Weisgram v. Marley Co.

Facts

Bonnie Weisgram, mother of Plaintiff, was killed in a fire. Plaintiff Weisgram, decedent’s son, bring suit against Defendant Marley Co., the manufacturer of the heated baseboards that were in decedent’s home and what Plaintiff alleges was the cause of the fire. At trial, Plaintiff had three experts testify that Defendant’s heater that was in decedent’s house contained defects that caused it to overheat and catch fire. Defendant Marley Co. objected to the testimony, claiming that it was unreliable and therefore inadmissible under Federal Rules of Evidence 702 and the holding in Daubert. The trial court overruled the objection and denied both of Defendant Marley Co.’s motions for judgement as a matter of law under FRCP 50. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Plaintiff and Defendant Markley Co. appealed. The court of appeals reversed the decision of the trial court, finding that Plaintiff’s experts’ testimony at trial was inadmissible because it was speculative and not scientifically sound, and that without said testimony Plaintiff did not present sufficient evidence to sustain a jury verdict. Plaintiff Weisgram appealed, and the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.