Williams v. State of California
Plaintiffs Lisa Williams, as guardian ad litem for A.W., and Jennifer Eslinger, as guardian ad litem for A.E., sued defendant State of California for damages, alleging the minors were injured at Huntington State Beach (beach) because of a dangerous condition. After the court granted defendant’s motion in limine excluding evidence plaintiffs claimed showed defendant had notice of the dangerous condition, the parties ultimately stipulated to a nonsuit because, without that evidence, plaintiffs were unable to prove one of the elements of their case. Plaintiffs appeal, claiming the court erred in excluding that evidence and in preventing their expert from relying on it in his testimony. We conclude the court relied on an incorrect standard in excluding the evidence and erred when it ruled the expert could not testify that he had relied on that evidence in forming his opinions. We reverse the judgment and remand for the court to reconsider the motion in limine in light of the proper standard.
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