{"id":894306,"date":"2018-05-30T12:27:51","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T18:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=894306"},"modified":"2018-05-30T12:27:51","modified_gmt":"2018-05-30T18:27:51","slug":"expert-good-actual-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/expert-good-actual-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"An Expert Is Only as Good as His Actual Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nora Valenza-Frost | PropertyCasualtyFocus<\/a> | May 25, 2018<\/p>\n

Experts are often used to address issues of causation and scope of damages in insurance coverage matters. It is well established, however, that an expert must be qualified through specific training or actual experience. Without such training or experience, a purported expert\u2019s affidavit may not be sufficient to create an issue of material fact sufficient to defeat summary judgment. Such was the lesson in\u00a0Superhost v Selective Ins (NY App 2018-04-12)<\/em>, Case No. 525034 (NY 3d Dep\u2019t April 12, 2018).<\/p>\n

In that case, a hotel sought coverage for damage allegedly suffered a result of Hurricane Irene under its all-risk commercial liability policy issued by Selective Insurance Company of America (\u201cSelective\u201d). The subject policy provided coverage for \u201call physical loss and damage except for losses resulting from causes expressly listed in the policy\u2019s exclusions and limitations\u201d, namely \u201cwear and tear\u201d and a \u201climitation precluding coverage for interior damage caused by rain except in certain circumstances.\u201d Selective denied coverage based upon the exclusions, and thereafter met its initial burden of proof that coverage for the hotel\u2019s loss was precluded. The trial court found the hotel\u2019s expert\u2019s opinion, submitted to establish the existence of a triable issue of fact, lacked probative value and dismissed the hotel\u2019s complaint. The Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed.<\/p>\n

Selective provided an affidavit and expert report of an engineer with experience in \u201cstructural investigations and failure determinations\u201d who inspected the hotel several weeks after Hurricane Irene. The engineer found the hotel\u2019s exterior walls had improper flashing detail: the caulking had separated from where the walls and windows met the concrete floors \u201cas a result of age and lack of maintenance, creating spaces through which water could migrate into the walls.\u201d The engineer reported numerous indications water had been seeping into the walls for quite some time before the hurricane, and the damage continued after the surfaces had been repaired after the storm. Selective also submitted \u201cdeposition testimony from the hotel\u2019s owner and general managers establishing that the exterior caulk had not been checked as part of any regular maintenance program, and had never been maintained within their memory.\u201d This evidence supported Selective\u2019s application of the \u201cwear and tear\u201d exclusion.<\/p>\n

In response, the hotel submitted an affidavit of its proposed window expert, who inspected the hotel several years after the hurricane and opined that the water damage was caused by the bowing of the hotel\u2019s windows due to the high winds. The trial court found, however, that the affidavit did not provide adequate information to support this determination, as the hotel\u2019s \u201cexpert\u201d was unqualified. With an accounting degree and no engineering training, knowledge or education in identifying the cause of window failure, the purported expert did not have any specialized academic training. Nor did he have any actual experience: he was involved in sales and management in the glass and glazing business and, despite stating \u201cthat he had regularly examined defective windows \u2026 there was no indication that these examinations included experience in the subjects upon which he opined, including the behavior of windows during high winds, the effect of pressure on windows, the behavior of wind near buildings and, most significantly, the causes of window failure during storms.\u201d Accordingly, the appellate court agreed with the Supreme Court\u2019s finding that that the hotel\u2019s expert\u2019s opinions regarding the cause of the water damage were not reliable. Without such expert testimony, the hotel was unable to demonstrate a triable issue of fact, and the insurance company was properly granted summary judgment, dismissing the complaint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nora Valenza-Frost | PropertyCasualtyFocus | May 25, 2018 Experts are often used to address issues of causation and scope of damages in insurance coverage matters. It is well established, however, that an expert must be qualified through specific training or actual experience. Without such training or experience, a purported expert\u2019s affidavit may not be sufficient… Continue reading An Expert Is Only as Good as His Actual Experience<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[9895,17],"class_list":["post-894306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-expert-witness","tag-advise-consult","tag-expert-witness-2","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nAn Expert Is Only as Good as His Actual Experience - Advise & Consult, Inc.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"an expert must be qualified by specific training or actual experience. 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