Issue: Is expert testimony required to establish proximate cause?
| Area of Law: | Litigation & Procedure |
| Keywords: | Proximate cause; Circumstantial evidence; Expert testimony |
| Jurisdiction: | Federal |
| Cited Cases: | 724 F.2d 613 |
| Cited Statutes: | None |
| Date: | 09/01/2011 |
Expert testimony is not always required to establish proximate cause; circumstantial evidence may suffice. Buckley v. General Motors Corp., 54 Fed. Appx. 712, 713 (2d Cir. 2003); Arnold v. Krause, Inc., 233 F.R.D. 126, 132 (W.D.N.Y. 2005).
See Kumho v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137, 156 (1999); (expert testimony does not require that expert collect own data or conduct own tests); Gussack Realty Co. v. Xerox Corp., 224 F.3d 85, 94-95 (2d Cir. 2000). Instead, “an expert might draw a conclusion based on extensive and specialized experience.” Kehm v. Proctor & Gamble Co., 580 F. Supp. 890, 903 (N.D. Iowa 1982) (expert may properly base opinion on studies conducted by others), aff’d, 724 F.2d 613 (8th Cir. 1983).
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