Opinion ID: 1974516
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: DAUBERT v. MERRELL DOW PHARMACEUTICALS

Text: ¶ 34. Before turning to the sufficiency of the evidence in this case, we address a matter related to the circuit court's use of expert testimony. In certifying this appeal, the court of appeals suggested that this case presents an opportunity for this court to revisit our rejection of the standard articulated in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993). The court of appeals observed what it calls a tension between the principle that Wisconsin courts conform Wisconsin antitrust law to federal law and the principle that federal antitrust case law invokes the Daubert gatekeeper role of a trial court in admitting expert testimony. The court of appeals suggested that we address the Daubert rule either on a broad scale or on a basis limited to antitrust cases, such as this predatory pricing claim. [21] ¶ 35. Whatever merit there may be in revisiting Wisconsin law on the admissibility of expert testimony in light of Daubert, we do not believe that this case presents the proper vehicle. The Daubert standard governs the admissibility of expert opinions and deals with the threshold reliability of an expert's opinion. In the present action, the parties do not dispute the qualifications of any experts or the relevancy of their testimony. Because the admissibility of an expert's opinion was not challenged in this appeal, the Daubert issue is not sufficiently present to require a decision. Rather, as explained below, the central question presented involves how the circuit court considered the admissible expert testimony in reaching its decision to grant summary judgment.