Opinion ID: 1058169
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Peer Review

Text: Although the trial court found that the opinions of neither Mr. Johannson nor Dr. Harris had been subjected to peer review, the lack of peer review does not necessarily render an expert's opinion unreliable. See Daubert, 509 U.S. at 593-94, 113 S.Ct. 2786; First Tenn. Bank Nat'l Ass'n, 268 F.3d at 334. It might not be surprising in a particular case . . . that a claim made by a scientific witness has never been the subject of peer review, for the particular application at issue may never previously have interested any scientist. Kumho Tire Co., 526 U.S. at 151, 119 S.Ct. 1167. The trial court failed to indicate whether publication is typical for the methodologies that Mr. Johannson and Dr. Harris purported to employ. The trial court's failure to explain the connection between lack of peer review and the reliability of these experts' testimony prevents us from examining the extent to which this factor affects the reliability of the methodologies employed by Mr. Johannson and Dr. Harris. See Smith v. Ford Motor Co., 215 F.3d 713, 720-21 (7th Cir.2000). We recognize, however, that Dr. Harris has published numerous articles regarding the principles of biomechanics, even though he has not subjected the application of these principles to forklifts to peer review. With regard to Mr. Johannson, the failure to submit to publication opinions based upon well-established engineering techniques or extensive practical experience, rather than novel methodology, rarely casts doubt upon the reliability of the opinions. See id.