Opinion ID: 747742
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Degree of Exposure

Text: 24 The Kannankerils also contend that the district erred in finding that Dr. Gerson had no knowledge of Dr. Kannankeril's degree of exposure to Dursban. According to the district court, Dr. Gerson did not know the levels of Dursban at the Kannankerils' home at the time of exposure, and he did not know the amount of time plaintiffs spent in the home. We conclude, however, that the district court erred when it failed to recognize that Dr. Gerson had sufficient knowledge of exposure from his review of Terminix's application records, showing when, how much, and where pesticide had been applied. 25 Terminix asserts, however, that these application records are unreliable as a matter of law as a tool to determine Dr. Kannankeril's exposure. The trial court agreed and ruled that the only information reviewed by Dr. Gerson which addressed actual levels of pesticides in the Kannankeril home was the analysis performed by the DEP in July 1991, nine months after the last application of Dursban. The results of that sampling indicated nondetectable levels of pesticides. 26 We find that Terminix's assertion is without merit. First, there is no expert opinion in the record to establish that an ambient air test, particularly an ambient air test performed nine months after the final application of Dursban, is the only appropriate way in this case to gauge exposure to the organophosphate. Moreover, the plaintiffs were prepared to offer into evidence the Dursban product label which contained warnings such as: HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. HARMFUL IF ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. CAUSES EYE AND SKIN IRRITATION and Thoroughly wash dishes and food handling utensils with soap and water if they become contaminated by application of this product. Do not allow children or pets to contact treated surfaces until spray has dried. App. at 241-43. Under the facts as presented in this case, the district judge erred in ruling that an expert may rely only on the ambient air test to determine whether Dr. Kannankeril had been exposed to Dursban. Instead, all factual evidence of the presence of the chemicals in the residence should be relevant in forming an expert opinion of causation. 27 We conclude that it is for the trier of fact to determine what weight to give the ambient air test results as an indication of exposure. See Joiner v. General Elec. Co., 78 F.3d 524, 534 (11th Cir.1996) (reversing exclusion of expert opinions that plaintiffs' exposure to certain chemicals caused his lung cancer where there were issues of fact whether plaintiff was actually exposed to the chemicals so that summary judgment based on a finding of no exposure was inappropriate). The issue whether an ambient air test should be given more weight than pesticide application records goes to the weight rather than the admissibility of evidence. See United States v. Velasquez, 64 F.3d 844, 848 (3d Cir.1995) (citing United States v. Jakobetz, 955 F.2d 786, 800 (2d Cir.1992)). The trial judge must be careful not to mistake credibility questions for admissibility questions.