Opinion ID: 163939
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: An Overview of the Railroad's Arguments

Text: 10 Because it provides a convenient means of analyzing the district court's ruling, we believe Dr. Teitelbaum's opinion is best viewed as a conclusion that two separate aspects of causation existed in this case: (1) general causation, meaning that the particular circumstances in the tunnel could have caused Mr. Goebel's injury, and (2) specific causation, meaning that those circumstances did in fact cause Mr. Goebel's injury. See, e.g., Soldo v. Sandoz Pharms. Corp., 244 F.Supp.2d 434, 524-25 (W.D.Pa.2003) (discussing these concepts and collecting cases). To arrive at general causation, Dr. Teitelbaum reviewed scientific literature, drew general propositions therefrom, and then combined those propositions to conclude that the conditions in the tunnel could have caused high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) in Mr. Goebel. III R. at 664-65. To arrive at specific causation, Dr. Teitelbaum performed a differential diagnosis in which, after examining and testing Mr. Goebel, he ruled in all scientifically plausible causes of the injury and then ruled out the least plausible causes until only the most likely cause remained, i.e., that the tunnel conditions did in fact cause Mr. Goeble to suffer HACE-induced cognitive deficits. Id. at 668-70. 11 The Railroad contends that the district court abused its discretion by admitting Dr. Teitelbaum's testimony because (1) his general causation opinion was not supported by the medical literature he relied upon and (2) his differential diagnosis was unreliable because he failed to account for alternative explanations of Mr. Goebel's condition. Aplt. Br. at 15-16. Because the Railroad's arguments on appeal are the same as those made before the district court, the district court's order and memorandum addresses each of these claims in significant detail. 12