IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

                     FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

                               CIVIL TRIAL DIVISION

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            LOUNELLA ALLEN, ADMINISTRATRIX  OF    :   JULY TERM, 1992
            THE ESTATE OF SHAUN KENDALL ALLEN,    :
            DECEASED, AND GREGORY ALLEN AND       :
            LOUNELLA ALLEN, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN   :
            THEIR OWN RIGHT, AS NATURAL PARENTS   :
            OF SHAUN KENDALL ALLEN, DECEASED      :
                                                  :
                        VS                       :
                                                  :
            ST CHRISTOPHER'S HOSPITAL FOR        :
            CHILDREN                              :   NO 1349

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                                  AUGUST 4, 1997
                                  COURTROOM 246
                                    CITY HALL
                            PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

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                       TESTIMONY OF DAVID J HOFFMAN, MD

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            BEFORE:      HONORABLE ANNE E LAZARUS, J

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            APPEARANCES:

                         SCOTT A BENNETT, ESQUIRE
                         BEASLEY, CASEY & ERBSTEIN
                         FOR THE PLAINTIFFS

                         BENJAMIN A POST, ESQUIRE
                         POST & SCHELL, PC
                         FOR THE DEFENDANT
 

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         1                          I N D E X
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         3  PLAINTIFF'S_EVIDENCE
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         5  WITNESS                   DR     AS_OF_CR     RDR     RCR
            _______                   __     __ __ __     ___     ___

         6  DAVID J HOFFMAN, MD    14        3          57      51

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                       DAVID J HOFFMAN, MD - AS OF CROSS          3



         1               THE COURT:  YOU MAY PROCEED, COUNSEL

         2               MR BENNETT:  DR DAVID HOFFMAN

         3               THE COURT CRIER:  STATE YOUR FULL NAME FOR

         4         THE COURT; SPELL YOUR LAST NAME AND FIRST NAME

         5               THE WITNESS:  HOFFMAN, DAVID JOSEPH

         6               THE COURT CRIER:  SPELL YOUR LAST NAME, SIR

         7               THE WITNESS:  H-O-F-F-M-A-N

         8               THE COURT CRIER:  YOUR TITLE, SIR?

         9               THE WITNESS:  MD

        10               THE COURT CRIER:  PRACTICING ADDRESS FOR THE

        11         COURT, SIR?

        12               THE WITNESS:  I PRACTICE AT ALLEGHENY

        13         UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL  ADDRESS IS 3300 HENRY AVENUE

        14                       (WITNESS SWORN)

        15               DAVID J HOFFMAN, MD, HAVING BEEN DULY

        16         SWORN, WAS EXAMINED AND TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:

        17                   AS_OF_CROSS_EXAMINATION
                             __ __ _____ ___________

        18  BY MR BENNETT:

        19  Q     DR HOFFMAN, IN JUNE OF 1991, BY WHOM WERE YOU

        20  EMPLOYED?

        21  A     I WAS EMPLOYED BY ST CHRISTOPHER'S HOSPITAL FOR

        22  CHILDREN

        23  Q     IN WHAT CAPACITY WERE YOU EMPLOYED BY THEM?

        24  A     I WAS A SENIOR RESIDENT IN PEDIATRICS

        25  Q     COULD YOU TELL THE JURY BRIEFLY WHAT A RESIDENT IS?
 

                       DAVID J HOFFMAN, MD - AS OF CROSS          4



         1  A     YES  A RESIDENT IS A PHYSICIAN WHO HAS A MEDICAL

         2  DEGREE, WHO IS IN A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A PARTICULAR

         3  SPECIALTY  IN MY CASE IT WAS PEDIATRICS, TO BECOME A

         4  PEDIATRICIAN

         5  Q     DR HOFFMAN, YOU HEARD DISTANT HEART SOUNDS IN

         6  SHAUN ALLEN DURING A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION YOU CONDUCTED

         7  SOMETIME IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF JUNE 16, DID YOU

         8  NOT?

         9  A     YES

        10  Q     YOU HEARD THESE DISTANT HEART SOUNDS THROUGH A

        11  STETHOSCOPE?

        12  A     THAT IS CORRECT

        13  Q     DISTANT HEART SOUNDS, ARE THEY LIKE MUFFLED SOUNDS

        14  THAT DON'T SOUND LIKE A NORMAL HEART?

        15  A     YES  MAY I EXPLAIN?

        16