News and Events
Important Appellate Victory on Expert Testimony in the Court of Appeals of Maryland
Firm principals Natalie McSherry and Chris Jeffries served on the appellate team that successfully argued on behalf of the defendant-landlord that an expert witness did not have a sufficient factual basis to opine that lead exposure caused the plaintiff's Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. At the conclusion of the trial in Rochkind v. Stevenson, a jury awarded the plaintiff $753,000 in economic damages and $700,000 in non-economic damages. On appeal, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland affirmed the award. Maryland's highest court reversed the Court of Special Appeals, holding that the trial court erred in admitting the expert testimony. As a result, the Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the Court of Special Appeals for an order vacating the monetary judgment and remanding the case to the Circuit Court for a new trial on the issue of damages. On July 22, 2017, the Daily Record reported on the decision in an article titled Court of Appeals rejects expert testimony linking lead exposure, ADHD.