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Review of Case Materials
Reviews records, documents, testimony, data, and other relevant materials and consults with counsel regarding technical issues related to the matter.
Provide Expert Analysis
Applies specialized knowledge and experience to evaluate the technical or professional issues involved.
Form Expert Opinions
Develops independent, supportable opinions based on the available evidence and relevant standards.
Prepare Expert Reports
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A suitably qualified gymnastics expert can review video, the skill being attempted, athlete experience and progression, apparatus configuration, mat placement, spotting, supervision, practice organization, witness accounts, and the sequence immediately before and after the incident. USA Gymnastics safety guidance identifies lesson planning, appropriate apparatus and equipment, mat placement, skill progression, instruction, supervision, spotting, and recordkeeping as relevant coaching and safety considerations. The analysis should remain specific to the gymnastics discipline and activity involved rather than assuming that the same procedures apply to artistic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics, or every recreational program.
A suitably qualified gymnastics expert may examine the apparatus type and settings, anchors and hardware, landing areas, mat type, thickness and placement, gaps, supplemental matting, surrounding obstacles, photographs, inspection records, and applicable competition or program requirements. Current USA Gymnastics rules can prescribe discipline- and level-specific matting arrangements; for example, its 2026 National Qualifier competition information specifies different supplemental matting provisions for vault, bars, and floor. World Gymnastics also maintains current Apparatus Norms, updated June 17, 2026, for international gymnastics equipment. The applicability of those specifications depends on the discipline, competition level, governing organization, equipment, and incident date.
A suitably qualified gymnastics expert can evaluate the athlete's documented experience, the skill or progression being attempted, instructor positioning, spotting practices, number and location of other athletes, lesson or practice organization, and whether the coach could observe the activity. USA Gymnastics' safety materials specifically recommend teaching skills through appropriate progressions, reviewing falling and landing techniques, maintaining supervision, and using appropriate spotting practices. Whether a particular coaching practice was appropriate still depends on the athlete, skill, discipline, facility, applicable rules, and expert qualifications; general guidance should not automatically be treated as the legal standard of care.
Prepares clear, well-supported expert reports outlining methodology, analysis, findings, and opinions.
Provide Deposition Testimony
Explains findings and opinions under oath and responds to questioning during deposition testimony.
Testify in Court
Presents specialized findings and opinions clearly to judges, juries, arbitrators, or other decision-makers.
Relevant materials can include the rules and policies of the governing gymnastics organization, discipline-specific competition requirements, apparatus specifications, manufacturer documentation, and applicable testing standards. USA Gymnastics currently maintains separate rule structures for women's artistic, men's artistic, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic, and other programs, while World Gymnastics publishes international Apparatus Norms. Care is required with ASTM citations. ASTM's former F1931 test method for gymnastic landing mats and floor exercise surfaces was withdrawn in 2011, and F1676 for basic tumbling mats was withdrawn in 2010. ASTM F355-26 remains an active, broader impact-attenuation test method that can apply to gymnastic mats and other protective sports surfaces. A withdrawn standard should not be represented as a current requirement.
Useful materials may include practice and competition video, photographs, athlete enrollment and progression records, lesson and practice plans, coach qualifications, apparatus specifications, equipment setup and inspection records, matting information, facility diagrams, maintenance records, applicable rulebooks, meet information, witness statements, incident reports, and communications concerning prior equipment or safety concerns. Where apparatus or mat condition is disputed, documenting the equipment before it is moved, adjusted, repaired, or replaced can be particularly important.
