Construction claims often feature supporting testimony from design and/or scheduling experts, and exclusion of that testimony either by disqualification of the expert or a finding that the testimony is otherwise inadmissible can prove fatal to your claim or defense. States may vary in their requirements for admissibility of expert evidence, but most states follow some variant of Federal Rule of Evidence 702. Rule 702 provides that an expert may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if:
(a) The expert’s scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue;
(b) The testimony is based on sufficient facts or data;
(c) The testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and
(d) The expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.
The recent district court order in American Contractors Indemnity Co. v. Reflectech, Inc. granting a motion to strike an expert demonstrates the importance of satisfying the requirements for admission of expert evidence under Rule 702 and other like statutes. In that case, a surety sought indemnity for payment on bonds issued to a subcontractor that defaulted on a roofing subcontract. The surety investigated the general contractor’s claim for default against the subcontractor, settled with the general contractor for approximately $400,000, and then filed suit against the subcontractor for breach of their general indemnity agreement.
The defendant subcontractor proffered an expert to opine on the adequacy of the surety’s investigation and the appropriateness of payment of the general contractor’s bond claims. In moving to strike this expert, the surety argued (1) the expert should be disqualified due to lack of experience, and (2) the expert testimony was inadmissible because it was not based on sufficient facts or data as required under Rule 702(b). The court focused on the second prong of the surety’s argument in granting the motion to strike. The court found that the expert’s opinion was not based on sufficient facts or data because of several admissions from the expert during his deposition. Specifically, the surety persuaded the court with the following facts derived from the expert’s deposition testimony:
- The expert admitted he never visited the project site and interviewed only one individual, the owner of the subcontractor, before drafting his expert report;
- The expert admitted he never reviewed the surety’s records regarding the general contractor’s claim and did not know what information the surety’s investigation uncovered because that information was never provided to him;
- The expert testified that the surety’s records would have been helpful in forming his expert opinion (the subcontractor was unable to provide any explanation for failure to provide this material to the expert when it had been produced by the surety); and
- The expert stated that he did not review the settlement portion of the general indemnity agreement, which he had opined was unconscionable.
The facts relied upon by the court highlight the importance of selecting and managing experts in construction disputes. When selecting an expert, a party should be mindful of the expert’s prior testifying experience and his or her approach to investigating a claim or subject area for which an opinion is required. A party should also ensure its expert receives and reviews all the documents and information necessary to formulate his or her opinion. To be successful, this process requires an active dialogue with the expert throughout the course of a matter. For example, document productions from other parties and deposition testimony from witnesses will uncover additional information an expert may need to support his or her opinions. Consistent engagement with an expert will help avoid outcomes such as that encountered by the roofing subcontractor in this case and should help a party better develop its claims or defenses as a matter proceeds.