When you sustain significant harm due to another person’s negligence, you must quickly approach a medical practitioner for assessment and treatment. Then, you can hire a personal injury lawyer to assess the injuries and other damages to help recover compensation.
It is often painstaking and demanding to prepare a case for trial. However, it is advisable to be well-prepared to get a positive result. Your lawyer may determine that you need one or more expert witnesses to give a professional insight into your case and bolster your chances of obtaining substantial financial compensation.
What Does an Expert Witness Entail?
An expert witness is a professional with proven expertise in a given area that empowers them to explain an essential aspect of your issue comprehensively. All expert witnesses are highly skilled and can help you in numerous ways.
The aspect of your case in which you need help will determine the expert witness you will engage. For instance, if you had an automobile crash with no witness, you can engage an expert accident reconstructionist to help explain how the mishap happened. They do not have to be at the accident scene to share their professional opinion about the incident.
You will probably need an expert witness when your personal injury lawyer wants to document and capture the severity of your injuries. You may invite a medical practitioner to shed light on the severity of your injuries if you got them from a slip and fall or a motor vehicle collision. “An expert witness can highlight the injury’s short- and long-term consequences, including any permanent impairment,” says personal injury attorney Jon D. Berman.
It is essential to note that giving a permanent impairment outlook for harm is a specialty on its own. For instance, if you sustain a severe injury due to the negligence or unprofessionalism of a healthcare provider, you need to engage an expert witness within the same practice area as the at-fault physician.
You have legal grounds for a medical malpractice claim if the expert witness testifies that the physician failed to offer you proper care standards, leading to your harm. Hence, you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the medical practitioner.
The Process of Selecting Expert Witnesses
You need highly experienced expert witnesses for your personal injury claim due to the complexities associated with litigation. It is even more complex when litigating a medical malpractice claim. Expert opinion becomes the core of prosecuting medical malpractice lawsuits.
It is an error to rely on a general practitioner without expertise in the specific area when attempting to establish a standard of care for a doctor in a specialized care area. You must use a medical expert to show seriousness about winning the case.
Searching for an Expert Witness
You should not leave the job of finding an expert witness to your lawyer alone. Actively participate in the process, working with your attorney to find a suitable expert to give credence to your claim.
Of course, you need to find a law firm dedicated to your case before discussing an expert witness. Go for a personal injury attorney who has handled several similar cases to help you hasten up the process, heightening your chances of a positive result.
Your lawyer will liaise with the expert witness to ensure you recover proper compensation for your injuries and losses.
