RANDOLPH, Justice, for the Court:
¶ 1. In 1998, the McKees entered into a home-construction contact with Ellington Homes, Inc. ("Ellington Homes"). Thereafter, the president of Ellington Homes instructed the McKees to look at windows at Bowers Window & Door Co., Inc. ("Bowers Window"). At Bowers Window, a salesman showed the McKees various types of windows. Ann McKee told him that she preferred wooden windows. The salesman cautioned the McKees that wooden windows would need to be maintained because "wood rots...." Ultimately, the McKees selected wooden windows designed and manufactured by Weather Shield Manufacturing, Inc. ("Weather Shield").
¶ 2. The windows were installed by either Ellington Homes or its subcontractors, with no involvement by either Bowers Window or Weather Shield. In August 1999, the McKees moved into their new, lakefront home. Soon thereafter, the McKees experienced a multitude of problems related to construction, including leaking windows. By the spring of 2002, the wooden windows were rotting. Subsequently, the home underwent a significant reconstruction to remedy its various problems.
¶ 3. In September 2002, the McKees filed suit against Ellington Homes,
¶ 4. On August 28, 1998, the McKees entered into a home-construction contract with Ellington Homes. Thereafter, according to Ann McKee, the sole proprietor of a realty company, the McKees were instructed by James R. Ellington, the president of Ellington Homes, "to go and look at windows at Bowers [Window]." The deposition testimony of Ann McKee provided that the salesman at Bowers Window, Mark McKee (no relation), did not recommend particular windows, but instead "just discussed different windows and ... window surface...." Mark McKee showed the McKees various types of windows, including vinyl, metal, and wooden windows. According to Ann McKee, "I probably said that we had come from a house that had wood windows, and I liked wood windows." (Emphasis added.) This was corroborated by the deposition testimony of Curtiss McKee, which provided that "I think Ann said that she liked wood, that the metal wasn't as pretty." According to Ann McKee, the salesman responded "that if we wanted wood, we'd have to maintain them because wood rots, and ... I remember saying, `Yes, we've had wood windows, and we maintain them.'" While Ann McKee could not recall how the specific windows were selected, Curtiss McKee stated that the McKees were informed by Mark McKee that the Weather Shield windows which were selected were "top of the line."
¶ 5. The wooden windows were designed and manufactured by Weather Shield and, in December 1998 and January 1999, were delivered to Bowers Window.
¶ 6. On or about August 20, 1999, the McKees began residing in the lakefront home. According to Ann McKee, following "the first really heavy rain, we had water that went from the window near Curtiss's desk area.... We were standing in water." Over the next several months, the McKees claimed that the windows had leaked whenever it rained, and that Ellington Homes repeatedly had sent employees to inspect the windows. According to Ann McKee, Ellington initially believed the problem was the caulking and the rubber seals, then finally informed the McKees that he had no further solutions.
¶ 7. In the spring of 2002, the McKees contacted Bill Birdsong, Jr., to view their home and determine if it needed to be painted or pressure-washed. Birdsong observed the trim and fascia, and noticed that the windows were rotting "along the bottom, along the stool, the window sill on the outside, and about four or five inches
¶ 8. Birdsong did not proceed with painting the home and "[l]eft them to decide what to do." Subsequently, the home underwent major reconstruction, which, according to Curtiss McKee, cost $528,000. Residential builder Jeb Stewart was involved in the reconstruction, and provided deposition testimony that it included "demo[ing] the house, and tak[ing] the EIFS[
¶ 9. Additionally, the home of the McKees' next-door neighbors (one of whom was Ann McKee's cousin) was also constructed by Ellington Homes. According to the McKees, that home had "similar... leaking, intruding water[,]" and "just... multiple problems...." The McKees further stated that they did not believe the windows used in that home were manufactured by Weather Shield.
¶ 10. In their Complaint, the McKees acknowledged that their home had numerous problems which did not implicate either Weather Shield or Bowers Window.
¶ 11. On April 3, 2007, the McKees filed their "Designation of Experts." Regarding the defectiveness of the windows, the McKees designated Birdsong as their expert. Thereafter, Weather Shield filed a "Motion In Limine to Conduct Daubert[
¶ 12. Subsequently, Bowers Window filed a "Motion for Summary Judgment" which maintained that the McKees could not establish "the necessary elements to prove the wooden windows purchased from Bowers [Window] were defective[,]" or "meet their burden of proof with regard to their negligence claims...."
¶ 13. Next, Weather Shield filed a "Motion for Summary Judgment" which maintained that the McKees had failed to establish that the windows had been "designed in a defective manner" when they had left Weather Shield's control, or that "the `failure' is anything more than an inherent characteristic of that product— the fact that wood rots." Following hearing, the circuit court entered an "Order Granting Weather Shield Manufacturing, Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment."
¶ 14. Subsequently, the McKees timely filed "Notice of Appeal" regarding the "Order Granting Motion to Exclude Expert Witness Testimony of William Birdsong," the "Order Granting Bowers Window and Door Co., Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment," and the "Order Granting Weather Shield Manufacturing, Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment." This Court consolidated the appeal of those rulings.
¶ 15. This Court will consider:
¶ 16. "[T]he admission of expert testimony is within the sound discretion of
¶ 17. Mississippi Rule of Evidence 702 states that:
Miss. R. Evid. 702. "This rule makes it necessary for a trial court to apply a two-pronged inquiry when evaluating the admissibility of expert testimony: (1) is the witness qualified, and (2) is the testimony relevant and reliable?" Watts v. Radiator Specialty Co., 990 So.2d 143, 146 (Miss. 2008) (citing McLemore, 863 So.2d at 35).
¶ 18. Regarding qualifications, "a witness need not be a specialist in any particular profession to testify as an expert.... The scope of the witness's knowledge and experience, and not any artificial classification, governs the question of admissibility." Univ. of Miss. Med. Ctr. v. Pounders, 970 So.2d 141, 146 (Miss.2007) (citations omitted). See also Calvetti v. Antcliff, 346 F.Supp.2d 92, 110-11 (D.D.C. 2004) (quoting Lohrenz v. Donnelly, 223 F.Supp.2d 25, 35-36 (D.D.C.2002)) ("An individual may be deemed an expert based on `intense practical experience' in the particular field."); Cain v. Mid-South Pump Co., 458 So.2d 1048, 1050 (Miss.1984) ("[F]ormal education is not the only means of becoming an expert in a field. A witness may qualify to give an expert opinion through his experience only."). As to relevance, Mississippi Rule of Evidence 401 "favors admission of the evidence if it has any probative value[,]"
¶ 19. Regarding the defectiveness of the windows, the McKees designated Birdsong, a "home building contractor[,]" who was:
¶ 20. At his deposition, Birdsong stated that he had twenty-four years of experience as a general contractor in the metro Jackson area. Birdsong acknowledged that he had never worked for a window manufacturer or window seller; had no special education, training, or experience specific to windows; had no professional resume or curriculum vitae; and had never previously testified as an expert witness in any capacity. Moreover, Birdsong conceded that, although he had been retained by the McKees, he had prepared no notes or written reports regarding his one-time, exterior observations of the McKees' windows and that, in formulating his opinions, he had reviewed no documents from other experts or sources, such as books, magazines, treatises, articles, or other publications.
¶ 21. According to Birdsong, the "bulk of the problem" with the windows was water intrusion, as "water came through the bottom seal of the window, the sash, and probably, I assume that it went from there to in behind the stucco...." (Emphasis added.) Yet Birdsong admittedly made only a one-time, exterior inspection of the windows in the spring of 2002, in which he did not check for underlying moisture barriers or proper sealing and/or caulking. Birdsong also did not know if the wooden windows rotted because they "didn't get painted or primed or what happened...." Instead, Birdsong opined that finger-jointed,
¶ 22. Thereafter, Weather Shield filed a "Motion In Limine to Conduct Daubert Hearing and Exclude Expert Opinion Testimony of Bill Birdsong," which Bowers Window joined. At the motion hearing, Birdsong testified that he had previously installed, repaired, or replaced "thousands" of windows, and that he had built or manufactured "under a hundred" windows. According to Birdsong, during his 2002 exterior observation of the McKees' home, he noticed rot in "more than ten and less than fifty" windows. Regarding the underlying problem, Birdsong "couldn't say whether it was the priming or whether it was not flashed or ... what, other than it just deteriorated and when it leaked from the bottom, it leaked right onto the house." But Birdsong further stated that finger-jointed, exterior, wooden windows were "as cheap as you can get"
¶ 23. The circuit judge summarized Birdsong's testimony as follows, "he was involved with construction, evaluation of homes of all values, ... and he finally ... gave an opinion that the ... finger-joint window should be outlawed and not allowed although ... it is still in use." Based thereon, the circuit judge concluded that, while Birdsong "would be qualified as a lay person to give an opinion[,]" it would be "very difficult to find that ... the decisions of [Kumho Tire, 526 U.S. at 137, 119 S.Ct. 1167], [McLemore, 863 So.2d at 31],... would qualify him under the facts of this case and with his testimony to give testimony as an expert."
¶ 24. In evaluating the admissibility of Birdsong's proposed expert testimony, this Court finds a myriad of problems at each level of the analysis. Without
¶ 25. Regarding relevance, Birdsong's testimony was predicated upon his one-time, exterior observation of the windows in the spring of 2002. In that observation, Birdsong did not check for underlying moisture barriers or proper sealing and/or caulking. See supra ¶ 21. Therefore, Birdsong can offer evidence only that the windows rotted. But the "fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action" is not that the windows rotted (that fact is not in dispute), but the source of the rot. Miss. R. Evid. 401. This Court fails to see what evidence Birdsong can present that aids that inquiry.
¶ 26. As to reliability, Birdsong opined that the windows were defective, as finger-jointed, exterior, wooden windows should be "illegal" in central Mississippi. In formulating this opinion, Birdsong admittedly reviewed no outside sources and could cite no industry standards or building codes in support thereof. In fact, Birdsong acknowledged that thousands of homes in
¶ 27. "This Court's well-established standard of review for a trial court's grant or denial of summary judgment is de novo." Covington County Sch. Dist. v. Magee, 29 So.3d 1, 3-4 (Miss.2010) (citations omitted). According to this Court:
Magee, 29 So.3d at 4. However, "[t]he party opposing the motion must be diligent and may not rest upon allegations or denials in the pleadings but must set forth specific facts showing there are indeed genuine issues for trial." Williams v. Bennett, 921 So.2d 1269, 1272 (Miss.2006) (citations omitted).
¶ 28. When Weather Shield filed a "Motion for Summary Judgment," it maintained that the "only claim" against it was "one of `defective design'." (Emphasis added.) According to Weather Shield:
Weather Shield further noted that Birdsong, whose expert testimony had been excluded, "was the only witness offered by the [McKees] who would have submitted any evidence that the subject windows were defective and that such defect was the cause of any of the [McKees'] damages."
¶ 30. "In 1993, the Mississippi legislature promulgated the Products Liability Act and codified what had formerly been common law strict liability.... Since that time products liability claims have been specifically governed by statute...." Williams, 921 So.2d at 1273 (citation omitted). As stated in Williams:
Id. at 1277.
¶ 31. In a product liability suit, "proof of injury alone is insufficient, and... more is needed to satisfy the [claimant's] burden." Forbes v. Gen. Motors Corp., 935 So.2d 869, 880 (Miss.2006) (citing Creel v. Gen. Motors Corp., 233 So.2d 105, 109 (Miss.1970)). See also Coleman v. Danek Med., Inc., 43 F.Supp.2d 637, 646 (S.D.Miss.1999) (quoting Cather v. Catheter
¶ 32. Relying upon PPG Industries, the McKees contend that "[s]ince the ... windows rotted within two (2) years, Weather Shield is admitting that it sold what amounted to untreated, unprotected wood that was destined to rot within two years." At a minimum, the McKees assert that there exists a "material issue of fact as to whether the window companies had chosen to palm off on the homeowners the company's old, defective windows that had remained in their inventory from the time [of] the PILT seasoned windows that had failed in innumerable homes...."
¶ 33. Weather Shield responds that PPG Industries is a "red herring" and that the "sole support" for the McKees' "defective design theory was Bill Birdsong's personal opinion that no one in Mississippi ought to have wooden residential windows." Weather Shield asserts that this was insufficient to satisfy the McKees' design-defect burden of proof, because Birdsong was "unable to testify as to whether the windows were defective when they left Weather Shield, whether they were defective when they left Bowers [Window], or whether they were defective at all." Furthermore, Weather Shield maintains that the McKees failed to present evidence "that any alleged defect proximately caused the damage" to their home. Finally, Weather Shield contends that an "inherent characteristic" of wood is that it rots, and such "cannot be eliminated without substantially compromising the product's usefulness or desirability."
¶ 34. This Court finds that the McKees offer only "[m]ere proof of damage following the use of" the Weather Shield windows. Coleman, 43 F.Supp.2d at 646 (quoting Cather, 753 F.Supp. at 638-39). The fact that their windows leaked and rotted is insufficient for this design-defect claim to survive Weather Shield's "Motion for Summary Judgment." This is particularly true since Birdsong performed only a single, exterior observation of the windows in the spring of 2002, in which he failed to check for underlying moisture barriers or proper sealing and/or caulking; Stewart provided deposition testimony that there was no waterproofing around any of the windows, no moisture barrier above some windows, and "[p]oor framing technique" in the window installation; it is unclear whether the windows were painted within six months of installation, as required to prevent rotting; and the home of the McKees' next-door neighbors, constructed by Ellington Homes, also
¶ 35. Regarding the McKees' argument on the alleged use of improperly treated "PILT seasoned windows," this Court finds an absence of "specific facts showing there are indeed genuine issues for trial." Williams, 921 So.2d at 1272. A nonmoving party "must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts[,]" which the McKees have failed to do. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).
¶ 36. In sum, even giving the McKees "the benefit of the doubt concerning the existence of a material fact[,]" this Court concludes that summary judgment was properly entered in favor of Weather Shield. Magee, 29 So.3d at 4.
¶ 37. In its "Motion for Summary Judgment," Bowers Window maintained that the McKees could not "prove the necessary elements to prove the wooden windows purchased from Bowers [Window] were defective[,]" or "meet their burden of proof with regard to their negligence claims...." At the motion hearing, counsel for Bowers Window argued that "[w]hen it boils down to it, we sold them some wood windows. [Ann] McKee talked about that she had had wood windows before, and she liked them ... and ... that's what it comes down to." In granting Bowers Window's "Motion for Summary Judgment," the circuit judge focused upon Mississippi Code Sections 11-1-63(a)(i)(3) and (f)(i) & (ii), then stated:
(Emphasis added.)
¶ 38. Applying the analysis in supra ¶¶ 34-36, as to Bowers Window, and adding that no proof was adduced that Bowers Window "exercised substantial control over ... the design, testing, manufacture, packaging or labeling of the product that caused the harm[,] ... altered or modified the product," or "had actual or constructive knowledge of the defective condition of the product at the time [it] supplied the product[,]" this Court concludes that summary judgment was properly entered in favor of Bowers Window on the McKees' product-liability claims. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-1-63(h) (Rev.2002).
¶ 39. The McKees' negligence claim required that they prove, by a preponderance
¶ 40. According to the McKees, "[f]or these windows to have rotted within a two year time frame, there was negligence involved." Bowers Window responds that it "did not have anything to do with the actual construction of [the McKees'] house[,]" and "[t]he mere act of selling windows chosen by the [McKees] is not an act of negligence.[
¶ 41. This Court finds that the McKees' negligence claim "fail[s] to present any new discussion or claim that does not relate back to the ... products liability claim which ha[s] previously been determined to be legally insufficient to survive summary judgment." Moss, 935 So.2d at 406. Thus, this Court concludes that summary judgment was properly entered in favor of Bowers Window on the McKees' negligence claim.
¶ 42. The Mississippi Products Liability Act "does not abrogate a statutory cause of action for breach of implied warranty as grounds for recovery[,]" or, for that matter, any warranty claims. Bennett v. Madakasira, 821 So.2d 794, 808 (Miss.2002) (citing Miss.Code Ann. §§ 11-1-63 [(Rev.2002)], 75-2-715 [(Rev.2002)]), abrogated on other grounds by Hutzel v. City of Jackson, 33 So.3d 1116 (Miss.2010). Moreover, the implied warranties of merchantability for an ordinary purpose or fitness for a particular purpose may not be contractually waived "in a sale to a consumer ... of consumer goods...." Miss.Code Ann. § 11-7-18 (Rev.2002). See also Miss.Code Ann. § 75-2-719(4) (Rev.2002) ("[A]ny limitation of remedies which would deprive the buyer of a remedy to which he may be entitled for breach of an implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose shall be prohibited."). However, "[i]n Mississippi, `an appellant is not entitled to raise a new issue on appeal, since to do so prevents the trial court from having an opportunity to address the alleged error.'" West, 891 So.2d at 214 (quoting Crowe, 603 So.2d at 305). See also Shaw, 603 So.2d at 292 ("One of the most fundamental and long-established rules of law in Mississippi is that the [appellate court] will not review matters on appeal that were not raised at the trial court level.").
¶ 43. In this case, the McKees never, over the course of filing three complaints, pleaded claims for breach of implied or express warranty against Bowers Window. This critical fact fundamentally distinguishes this case from the warranty decisions relied upon by the McKees. See Duett Landforming, Inc. v. Belzoni Tractor Co., Inc., 34 So.3d 603, 605 (Miss.Ct. App.2009) (suit against manufacturer and seller of tractors for breach of implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose); Parker v. Thornton, 596 So.2d 854, 855-56 (Miss. 1992) (homeowners' suit against building contractor alleging "breach of express and implied warranties of merchantability[,]
¶ 44. Based upon this analysis, this Court affirms the Circuit Court of Madison County's "Order Granting Motion to Exclude Expert Witness Testimony of William Birdsong;" "Order Granting Bowers Window and Door Co., Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment;" and "Order Granting Weather Shield Manufacturing, Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment."
¶ 45.
WALLER, C.J., CARLSON AND DICKINSON, P.JJ., LAMAR, KITCHENS, CHANDLER, PIERCE AND KING, JJ., CONCUR.