Not every personal injury case requires an expert witness. However, you will do your case a great disservice if you don't get an expert witness when you should get one. Here are some of the cases where an expert witness can help.
The Case Involves a Technical Subject
There are situations where almost every aspect of a case is technical from the beginning. Consider an example of a medical malpractice case where you are claiming that a surgeon was negligent while operating on your brain. Brain surgery is a pretty technical subject that most people, even professionals in non-related fields, don't understand well. As such, it only makes sense that you should get an expert witness to synthesize issues for a better understanding of the court.
The Case Requires Scientific Proof
Even if you have a non-technical case, you might require an expert witness if there is a technical aspect of the case. For example, you should get an expert witness if your case relies on scientific proof. Say you have an auto accident case where there is no eyewitness, video evidence, or any other obvious proof of your claims. Such cases often end up in the hands of accident reconstruction experts. If that is the case, you may need the assistance of an expert witness to explain the accident reconstruction findings to the case.
The Case Is High-Value
If you have a high-value case, you obviously don't want to leave anything to change; you want to mount the strongest possible case. Using an expert witness is a good way to strengthen your claim or lawsuit even if the case is not complicated.
The Defendant Has an Expert Witness
Once you file a personal injury lawsuit, you expect the defendant to do everything possible to refute your claims. Losing a personal injury case not only costs money, but it also ruins reputations. No one wants to lose money and be viewed as careless or negligent, which is why personal injury defendants often hire expert witnesses to strengthen their defenses. If your defendant has an expert witness, it only makes sense that you should also get one to help you counteract the defense's claims.
Your Damages Are Not Obvious
Lastly, an expert witness also comes in handy in cases where the damages are not obvious. A broken limb or a gash on the head is easy for everyone in the court to understand. However, injuries to internal organs and emotional injuries are not always that obvious. Such non-obvious injuries require the input of an expert witness who can put everything into perspective for all parties involved.
Contact a personal injury attorney near you in order to learn more.
Share8 July 2019
