The Role of an Expert Witness in Your Personal Injury Case
In our modern age, professions are becoming ever-more specialized. The prerequisite education and skills development required for careers in medicine, engineering, and finance grows ever larger and sub-divides ever more. While generalist knowledge of the world and its affairs is something we all ought to shoot for, no one person can ever truly know it all. Indeed, sometimes the truest wisdom is knowing when you don’t know something. When this is the case, you may be best served to seek council from an expert. Malloy Law Offices has extensive familiarity with consulting experts on a variety of subject matter. Oftentimes, a personal injury case can hinge on the assessment of an expert witness. Today we’ll be unpacking the qualifications of these expert witnesses, and how an expert witness can play a role in your personal injury case.
Defining the “Expert Witness”
A Brief Hypothetical
It’s important to consider that an expert witness is different from the popular conception of the term. You’ve likely seen crime dramas wherein a private citizen witnesses a criminal act and is called to testify. Personal injury law also makes use of firsthand witnesses. For instance, let’s say that a pedestrian is struck by a car while crossing the street. That pedestrian may ask other pedestrians at the scene to give their perspective on the events. This testimony may be useful to police, insurance companies, and a personal injury attorney.
By contrast, an expert witness is not equipped with first-hand knowledge of the events in question. To continue the previous hypothetical: it is not necessary for a doctor to have been present at the time of the pedestrian’s injury to call upon them as a witness. This hypothetical doctor will still be able to offer their medical examination of the hypothetical pedestrian’s injuries as expert testimony.
Necessary Expertise
Keep in mind that a person becomes a valuable witness due to some knowledge which they possess. For an average person giving testimony, this knowledge is generally a firsthand account of the incident in question. Though for an expert witness, the knowledge of relevance to the legal preceding concerns their field of expertise. This expertise allows them to put the events leading up to the injury in context. They can also explain its severity and potential lifelong effects. In short: in the phrase expert witness, “expert” is the operative term.
What Kinds of Experts Can You Expect?
So what sorts of experts may be called to offer their analysis of your personal injury case? We’ve already spoken about medical doctors, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s run though the other experts you may encounter in resolving your personal injury case successfully.
- Engineers – An engineering professional may be able to shed light on how manufacturing defects or negligent construction of a product or structure may have led to your injury.
- Personal Finance Experts – A financial professional, such as an accountant, may be able to take a full inventory of the damages you may be able to expect from your injury. These may include lost wages, medical expenses, and lost or damaged property.
- Accident Reconstruction Specialists – These professionals examine the events leading up to an accident and identify its causes.
- Medical Experts – As we’ve already discussed, an expert witness can explain the severity of injuries incurred and the potential effects they may have on the injured person and their quality of life. In cases of severe injury, it may be necessary to solicit the advice of Life Care Planners, who may evaluate your disability as a result of the accident and the steps needed to manage it. Even Vocational Rehabilitation Experts may be necessary to explain how the accident has affected your ability to continue working in your chosen profession.
How Malloy Law Can Help
Malloy Law is proud to employ a resourceful team of attorneys from all walks of life. But we understand that victory in any personal injury case is a team effort. Our firm takes a proactive role in developing and maintaining relationships with experts of all stripes. Each connection in our professional network is a potential weapon in our arsenal, one that may make the difference in your fight for the compensation to which you are entitled. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another, contact Malloy Law for a free consultation. Our empathetic professionals are standing by to assist you.