7th Circuit rejects expert who had little exposure to skid loader

Federal Courts

By Jay S. Judge

Jay S. Judge, a name partner of Judge, James, Hoban & Judge LLC in Park Ridge, is a defense attorney who specializes in trials, appeals and insurance coverage. Judge graduated with honors from The John Marshall Law School and served as editor-in-chief of the school’s law review.

Posted April 13, 2021 11:54 AM

Today’s 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case involves the admissibility of a professional engineer’s opinion that a skid-steer loader that tipped on a ramp was defective where the engineer never used or tested any skid-steer loader, let alone the accident one, and did not know the accident facts.The 7th Circuit considered the admissibility of the expert’s opinion under the four-part Rule of Evidence 702 and Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.In Kirk v. Clark Equipment Co., 2021 WL 1133199 (7th Cir. 2021 …

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