A federal judge in Chicago denied SharkNinja’s motion to exclude testimony from the plaintiff’s expert witness regarding whether a food processor’s circular lid was defectively designed, which led to a woman’s hand injuries.
In a Monday opinion, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso of the Northern District of Illinois denied SharkNinja’s motion to exclude expert testimony from the plaintiff’s expert, Dr. Wade Lanning, who works for an engineering consulting firm and opined that the circular lid on the Ninja Intellisense Kitchen System contributed to it jamming. Allyson Bolden claims she was injured when she attempted to remove the jammed lid to the food processor and that she had to undergo two surgeries and occupational therapy. SharkNinja moved to exclude Lanning’s testimony, claiming he wasn’t qualified and that his opinions were unreliable and irrelevant, among other things.