Opinion ID: 2074744
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Competence of Defendant's Expert

Text: Capps argues that the defendant's expert witness and defendant were not competent to testify to the appropriate standard of care. The objections made at trial by Capps' counsel alleged that Dr. Allan Nalbor, who testified on behalf of Dr. Manhart and practices dentistry in Merrillville, Indiana, was not licensed to practice, nor did in fact practice, dentistry in Nebraska and that he failed to show a familiarity with the standards in Omaha and similar communities. A medical expert from one medical community is competent to testify as an expert witness in a medical negligence case as to the standard of care or skill required in another community if the witness has knowledge of or familiarity with the practice and standard of the locality in question, or of a similar or like community. Wentling v. Jenny, 206 Neb. 335, 293 N.W.2d 76 (1980); Kortus v. Jensen, supra . Dr. Nalbor did testify that he was familiar with the standard of practice applicable to general dentists in Omaha and similar communities. He attended Creighton University for dental school, has taken continuing education courses around the country, and performs work daily in all of the areas of dentistry to which he testified. He testified that Merrillville is for all practical purposes a suburb of Chicago. In Wentling v. Jenny, supra , we cited Kortus v. Jensen in saying that evidence that the expert had never practiced in the defendant's community goes to the weight to be accorded the evidence by the trier of fact; it does not keep the expert from testifying to a general standard of skill in the defendant's community if he testifies that he is familiar with that standard. Such is the case with Dr. Nalbor's testimony. Dr. Manhart's testimony generally consisted of a description of his patented calcium hydroxide treatment and of his course of treatment of Capps. The matters that appellant complains of were issues of credibility for the jury. The opinions of defendant and his expert had a reasonable basis, and they were properly received in evidence at the discretion of the trial court. See, Uryasz v. Archbishop Bergan Mercy Hosp., 230 Neb. 323, 431 N.W.2d 617 (1988); Herman v. Lee, 210 Neb. 563, 316 N.W.2d 56 (1982).