Rowles v. Woronwitch, 369 So. 2d 362 (Fla. 4th DCA 1979). · Go Syfert
Rowles v. Woronwitch, 369 So. 2d 362 (Fla. 4th DCA 1979). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
2 citation events across 1 distinct court.
Top citers, strongest first. 2 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Fino v. Nodine
Fla. Dist. Ct. App. · 1995 · signal: see also · confidence low
See also Rowles v. Woronwitch, 369 So.2d 362 (Fla. 4th DCA) (Downey, C.J., concurring specially) (although decided before the rule change regarding lay witnesses, concurrence indicates that lay opinion testimony as to whether driver could have avoided accident is objectionable), cert. denied, 379 So.2d 208 (Fla. 1979). [3] Michigan courts, on the other hand, apply the witness rule to a party and have decided that the inference does not operate where a party is "equally available or accessible to both parties by process of court." Cavanaugh v. Cardamone, 147 Mich. App. 159 , 383 N.W.2d 601, 603…
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Allah v. State
Fla. Dist. Ct. App. · 1985 · signal: see also · confidence low
See also Rowles v. Woronwitch, 369 So.2d 362 (Fla. 4th DCA), cert. denied, 379 So.2d 208 (Fla. 1979); National Car Rental System, Inc. v. Holland, 269 So.2d 407 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972), cert. denied, 273 So.2d 768 (Fla. 1973).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Verner Elston ROWLES, Jr., and the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company
v.
Daniel A. WORONWITCH
No. 77-2338.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Mar 14, 1979.
369 So. 2d 362
Frank G. Cibula, Jr., of Law Office of Frank G. Cibula, Jr., West Palm Beach, for appellants., Thomas A. Hoadley of Law Offices of Hoadley & Gavigan, P. A., West Palm Beach, for appellee.
Beranek, Cross, Downey.
Cited by 2 opinions  |  Published

Lead Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Affirmed.

CROSS and BERANEK, JJ., concur. DOWNEY, C. J., concurs specially, with opinion.

Concurrence

DOWNEY, Chief Judge,

Concurring specially:

The issue involved in this appeal is whether it is reversible error to admit opinion testimony bearing upon one of the material issues in the case from a lay witness.[1] One of the primary questions the jury was called upon to decide was whether appellee had the opportunity to avoid a collision with appellant after appellant had turned his automobile in front of appellee’s motorcycle. The eye witness in question gratuitously stated that there was not enough room for appellee to do anything to miss appellant. No objection was offered to this statement. Shortly thereafter the witness stated, “But at the time I would say he definitely, he didn’t have a chance.” No objection was made to that statement. The witness was then asked, obviously by plaintiff’s counsel, “Do you want to talk right into there? He didn’t have a chance in what way?” At this point for the first time an objection was registered. The trial court overruled the objection. On motion for new trial the trial judge recognized that the testimony in question was “far from harmless.” But for various reasons he felt a new trial was not required.

In my opinion the subject testimony, constituting the expression of an opinion by a[*363] layman on one of the vital issues for the jury to decide, was clearly objectionable. As I contended in the special concurrence in Public Health Foundation, etc., v. Cole, 352 So.2d 877 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977), even an expert opinion on such a question is an invasion of the province of the jury. However, by the time an objection was registered the information called for by the question was already in evidence and thus the answer was merely cumulative so that the adverse ruling would not constitute reversible error. In addition, there was no motion to strike the previous improper statements so that a favorable ruling on the question objected to would not have accomplished appellant’s purpose.

For these reasons I feel we are compelled to affirm the judgment appealed from.

1

Numerous cases hold the question calls for an affirmative answer if timely objection is made. A sampling of those cases is: Howland v. Cates, 43 So.2d 848 (Fla.1950); Albers v. Dasho, 355 So.2d 150 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978); Nat’l Car Rental System, Inc. v. Holland, 269 So.2d 407 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972).