What is the Role of Expert Witnesses in a Car Accident Case?

Car accident victims, bike accident victims, and victims of other types of accidents caused by another’s negligence don’t get to pick witnesses. They’re present due to circumstances. However, accident victims can pick expert witnesses, whose presence can oftentimes make or break their case.

Jones Law Group attorneys can find an expert witness who could provide the extra edge you need in order to have the best possible chance of obtaining the compensation you deserve. We also deliver passionate representation to all of our clients and do everything we can to help them prevail. Please use our online form or call (727) 571-1333 to schedule a free consultation.

The following information will explain what expert witnesses are and what they do, and how they can make a difference in your specific case.

What is an Expert Witness?

As the name implies, an expert witness is someone who is uniquely qualified to discuss key issues involving a personal injury lawsuit. Since they have the experience and background to be considered an expert, their testimony is often critically important to sway a jury’s opinion.

Whether you’re involved in a slip-and-fall case or you’ve been hurt in some other way due to the negligence of another party, an expert witness could provide the proof you need to win.

Different Types of Expert Witnesses

There are many types of personal injury cases. As you might expect, there are many different kinds of expert witnesses as well. The following is just a small sample.

Medical Experts

An example of a medical expert is a doctor who looks at a plaintiff’s medical records and bills, and then provides an opinion regarding the legitimacy of those expenses. Expert medical witnesses will often explain the severity of an accident victim’s injuries to a jury so they have as good an idea as possible of just how badly the victim was hurt.

Mental Health Experts

These experts can testify as to how being injured in an accident not only affects the victim’s physical health but can also have a detrimental effect on their emotional well-being and quality of life as well.

Highway Safety Experts

Your attorney may call in an engineer who can explain how road conditions contributed to a vehicle accident.

Accident Reconstruction Expert

Accident reconstruction experts are professionals who know how to “rebuild,” so to speak, an accident based on the facts they have on hand. This could include information from a police report, statements of witnesses who saw the wreck, and more.

This type of expert can deliver particularly powerful evidence to strengthen an accident injury victim’s case tremendously.

Economists

There are even expert witnesses who specialize in the economic impact of an accident on a victim. They can verify, for instance, the lost wages a victim has incurred, as well as any potential future wages the victim may no longer be able to obtain due to their injury.

How Does an Expert Witness Strengthen Your Case?

If you’ve suffered a severe spinal cord injury or some other type of injury that will require extensive, long-term treatment, you’ll obviously be facing incredibly large medical expenses. Your only chance of obtaining the compensation needed to pay those – and other – accident-related expenses is to prove the liability of the negligent party.

An expert witness can help you and your attorney do just that. Experts bring not only objectivity but also believability to a case. This often has a positive impact on jurors. Along with other evidence, the testimony of an expert witness can offer sound, convincing explanations as to why an accident occurred.

What is Required to be an Expert Witness?

Quite simply, an expert witness must have the qualifications in a specific field – a level of experience that the typical person doesn’t have. In order to be considered an expert witness, the court has to agree that he or she has the necessary expertise and legitimacy.

There really aren’t any specific rules that govern how much experience someone needs in order to be considered an expert in their field. In many cases, both sides will have expert witnesses testifying on their behalf. It will basically be up to the jurors to decide which one they believe the most.

This is one of the many reasons you need to be very careful when choosing an attorney. At Jones Law Group, we know how to find experts who have previously been successful at making persuasive arguments.

Can an Expert Witness be Refused?

You definitely have the right to refuse to have an expert witness testify on your behalf. In fact, there are rare instances where an expert can actually hurt someone’s case. They may be inexperienced, for example, and haven’t yet figured out how to explain things logically and clearly. That could result in a jury disregarding everything they say.

Our attorneys never work with expert witnesses unless we are completely convinced they will help our clients realize a favorable outcome. Our experts help our clients’ cases – they don’t hurt them.

Should You Hire an Expert Witness for Your Car Accident Case?

As you can probably already see, a strong expert witness can be a tremendous help in a car accident case. An expert will be able to paint an accurate, compelling picture to a jury of everything you’ve gone through, and very well may go through in the future. They can explain complicated details in a way that is very understandable to a layperson and can help convince a jury that you deserve every penny you’re trying to obtain.

Contact a Car Accident Attorney to Discuss Your Options

An attorney with Jones Law Group is ready to tell you more about how we can help you pursue fair compensation, whether you’ve been hurt in a car accident, a trucking accident, or any other accident that wasn’t your fault.

We will make sure your claim is as strong and organized as possible, and do all we can to help you recover financially. Contact us online or call (727) 571-1333 for a free case review.