JAMES D. WHITTEMORE, District Judge.
GEICO issued a marine insurance policy covering Defendant's vessel. (Policy, Dkt. 1 at pp. 14-35). Its Complaint seeks declaratory judgment that the policy does not cover a claimed loss because of Defendant's breach of a navigational warranty (Count I), breach of the implied warranty of seaworthiness (Count II), and breach of the duty of utmost good faith. (Count III). (Complaint, Dkt. 1). In its motion, GEICO moves to preclude Defendant from using marine surveyors Steven Berlin and Rich Parrey, or any other person, to present expert opinion evidence because of his failure to comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Case Management and Scheduling Order. (Dkt. 39).
Berlin and Parrey inspected Defendant's vessel and prepared marine survey reports. (Parrey marine survey report, Dkt. 35-2 at pp. 123-142); (Berlin marine survey report and addendum, Dkt. 35-2 at pp. 144-151). Those reports include findings about the vessel's condition and opinions based on those findings. (Id.).
The Case Management and Scheduling Order required the parties to disclose expert witnesses by July 1, 2017. (Dkt. 10). Defendant identified Berlin as a witness who was "[b]elieved to have knowledge of the condition of the vessel" in his initial disclosure. (Dkt. 31 at p. 2). His initial disclosure did not identify Parrey as a witness, or identify any witnesses who would present expert opinions. (Id.). Defendant served Answers to Plaintiff's First Set of Interrogatories on January 13, 2017. (Id. at p. 3). His answers identified Parrey and Berlin as witnesses with knowledge of "seaworthiness of vessel as of date of his report and thereafter." (Id.). One interrogatory asked if Defendant intended to call any expert witnesses, to which he replied "[y]es, but unknown at this time." (Id.).
Defendant never provided a Rule 26(a)(2) expert disclosure or report for any witness.
GEICO also argues that Parrey should be precluded from presenting expert opinion evidence because his opinion that the vessel is "a good insurance risk for its intended use" is irrelevant, particularly with respect to GEICO's claim that Defendant breached an implied warranty of seaworthiness. (Dkt. 31 at p. 7). A seaworthy vessel is one that "is reasonably fit for the intended use." Aguirre v. Citizens Cas. Co. of N.Y., 441 F.2d 141, 144 (5th Cir. 1971).
Defendant ostensibly opposes GEICO's motion, although he contends that Berlin and Parrey are not expert witnesses. (Dkt. 39). He does not dispute that he failed to comply with the disclosure requirements of Rule 26 and the Case Management and Scheduling Order. Nor does he argue that his failure was substantially justified or harmless. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to consider the guiding factors. See Singletary v. Stops, Inc., No. 6:09-cv-1763-Orl-19KRS, 2010 WL 3517039, at *8 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 7, 2010). Rather, he argues that "the reports are evidence of what Geico thought material to removing port risk ashore restrictions" from the policy, and that GEICO's motion is not supported by case law. (Dkt. 39 at ¶¶ 9, 11) (citing Reliance Nat'l Ins. Co. (Europe) Ltd. v. Hanover, 222 F.Supp.2d 110, 117 (D. Mass. 2002) (denying cross motions for summary judgment after concluding that whether the insureds satisfied their duty of good faith by providing survey reports and other information was a question of fact that could not be resolved as a matter of law)).
Defendant's first argument is inapposite, because GEICO has not moved to exclude Berlin and Parrey from testifying as fact witnesses or to exclude their reports. Rather, it moves to exclude them from presenting expert opinions. And, contrary to Defendant's second argument, GEICO's motion is supported by binding case law. See Reese, 527 F.3d at 1265 (no abuse of discretion in excluding a witness's affidavit containing expert opinions because plaintiff failed to disclose the witness pursuant to Rule 26); A.A. Profiles, Inc. v. City of Ft. Lauderdale, 253 F.3d 576, 585 (11th Cir. 2001) (court should have excluded testimony of witness because witness's opinion was irrelevant).
Accordingly, GEICO's Motion to Preclude or Limit Expert Witness Testimony is