Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Mar 9, 2021
Christopher Gebhardt vs. American Honda Motor Co., Inc, et al
Christopher Gebhardt sued American Honda Motor Company and Honda of South Carolina Manufacturing, alleging strict product liability and negligence after his ATV suddenly accelerated and flipped. The trial court excluded Gebhardt's expert witness, Dr. Kenneth Blundell, finding his opinions unreliable under section 490.065, RSMo, and subsequently granted summary judgment for Honda. The appellate court affirmed, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding the expert testimony due to an analytical gap in his methodology and speculative foundation. Consequently, summary judgment was proper given the lack of sufficient evidence to support Gebhardt's claims.