Auto accident lawsuits are filed every day as people who are injured try to recover the compensation they deserve for their injuries from the at-fault party. Evidence is vital in proving a case, but one thing that often gets omitted or underestimated is the role that an expert witness can play in a car accident case.
Expert witnesses and their testimony can make the difference between getting the compensation you deserve and getting a mediocre settlement. Most cases end in a settlement before reaching a trial, but in the event that a case goes all the way to trial, having an expert witness can be especially impactful.
What is an Expert Witness?
An expert witness is a person who has particular expertise, such as a degree or field experience in an area that pertains to the case. Expert witnesses can include professionals like psychologists, auto manufacturers, data analysts, etc. They must have knowledge of an area of the case and credibility to be able to be used as a witness.
Expert witnesses are used in many different types of cases to provide helpful and supportive information for both plaintiffs and defendants. “In some circumstances, there may be a lack of witnesses and photo or video evidence in a case,” note accident attorneys at The Fang Law Firm, “an attorney can call on expert witnesses such as accident reconstruction experts and medical experts to recreate the event and testify about the causes of your injury.”
The goal of using an expert witness in your case will be to have them attest to facts in your case and provide supporting information as necessary. The more complex your case is, the more helpful an expert witness can be.
What Are the Duties of an Expert Witness?
An expert witness needs to have two things to be used in a case, expertise in a certain field related to the case and credibility. Expertise allows them to testify to certain facts of the case and credibility makes them more believable to the court and jury. Besides being knowledgeable and believable, the role of an expert witness has certain duties.
The first duty is to verify facts of the case as they are presented. In other words, an expert witness is there to help support and back up your claims in regards to your case. Having the support of someone who is an expert in a particular aspect of the case makes the court more likely to believe your claims and side with you in terms of a judgment. Even without going to trial an expert witness can help when negotiating a settlement.
The second duty of an expert witness is to help you and your legal team to explain complex concepts or facts that may be hard for the judge or jury to understand such as factors leading to the accident, the science behind a car crash, or proving the defendant is at fault. Expert witnesses should be able to explain technical or complex details in a way that the average person can understand them.
Finding the right person to serve as an expert witness is not always easy, but your car accident attorney may have experts in certain fields that they can call upon to review the facts of the case and testify or they have the means to find and acquire an expert witness that is relevant to your case. Once you have found the right witness, it’s all about preparing your case in such a way as to maximize the amount of compensation you can receive based on the facts of the case.
Conclusion
Expert witnesses are a valuable asset when it comes to building a personal injury case. Having someone who can verify and testify to the validity of your claim can improve your chances of getting appropriate compensation and help to sway the court towards giving you the judgment you deserve for your injuries.
