General Electric Co. v. Joiner

Robert Joiner (plaintiff), an electrician repeatedly exposed to a dielectric coolant later found to contain chemicals banned in 1978, developed small cell lung cancer despite also being a longtime smoker with a family history of both smoking and lung cancer; he sued GE and Westinghouse (defendants), alleging his chemical exposure promoted his cancer. The district court admitted the defendants' experts disputing any exposure or causal link but excluded Joiner's experts, whose opinions relied on mouse studies and unrelated worker studies, as unsupported speculation; the court of appeals reversed using a heightened standard of review, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari on the proper standard.