Expert Testimony Not Necessary to Support FMLA Claim

In order to be entitled to FMLA leave, an employee must be able to show that he or she is afflicted with a serious health condition and that the condition renders him or her unable to perform the essential functions of her job. But is a plaintiff who has brought a claim under the FMLA required to present expert testimony verifying that a serious health condition rendered him or her unable to work? Recently, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s award of summary judgment to an employer on this issue, finding that expert testimony is not necessary in order to make this showing. Hansen v. Fincantieri Marine Group, LLC, et al., No. 13-3391 (7th Cir. August 18, 2014).

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