Daubert & FA

The admissibility of expert evidence rose to the top of the federal judicial agenda in the early 1990s. The Supreme Court, which had never before spoken on the subject, ruled three times in short succession: in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1993; General Electric Co. v. Joiner in 1997; and Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael in 1999. These decisions sought to transform the selection and evaluation of experts. A introductory look at these cases and subsequent court rulings on those proffering opinions provides insight into how a failure analyst might want to conduct their trade to both protect themselves and their clients.