This is an action for Jones Act negligence, unseaworthiness and unpaid maintenance and cure brought by Eric Ward. On or about December 13, 2021, Ward joined the Yacht as the Electro Technical Officer as part of the Yacht’s engineering department in Miami Beach, Florida at a private residence.
On night of December 23, 2021, the Yacht collided with the Tropical Breeze, a gasoline tanker (“Tropical Breeze”), off the coast of the Bahamas due to the Captain’s negligence. Plaintiff Ward was working on the Sky Lounge aft of the Bridge with the charter guests, assisting them in connecting to the Yacht’s onboard entertainment systems. During the collision, Plaintiff Ward was thrown off his feet and collided with a wall, causing his injuries. The Defendant Yacht and its owner, Utopia refused to pay and delayed payment for the medical expenses as part of Plaintiff Ward’s cure benefit as a seaman.
The Defendants filed a motion to exclude the testimony of Ira Morris and Oscar Padron for failure to meet the minimum standards of expert testimony.
Vocational Rehabilitation Expert Witness
Ira Morris performs vocational evaluations to identify occupational options and determine earning capacity, as well as assessments to evaluate the loss of earning capacity resulting from an injury or illness. As a Life Care Planner, he develops plans to identify future needs, including medical, therapeutic, adaptive equipment, and ancillary or residential services, resulting from an injury or illness. He provides expert witness testimony on these issues, and his opinions have been accepted in state and federal courts, in civil, family law, and state workers’ compensation matters.
Accounting Expert Witness
Oscar Padron holds multiple professional designations and qualifications in the fields of accounting, financial planning, and valuation. His credentials include Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner and Certified Valuation Analyst. He has earned a B.B.A. in Accounting (1980) and an M.S. in Finance (1989), both from Florida International University. Padron is currently a partner at Turner & Associates, LLP, with extensive experience in litigation support, economic valuations, and forensic accounting.
Discussion by the Court
Ira Morris
Ira Morris is the Plaintiffs’ vocational rehabilitation and life care plan expert, and Oscar Padron is the Plaintiffs’ expert on economics. The Defendants argued that Ira Morris used an unreliable methodology because he “relied heavily on Ward’s accounts of the facts pertaining to them without independently verifying the same when formulating his life care plan.” Moreover, he relied on his own summaries of private telephone conversations he had with treating medical professionals in formulating his opinions, though he admitted he lacks the medical knowledge to evaluate the medical findings.
With respect to Morris, the Plaintiffs argued that his methodology was reliable because it adhered to the Standards of Practice for Life Care Planners, a peer-reviewed manual prepared by the International Academy of Life Care Planners, and the RAPEL Method, also a peer-reviewed and widely accepted method. The Plaintiffs also noted that Morris: (1) relied only on materials that were in his possession and obtained through interviews; (2) used data from industry-specific sources in assessing Ward’s loss of earning capacity; and (3) relied on health recommendations from the parties’ independent providers that were provided with “signed verifications attesting to the summaries of information and analyses they provided in support of Morris’ opinions and conclusions.”
Plaintiffs also disputed various contentions made by the Defendants. The Plaintiffs noted that Morris relied on market data in addition to Morris’ contract; Morris did not provide causation opinions; Morris’ reports do not include paid cure expenses or expenses incurred after Ward reached their Maximum Medical Improvement; collateral sources such as Medicare are not considered when making life care plans; Ward’s tax returns were not necessary because Morris relied on labor market data.
Oscar Padron
As for Oscar Padron, the Defendants alleged that his methodology is likewise unreliable because it is based almost entirely on Morris’ conclusions and it was prepared in less than a day. According to the Defendants, Padron admitted in his deposition that he did not independently verify any information regarding Ward complaints because it was “beyond the scope of what he was asked to do,” and “he simply accepted and quantified the opinions of Ira Morris.”
With respect to Padron, the Plaintiffs argued that when quantifying Morris’ conclusions, Padron used widely accepted standard practices such as using the applicable interest rates, growth rates, discount rates, inflation rates, and life expectancy data. He also relied on reputable publications, including those that were peer-reviewed. Moreover, his methodology was consistent with the standards of the Association of Forensic Economics and the American Institute of CPAs.
Held
The Court denied the Defendant’s Daubert motion to exclude the testimony of Ira Morris and Oscar Padron. The Court found that the experts were qualified and their methodologies were reliable. Therefore, their testimony will be helpful to the jury. The Defendants may cross-examine the experts on any perceived deficiencies.
Key Takeaway:
The Defendants did not dispute that the experts are qualified. They contended that Morris should be precluded from providing any medical or liability testimony. They maintained that Morris used an unreliable methodology because in addition to the reasons cited in the original motion, he relied on an incomplete record.
As to Padron, the Defendants maintained that his methodology was unreliable (and therefore not helpful) because he exclusively relied on Morris’ unreliable findings.
However, the Court found that the experts were qualified and their methodologies were reliable.
Case Details:
| Case Caption: | Ward V. M/Y Utopia Iv Et Al |
| Docket Number: | 1:22cv23847 |
| Court: | United States District Court, Florida Southern |
| Order Date: | October 3, 2024 |
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