Opinion
NO. 2017 CW 0744
07-14-2017
NATALIE HEBERT, WIFE OF, AND SALVADORE LAMONTE v. GLOBAL WILDLIFE FOUNDATION D/B/A FLOBAL WILDLIFE CENTER AND RST INSURANCE COMPANY
In Re: Global Wildlife Foundation d/b/a Global Wildlife Center and RST Insurance Company, applying for supervisory writs, 21st Judicial District Court, Parish of Tangipahoa, No. 2014-1685. BEFORE: McDONALD, McCLENDON AND WELCH, JJ.
WRIT GRANTED IN PART, DENIED IN PART. The trial court's April 24, 2017 judgment which granted plaintiffs' motion in limine to exclude expert testimony by Dennis Howard is reversed. Mr. Howard has been qualified by courts as a safety expert in prior cases, including testimony regarding alleged hazardous conditions in a parking lot. See Ford v. Sears, Roebuck & Company, 552 So.2d 497 (La. App. 4th Cir. 1989). The trial court may determine any limitations upon such expert testimony at trial, but it was error to exclude all testimony by Mr. Howard. Accordingly, plaintiffs' motion in limine to exclude expert testimony by Dennis Howard is denied. The writ application is denied as to the trial court's April 3, 2017 ruling which denied defendants' motion in limine to exclude expert testimony of Scott Gros.
JEW
JMM
McClendon, J., concurs. COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT /s/_________
DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT
FOR THE COURT