44. Which of the following opinions by the plaintiff's expert is the court most likely to admit?

Under Federal Rule of Evidence (FRE) 702, an expert witness may state an opinion or conclusion, provided that: (i) the subject matter is one where scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge would help the trier of fact understand the evidence or determine a fact in issue; (ii) the opinion is based on sufficient facts or data; (iii) the opinion is the product of reliable principles and methods; and (iv) the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case. The expert must possess reasonable certainty or probability regarding his opinion. An opinion that is mere guess or speculation is inadmissible. See Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., 509 U.S. 579 (1993).

FRE 704 states that «An opinion is not objectionable just because it embraces an ultimate issue.» This means that witnesses may be able to give opinions on ultimate issues. However, there are exceptions. For example, a witness will generally not be permitted to give an opinion that amounts to an assertion of how the case should be decided. A qualified expert may help the jury understand facts that are closely related to a rule of law, but an expert will generally be prohibited from applying a legal standard and coming to a conclusion based on the application of the law to the facts.

B is correct. This opinion is most likely to be admitted because it would help the trier of fact determine a fact at issue, as required by FRE 702. This is a negligence action, which requires the plaintiff to prove that the company was negligent in failing to mark the island (breached a duty of care, causing damage). The opinion about the company's ability to mark the island in a day for $300 would be helpful to the jury in determining whether the company breached a duty of care, which is a fact at issue. As such, this is the opinion most likely to be admitted from the testimony of the expert witness.

A is incorrect. This opinion that the accident «probably occurred» in a particular manner amounts to a mere guess or speculation, which is inadmissible expert testimony, which requires reasonable certainty or probability regarding the opinion offered.

C is incorrect. This opinion that «[t]he company was required by federal law to mark the island» is an application of a rule of law to a set of facts amounting to a legal conclusion, which would be inadmissible. Although an expert opinion is not automatically inadmissible just because it embraces an ultimate issue, experts are generally not permitted to come to legal conclusions.

D is incorrect. Although under FRE 704, an opinion on an ultimate issue is no longer strictly prohibited, opinions that amount to an assertion of how the case should be decided will be inadmissible. In this case, the plaintiff is trying to prove that the company negligently failed to mark the island. An opinion that the plaintiff was not contributorily negligent embraces an ultimate issue that the jury must decide for the outcome of the case, and is likely is not helpful to the jury.