Expert Witness Blog

Summary: Electronics Expert Witness not allowed to testify in contract case even though he owns a small business performing audio-visual installations.

Facts:  This case (Peters v. Best Buy Stores, LP – United States District Court – District of Maryland – March 3rd, 2022) involves a breach of contract claim filed against Best Buy. The plaintiff, Nnena Ella Peters, says that she went to Best Buy to order numerous televisions and appliances.  She claims that staff at Best Buy convinced her that the company and its subsidiaries had the experience, reputation and size to handle the project.  By 2020, Peters alleges that the systems in her house were not working to her satisfaction even though best Buy continued to work on the project.  She then filed suit against the company.  In order to prove her case, Peters hired Electronics Expert Witness Mr. Orjan Dhimitri Gjoni to provide expert testimony.  Best Buy has filed a motion to exclude the expert witness testimony of Mr. Gjoni.

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Summary: Employment Expert Witness testimony allowed in part even though the plaintiff argued that it is up to the judge and the jury to to decide liability based on the evidence in the case.

Facts:  This case (Dickson v. The Bosworth – United States District Court – Western District of Texas – May 13th, 2022) involves a claim of racial discrimination.  The defendant, Bosworth has hired Employment Expert Witness W. Clark Lea to provide testimony on its behalf.   The defendant hired Mr. Lea to provide expert testimony on whether or not Bosworth performed reasonable care to prevent or correct harassing and discriminatory behavior and whether Dickson did not take advantage of any corrective or preventative behavior which was provided by Bosworth.  The plaintiff has filed a motion to exclude this expert from providing expert witness testimony.

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Summary: Licensing Expert Witness testimony was allowed despite the expert relying on the testimony of third parties.

Facts:  This case (Federal Trade Commission v. Qualcomm Incorporated – United States District Court – Northern District of California – December 10th, 2018) involves a complicated interaction between cellular communications standards, standard essential patents (“SEPs”), and the market for baseband processors, or “modem chips”.  The plaintiff has hired Richard L. Donaldson (Licensing Expert Witness) to provide expert testimony on their behalf.  The defendant has filed a motion to exclude this expert from testifying.

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Summary: Mortgages Expert Witness testimony allowed in spite of defendant’s arguments that the expert does not offer Payment Waiver Protection programs in his own business.

Facts:  This case (Schneider et al v. CitiMortgage, Inc. et al – United States District Court – District of Kansas – August 13th, 2019) involves a mortgage dispute.  The plaintiffs refinanced a residential mortgage loan with the defendants.  The plaintiffs have brought this lawsuit for breach of contract, fraud, conversion, and failure to refinance.  The plaintiffs have hired A.W. Pickel (Mortgages Expert Witness) to provide expert witness testimony.  The defendant has filed a motion to exclude this expert from testifying.

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Summary: Combustion Engineering Expert Witness testimony allowed even though the defendants argued that his opinions were unreliable based on his reliance of conclusions of one problem vehicle.

Facts:  This case (Counts, et al. v. General Motors, LLC – United States District Court – Eastern District of Michigan – June 9th, 2022) involves a claim by consumers who purchased a 2014 or 2015 Chevrolet Cruze diesel from the defendant.  The plaintiffs allege that they overpaid for their vehicles because they were tricked into purchasing a Cruze with “defeat devices” that made its emissions comply with numerous state and federal regulations.  The plaintiffs claim that their Cruze vehicles emit dangerous amounts of oxides of nitrogen, which exceed state and federal emission standards.   The plaintiffs hired Combustion Engineering Expert Witness Juston Smithers to provide expert witness testimony in this case.  General Motors has filed a motion to exclude this expert from testifying.

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Summary: Preventive Medicine Expert Witness allowed to provide testimony even though the defendant states that he was not qualified to offer an expert opinions on technical matters of cardiology.

Facts:  This case (Levitt v. Merck & Co., Inc. – U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri – May 28th, 2019) involves a claim against the defendant alleging that she suffered two heart attacks in 2001 as a result of taking the drug Vioxx.  In order to prove her claim, the plaintiff hired Preventive Medicine Expert Witness David Egilman, M.D.  The defendant has filed a motion to exclude this expert from testifying.

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Summary: Orthopedic Surgery Expert Witness testimony was allowed even though the plaintiff argued that the doctor did not provide an explanation that splinting was the best course of treatment for the plaintiff’s injuries.

Facts:  This case (Witkin v. Lotersztain – United States District Court – Eastern District of California – June 23, 2022) involves a claim by a prisoner against a medical doctor.  The plaintiff, Michael Aaron Witkin, says that he was injured during a game of flag football and the doctor, J. Lin, did not provide adequate care which violated Witkin’s Eighth Amendment rights.  Witkin states that he fractured a finger on his hand.  The defendant has hired Orthopedic Surgery Expert Witness Alexandra Burgar to provide testimony in this case.  The plaintiff has filed a motion to exclude this expert from testifying.

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Summary: Jails & Prisons Expert Witness allowed to provide testimony in part even though the defendants argued that he did not reliably apply his methodology when assessing the use of force at issue in this case.

Facts:  This case (Jackson et al v. Catanzariti et al – United States District Court – Southern District of Georgia – May 14th, 2019) involves the use of force against two prisoners.  The plaintiffs filed suit against the defendants alleging that the defendants, correctional officers, violated their constitutional right to be free from excessive force while they were incarcerated.  The plaintiffs have hired Eugene E. Atherton (Jails & Prisons Expert Witness) to provide expert witness testimony.  The defendants have filed a motion to exclude this expert from testifying.

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Summary: Automobile Mechanical & Body Repair Expert Witness testimony not excluded even though the defendant argued that the plaintiff’s engine had a different engine than the one tested by the expert.

Facts: This case (Loy et al v. BMW of North America, LLC et al – United States District Court – Eastern District of Missouri – June 29th, 2022) involves a claim that BMW did not disclose that the plaintiff’s engine was defective and which caused it to burn an excessive amount of oil.  Plaintiff Loy argues that BMW knew about the engine issue, did not disclose it to their customers, and did not repair, as required by warranty.  In order to prove her claims, Loy hired Automobile Mechanical & Body Repair Expert Witness Darren Manzari to provide expert witness testimony on her behalf.  BMW filed a motion to exclude Manzari’s testimony under Daubert.

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Summary: Defendant hired a Fire Expert Witness to provide testimony in smoke inhalation case.

Facts:  This case (Dillon v. Maxus Properties Inc et al – United States District Court – Eastern District of Arkansas – April 9th 2019) involves the death of Jannell Dillon.  Dillon died from smoke and soot inhalation after she entered her apartment to extinguish a fire.  Her estate have sued the companies that managed and owned the apartment complex, alleging that the defendants beached duties because the smoke detector within her apartment did not sound an alarm during the fire.  The defendant has hired Fire Expert Witness Ryan Baker to provide testimony.  The plaintiff has filed a motion to exclude this expert from testifying.

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