Opinion ID: 1208799
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Testimony of Ewen Todd, Ph.D.

Text: The majority admitted the testimony of Dr. Todd because they believe that Dr. Todd's opinion explained precisely how the conclusions were reached, and pointed to an objective source to show that his conclusions were based on a scientific source to show his conclusions were based on a scientific method used by at least a minority of scientists in the field. Majority Opin., p, ___ WVa. ___, 656 S.E.2d 501. My disagreement with the majority is based upon my opinion that Dr. Todd's testimony is unreliable and for that reason should be excluded. The appellants aptly described Dr. Todd's testimony as being his verotoxin theory. Dr. Todd's testimony is unreliable for a very simple reason: he theorized that the hamburger which Mr. San. Francisco had partially eaten was contaminated with E.Coli; theorized that verotoxin from the E. Coli had already formed on the hamburger before it was consumed; and theorized that the pre-formed verotoxin accounted for the rapid onset of Mr. Francisco's symptoms after he had eaten the hamburger. Dr. Todd conceded, however, that verotoxin is not pre-formed in the absence of abusive manufacturing, and that he had no evidence that the Wendy's hamburger had been subjected to such conditions. He stated, We don't have anyany evidence directly that the beef was abused, but it's still a possibility that that occurred. [13] (Emphasis added). Dr. Todd had no evidence that the hamburger eaten by Mr. Francisco was contaminated with E. Coli and that verotoxin had pre-formed thereon before it was eaten. He had only his theories and possibilities. It is rather obvious that Dr. Todd developed his theory to meet the exigencies of this litigation; i.e., to explain the short temporal relationship between the eating of the hamburger and the start of the symptoms, and to thereby hopefully avoid the classic illogic of inferring that the hamburger caused Mr. San Francisco' symptoms simply because the eating of the hamburger preceded the symptoms: post hoc, ergo propter hoc. Dr. Todd's testimony is theory unsupported by facts. It is unreliable and summary judgment was appropriate.