QuestionQUESTION: I am looking for a tire expert witness. I live in Loudon, Tennessee. Can you make a referral?
Thank you, Scott Gammons
ANSWER: Scott,
First I suggest you explain what you need one for.
1) Perhaps I can determmine if you have a case.
2) Perhaps I can give you what you need without your having to get an expert witness
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I took the tire service company to court. The judge told me that my letter from the Ford dealership that explained the problem (wrong tires caused the transfer case to burn up) was not admissable without an expert witness present for cross examination. That's it in a nut shell.
AnswerScott,
I think what you actually need is an expert on vehicles - especially 4X4's / AWD's.
Specifically, how the wrong tire would affect the way a transfer case operates.
But while we are conversing - did they apply 2 different sizes or type of tires on the vehicle? Is that the basis of the lawsuit?
If so, then there ought to be service bulletins from both vehicle manufacturers and/or tire manufacturers indicating that tires ought to be replaced in sets of 4. That should be adequate for the purposes of establishing what industry practice is.
And this could be the basis for pretty much anyone who you would get to testify.
I should point out that you may have to pay an expert for his time involved in testimony.
I would think that someone like a service manager from a Ford dealership could testify to the validity of the bulletin - and it would be helpful if he could testify that he has seen other transfer cases fail from the same problem.
One last issue: You have to be prepared to address the issue that you went into the tire shop specifying that only 2 tires were to be applied - and in particular that they told you this might be a problem, but you insisted they do it the way you specified. That would imply that they were only following your instructions - and that they has warned you about the consequences. You have to be prepsred to defend against that.
