Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Hedonic Damages, Daubert and the Province of the Jury

From Martinez v. Caterpillar, Inc., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97414 (D.N.M. Sept. 6, 2007):

While New Mexico permits the recovery of hedonic damages, expert testimony attempting to quantify such damages invades the fact finder's domain. See Romero v. Byers, 117 N.M. 422, 428, 872 P.2d 840, 846 (1994); Couch v. Astec Industries, Inc., 2002 NMCA 84, 132 N.M. 631, 636, 53 P.3d 398, 403 (Ct. App. 2002). [The plaintiff’s proffered expert’s] proposed testimony would do nothing to assist the jury as the jurors themselves are fully capable of determining the value to be placed on the enjoyment of life. Moreover, this Court is persuaded by the weight of authority that rejects such expert testimony as unreliable, untestable and failing to meet the requirement of general acceptability. See, e.g., Smith v. Ingersoll-Rand Co., 214 F.3d 1235, 1244-45 (10th Cir. 2000); Sullivan v. United States Gypsum Co., 862 F.Supp. 317, 320 (D.Kan. 1994). The Court therefore adopts the arguments and authorities propounded by Defendant Caterpillar, Inc. and rejects the admission of opinion testimony concerning hedonic damages.

Testimony excluded under Federal Rule of Evidence 702 because “[t]his type of expert opinion testimony invades the province of the jury and fails to meet the criteria for admission as expert testimony as set forth in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 113 S. Ct. 2786, 125 L. Ed. 2d 469 (1993).

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Recent Posts

(1) Appellate Review of Inherent Power Sanctions (7th Circuit): Factual Findings Reviewed for Clear Error, Choice of Sanction for Abuse of Discretion — 4-Element Test for Reversal; (2) Sanctions and Class Actions: Monetary Sanctions Properly Imposed on Defendants for Improper Communications with Class Members (Represented Parties) — “[I]f The Class And The Class Opponent Are Involved In An Ongoing Business Relationship, Communications From The Class Opponent To The Class May Be Coercive” (Good Quote); (3) Monetary Sanctions under Goodyear v. Haeger: If Same Fact-Gathering Would Have Been Conducted Absent The Misconduct, No But-For Causation — But Only “Rough Justice” Required, “Not Accountant-Like Precision” (Good Quote) — Once Misconduct Is Clear, Time Spent Ferreting It Out Compensable under Goodyear; (4) Goodyear Did Not Overrule Long-Standing Rule That Courts May Impose Modest Civil Monetary Sanctions to Curb Litigation Abuse; (5) Appellate Jurisdiction Lacking Where Sanctioned Attorney Fails to File Notice of Appeal and Lawyer’s Intent to Appeal Not Apparent from Client’s Notice; (5) Rule 11 Improper Purpose — Party May Have Many Purposes for Pursuing Claim — As Long As Claim Is Supported by Good Faith Belief in the Merits, “A Parallel Reason Does Not Violate Rule 11” — To Deny A Motion for Sanctions, The District Court Need Not Address Every Argument: “Arguments Clearly Without Merit Can, And For The Sake Of Judicial Economy Should, Be Passed Over In Silence” (Good Quote); Non-Monetary Sanction on Counsel: Complete Twice The Required Amount Of Professional Responsibility Hours For Her Next Continuing Legal Education Cycle Imposed By The State Bar

Archives