Eaton technical drawing, what the drawing meant to them, and what, if anything,
they would have said had they seen the drawing at the time they originally testified.
Dr. McSwain testified the check ball drawing clearly instructed the manufacturer to
"remove all burrs." He explained that he had not seen this drawing before testifying
earlier in the trial because CMI had not produced it. Sommer, like Dr. McSwain,
testified that CMI produced the drawing after he had testified in Plaintiffs' case-in-
chief, and the drawing supported the opinion he had previously provided—the
instruction to "remove all burrs" applied to the check ball housing. He testified at
length as to why John Barton, the CMI expert, was incorrect in interpreting the
"remove all burrs" instruction as being inapplicable to certain portions of the check
ball housing. In his opinion, the newly-produced drawing confirmed that burrs
found on the engine's valve lifters did not comply with the drawing specifications.
In closing arguments, Plaintiffs used CMI's non-disclosure to their
advantage:
6Jones v. City of Seattle, 179 Wash. 2d 322, 314 P.3d 380 (2013); Burnet v. Spokane
Ambulance, 131 Wash. 2d 484, 933 P.2d 1036 (1997).
- 33 -
No. 76178-1-1/34
[CMI] did not call anybody from Eaton, the current—either
currently or a past employee—and Eaton is their prime component
supplier of these lifters—to back up what Mr. Barton tried to argue
about what the drawings meant.
Actually, the only Eaton current or former employee that did
testify was our expert, Donald Sommer, the engineer, who has
worked with Eaton drawings while working at Eaton.
. . . Remember, they weren't even actually produced even for
us until the middle of trial.
And you know from yesterday's testimony that, once [CMI]
actually provided the subcomponent drawings, which it had been
holding onto and not disclosing, you found the same deburring
language requirement in the subcomponent drawings as there was
on the assembly drawings. This was a serious, serious
manufacturing defect which . . . [CMI tried to hide] by not disclosing
these subcomponent drawings.
Both Dr. McSwain and Don Sommer—again formerly of
Eaton—could confirm that the subcomponent drawings conform to
the assembly drawing in requiring removal of all burrs. And the burrs
also were found to be of a size that were—even the highest tolerance
amount of the burr on the subcomponent drawing were the one place
they allow it, we found burrs in excess of that size in these lifters on
the subject plane.
The trial court ordered CMI to compensate Plaintiffs for the cost of having to recall
Dr. McSwain and Sommer and awarded attorney fees for the sanctions motion.
This court reviews a trial court's discovery sanctions for abuse of discretion.
Magaria v. Hyundai Motor Am., 167 Wash. 2d 570, 582, 220 P.3d 191 (2009). A trial
court exercises broad discretion in imposing discovery sanctions, and its
determination will not be disturbed absent a clear abuse of discretion. Id. A trial
court abuses its discretion only when its order is manifestly unreasonable or based
on untenable grounds. Id. A discretionary decision rests on "untenable grounds"
- 34 -
No. 76178-1-1/35
or is based on "untenable reasons" if the trial court relies on unsupported facts or
applies the wrong legal standard. Id. at 583. The trial court's decision is manifestly
unreasonable only if the trial court, despite applying the correct legal standard to
the supported facts, adopts a view that no reasonable person would take. Id.
Plaintiffs do not contend the trial court relied on unsupported facts. Nor do
they argue the trial court applied the wrong legal standard. The trial court applied
Magalia, Jones, and Burnet in rendering its ruling. Instead, Plaintiffs contend the
trial court "manifestly underestimated the nature and degree of the prejudice
suffered." They argue the check ball housing drawing went to the heart of their
case, and by withholding the drawing, CMI forced Plaintiffs' experts to spend
unnecessary time during trial arguing about whether the "remove all burrs" notation
on the assembly drawing applied to the subcomponent part. They claim CM1
received the benefit of controlling when the jury first heard about the "dispositive
document."
Although we do not condone counsel's conduct, we find no manifest abuse
of discretion in fashioning the appropriate sanction. Plaintiffs argued below that
they were prejudiced by the timing of the late disclosure, and their "entire case has
revolved around the supposed nonexistence of any burring specifications on the
subcomponent drawings for the check ball housing." The trial court, however, after
having heard both parties explain the meaning of the "remove all burrs" notes on
the drawings, concluded the drawing was not as definitive as Plaintiffs claimed it
to be. The court specifically noted that "[Ole representations are that the
document, by your experts, says, A; the representations by their experts is it says
- 35 -
No. 76178-1-1/36
B, and you know, as I look at it, I see both arguments are plausible." The trial court
evaluated Plaintiffs' claimed prejudice and found it to be much less than they
claimed.
Second, the trial court was in a much better position than this court to
evaluate the significance of the drawing and its late disclosure by CMI. By the time
the drawing surfaced, the trial court had been presiding over the trial for almost six
weeks. It was the most familiar with the direct testimony of Plaintiffs' engineering
experts, Sommers and Dr. McSwain. It was the most familiar with the questions
CM1 posed on cross-examination, challenging the experts' interpretation of the
drawings. And it was most familiar with the centrality of the drawings to Plaintiffs'
manufacturing defect claim.
Finally, the trial court recognized the trial was still in progress. Although
Plaintiffs had completed their case-in-chief, they were permitted to recall their
engineering experts to explain when they first saw the subcomponent drawing and
how they interpreted the notes on it. There was a way to cure the prejudice without
entering a directed verdict.
Plaintiffs rely on Smith v. Behr Process Corp., 113 Wash. App. 306, 54 P.3d
665 (2002), for the proposition that reversal of the jury's verdict is the only
appropriate sanction. In Smith, plaintiffs brought a class action lawsuit alleging
that Behr's products, intended for use on exterior wood surfaces, caused extensive
mildew damage to their homes. Id. at 314-35. When plaintiffs deposed a
representative of a company that provided the mildewcide to Behr, they learned
that this supplier had performed tests at Behr's request to determine the chemical
- 36 -
No. 76178-1-1/37
compatibility between the mildewcide and the other ingredients in Behr's product.
Id. at 315-16. Behr had withheld from production both the fact of the testing and
the test results. Id. at 316. When the plaintiffs began to investigate, they found
additional undisclosed documents. Id.
The trial court held a multi-day evidentiary hearing on the plaintiffs' motion
for discovery sanctions. Id. It found that Behr had willfully and deliberately failed
to disclose evidence, that the class and judicial system were substantially
prejudiced by this failure, and that only a default judgment would adequately
remedy the harm to the class and punish Behr. Id.
Behr appealed, arguing the plaintiff class had not established substantial
prejudice resulting from the discovery violations. Id. at 323-24. This court rejected
Behr's argument. In doing so, it relied on the trial court's finding that the withheld
documents were highly important because they bolstered the plaintiffs' case and
undermined Behr's position. Id. at 325. It noted the trial court's finding that
"nothing in the discovery of this case is as important as what was not disclosed."
Id. It concluded there was reasonable evidentiary support for the trial court's
findings. Id. at 326-27.
Smith supports our conclusion that the trial court, and not this court, is in
the best position to evaluate the prejudice caused by a discovery violation. And
Smith also makes clear the most appropriate sanction will be fact-specific and
case-specific. Unlike in Smith, the trial court here found the withheld drawing to
be subject to two reasonable interpretations and not a "smoking gun" as Plaintiffs
contend. The trial court appropriately assessed monetary sanctions to ensure
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No. 76178-1-1/38
Plaintiffs did not incur unnecessary expenses to recall their engineering experts to
testify about the drawing.
Based on this record, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in concluding
any prejudice was cured by recalling experts to testify at CMI's expense. We affirm
the jury's verdict on Plaintiffs' manufacturing defect claim.
E. Cavner Plaintiffs' Contingent Cross-Claim against Preston
CMI contends in its cross-appeal that the trial court erred in allowing Stacie,
Hudson, and Myles's estate to assert a contingent cross-claim against Preston.
On August 15, 2014, Plaintiffs filed a Second Amended Complaint in which Stacie
and the children asserted a cross-claim against Preston. They alleged:
In the event the trier of fact determines that Preston Cavner is
partially at fault for the crash pursuant to RCW 4.22.070, [Stacie,
Hudson, and Myles's estate] assert direct claims against Preston
Cavner, and request that judgment be entered for them against
Preston Cavner. . . and CMI, jointly and severally, for injuries and
damages pled herein to the extent of the combined percentages of
fault of Preston Cavner. . . and CMI, as determined by the trier of
fact pursuant to RCW 4.22.070.
The trial court denied defense motions to dismiss this cross-claim.
In January 2016, CMI filed a "Motion to Realign Preston Cavner as a
Plaintiff." CMI argued Stacie and the children were attempting to "circumvent the
Washington rule of several liability" and take advantage of the joint and several
liability rule of RCW 4.22.070(b) for fault-free plaintiffs.7 CMI argued the Cavner
family members should not be allowed to shift liability for Preston's "misconduct"
7 CMI did not contend that any of the children were at fault. It did seek to hold Stacie at
fault for holding Myles in her lap and failing to use a seat belt. The jury found Stacie was not at
fault for any of the damages.
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and, thereby, profit from his "recklessness." The trial court reserved ruling on
CMI's motion until the conclusion of trial.
At the close of Plaintiffs' case-in-chief, CMI moved for judgment as a matter
of law on the cross-claim against Preston. It argued the Cavner family members
failed to produce evidence supporting a claim that Preston caused their injuries.
The trial court denied the motion, concluding the evidence presented by CMI
through cross-examination was sufficient to establish that Preston overloaded the
plane, that his center of gravity calculations were "done on the fly," and that he
installed a belly pod without documenting the work properly with the FAA. The
court recognized "the experts alone didn't say that[Preston was culpable], but they
made an awful lot of concessions on cross-examination where a jury could take
that information and decide that he did have responsibility."
CMI asserts the trial court erred in determining the Cavner family could
assert a contingent cross-claim against Preston under RCW 4.22.070(b). This
court reviews a trial court's denial of a CR 50 motion for judgment as a matter of
law de novo, engaging in the same inquiry as the trial court. Schmidt v. Coogan,
162 Wash. 2d 488, 491, 173 P.3d 273 (2007).
First, CMI contends neither the civil rules nor RCW 4.22.070(b) permits the
filing of a contingent cross-claim between plaintiffs. Whether a plaintiff may assert
a cross-claim against another plaintiff under the civil rules or RCW 4.22.070(b)
presents us with a question of rule and statutory construction. Issues of statutory
construction are subject to de novo review. State v. Evans, 177 Wash. 2d 186, 191,
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No. 76178-1-1/40
298 P.3d 724(2013). We also review a trial court's interpretation of a civil rule de
novo. Nevers v. Fireside, Inc., 133 Wash. 2d 804, 809, 947 P.3d 721 (1997).
CMI argues that under CR 7(a), a "cross-claim" can only appear in an
answer to a complaint. But there is no language in CR 7(a) to support this
argument. CR 7(a) merely identifies the type of pleadings that courts allow to be
filed. One of the allowed pleadings is "an answer to a cross-claim, if the answer
contains a cross-claim." CR 7(a). It does not logically follow from this language
that the only pleading in which a party may assert a cross-claim is in an answer to
a complaint. Nothing in CR 7 precludes one plaintiff from pleading a cross-claim
against another plaintiff in an amended complaint. In fact, CR 8(e)(2) expressly
allows a party to state "as many separate claims or defenses as the party has
regardless of consistency and whether based on legal or on equitable grounds or
on both." The rule even states that claims may be "alternative" or "hypothetical."
CMI also contends the Cavner family members should be precluded from
asserting a cross-claim against Preston because it should not be at risk to pay for
Preston's negligence. RCW 4.22.070(b) provides:
If the trier offact determines that the claimant or party suffering bodily
injury or incurring property damages was not at fault, the defendants
against whom judgment is entered shall be jointly and severally liable
for the sum of their proportionate shares of the claimants [claimant's]
total damages.
Because Stacie was found to be fault free and CM, agreed neither of the children
were at fault, a jury finding that both CMI and Preston are partially at fault would
result in entry of judgment under which CMI would be liable to the Cavner family
members for Preston's proportionate share of their damages. CMI argues such a
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No. 76178-1-1/41
result would be absurd because Preston's interests are aligned with those of his
wife and children. CMI relies on Kottler v. Washington, 136 Wash. 2d 437, 963 P.2d
834 (1998), and Tepman v. Accident & Medical Investigations, Inc., 150 Wash. 2d
102, 75 P.3d 497 (2003), to support its argument that it should not be held jointly
liable with Preston for his family's injuries.
Neither Kottler nor Tepman address this question. In Kottler, the Supreme
Court held a defendant who settles pretrial with a fault-free plaintiff may not seek
contribution from another alleged tortfeasor. 136 Wash. 2d at 439. It held joint and
several liability does not arise under RCW 4.22.070(b) unless a judgment is
entered against the defendant and the alleged tortfeasor. Id. Without joint and
several liability, there is no right to contribution. Id. at 449. In ruling, the Supreme
Court stated that "[t]o qualify for this exception [to several liability,] the original party
must be fault-free and both parties to the contribution action must have been
defendants against whom judgment was entered in the underlying action." Id. This
sentence, however, does not mean CMI will have no right of contribution against
Preston because Preston is a "cross-claim defendant."
Teqman is similarly inapplicable. In that case, the Supreme Court held
negligent defendants are not jointly and severally liable for the intentional torts of
a co-defendant. 150 Wash. 2d at 105. No one alleges Preston's actions were
intentional.
CMI next argues that Preston should have been "realigned" as a plaintiff.
The federal cases on which CMI relies, however, are not on point. In City of
Indianapolis v. Chase National Bank of City of New York, 314 U.S. 63, 62 S. Ct.
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No. 76178-1-1/42
15, 86 L. Ed. 47 (1941), the United States Supreme Court stated that when
determining the existence of diversity jurisdiction, a federal district court should not
accept the parties' determination of who are plaintiffs and who are defendants, but
should look beyond the pleadings to arrange parties according to their side in a
dispute. Id. at 69. Similarly, in Continental Airlines, Inc. v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Co., 819 F.2d 1519 (9th Cir. 1987), the Ninth Circuit held the federal courts lacked
jurisdiction over a dispute because one of the named defendants was aligned with
the plaintiff. Id. at 1522-23. This alignment destroyed complete diversity, requiring
remand to state court. Id. at 1523. Both cases, however, addressed the very
limited issue of how to analyze federal diversity jurisdiction when a plaintiff names
a party as a defendant, even when they have aligned legal interests. Neither case
is analytically helpful to CMI.
Finally, CMI contends its CR 50 motion should have been granted because
the Cavner family members presented no evidence of pilot error and their experts
actually exonerated Preston of liability. A CR 50(b) motion admits the truth of the
opponent's evidence and all inferences that can reasonably be drawn from it.
Queen City Farms, Inc. v. Cent. Nat'l Ins. Co. of Omaha, 126 Wash. 2d 50, 98, 882
P.2d 703(1994). Granting a motion for judgment as a matter of law is appropriate
when, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, the
court can say, as a matter of law, there is no substantial evidence or reasonable
inference to sustain a verdict for the nonmoving party. Sing v. John L. Scott, Inc.,
134 Wash. 2d 24, 29, 948 P.2d 816 (1997).
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No. 76178-1-1/43
The Cavner family's cross-claim against Preston required evidence of duty,
breach, proximate cause, and damage. Ranqer Ins. Co. v. Pierce County, 164
Wash. 2d 545, 552, 192 P.3d 886 (2008). When evaluating whether a claimant has
met its burden of production on a CR 50 motion, the court considers all the
evidence, regardless of which party introduced it. Whitchurch v. McBride, 63 Wn.
App. 272, 275, 818 P.2d 622 (1991). It was undisputed below that Preston, as
pilot in command of the Cessna on the day of the accident, owed a duty of care to
his passengers. CMI, through its cross-examination of Plaintiffs' experts, elicited
evidence that Preston overloaded the plane, failed to properly balance the load to
ensure the cargo was within the manufacturer's specified center of gravity
envelope,failed to properly document material modifications he made to the plane,
and operated the plane in violation of FAA regulations, the pilot operating
handbook, and the supplemental operating handbook issued by the manufacturer
of the belly pod. There was more than ample evidence presented to the jury during
Plaintiffs' case-in-chief from which it could find Preston breached his duty of care.
A plaintiff also bears the burden of producing evidence sufficient to support
a finding of causation. Id. None of Plaintiffs' experts testified that Preston
proximately caused the crash. But expert testimony is not always required to
establish causation to survive a CR 50 motion. Estate of Bordon v. Dep't of Corr.,
122 Wash. App. 227, 244, 95 P.3d 764(2004). There must be some evidence linking
a party's alleged negligence to the alleged harm to avoid speculation, but the
nature of the negligence can provide this evidentiary link. Id.
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No. 76178-1-1/44
The trial court denied CMI's CR 50 motion, concluding there was sufficient
evidence from which a reasonable jury could find Preston was negligent and a
proximate cause of the crash. The court pointed to Preston's pilot operating
handbook as support for a finding of causation. It noted:
[T]he evidence here supports a conclusion that the jury could
find [Preston] negligent. He admitted the plane was overloaded.
Numerous eyewitnbsses have testified the plane was over weight
limits. The plaintiffs' experts have conceded that, and the Pilots
Operating Handbook, the quotations that I referenced just minutes
ago to [CMI's counsel], are directly on point. If you overload this
airplane, it can result in death or fatalities.
And . . . I characterized or summarized the defense case
earlier. . . , but its essence is that [Preston] overloaded this plane
and that's what caused its demise in flight. I don't believe that you
need an expert to wrap that up.. . for the jury.
The link between Preston's actions and the subsequent crash was not
speculative. Preston was at the helm of the plane. He controlled the plane's
maintenance, loading, balancing, takeoff, flight, and landing. Plaintiffs' experts
admitted that flying a plane within weight and balance limits is critical to flight
safety. They also conceded Preston flew this plane in violation of multiple FAA
regulations and the pilot operating handbooks. At least one expert, Douglas
Herlihy, testified he would not have used 30 degrees of flap angle on takeoff at the
Anchorage airport. Plaintiffs' experts admitted that under FAA regulations,
Preston's plane was not "airworthy" on the day of the accident and that a pilot
should not fly a plane when unairworthy conditions occur. Based on this evidence,
the jury could find Preston, as pilot in command, was directly responsible for and
had final authority over the operation of the aircraft. The trial court did not err in
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No. 76178-1-1/45
denying CMI's CR 50 motion to dismiss the Cavner family members' cross-claim
against Preston.
F. Scope of Remand
We affirm the jury's finding that Preston was negligent. We also affirm the
findings not challenged on appeal—that Preston's negligence was a proximate
cause of the crash, that Stacie was not negligent, and that neither Ace Aviation nor
Northwest Seaplanes proximately caused the crash. We affirm the jury's verdict
for CM1 on the manufacturing defect and failure to warn claims. And finally, we
affirm the jury's findings as to Plaintiffs' damages, as these findings were also not
challenged on appeal.
The scope of remand will be limited to three questions—whether CMI's
engine was not reasonably safe as designed under RCW 7.72.030(1)(a), whether
any design defect was a proximate cause of the crash, and if so, how much fault
to allocate between CM1 and Preston Cavner.
REVERSED IN PART, AFFIRMED IN PART.
,Aikibl,“42,
WE CONCUR:
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