There are situations when a Hardeeville personal injury lawyer needs to rely on expert advice in specific fields in order to win your case or determine the accurate value of your damages. In these situations, the attorney will hire expert witnesses. This is not a decision taken lightly, as these specialists charge premium fees.
However, without their assistance, you may not get fair compensation for your present and future damages. Usually, cases requiring the assistance of expert witnesses involve very severe injuries and large damages – in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.
What Exactly Are Expert Witnesses and How Do They Assist Your Lawyer?
According to the Office of Justice Programs within the US Department of Justice, expert witnesses must possess special qualifications. Their role is not to bear witness to facts, but state their professional opinion on specific parts of your case.
Your attorney may rely on their opinion in two stages of your claim:
- To consult with them during negotiations with the insurance company
- To bring them in court to testify during a personal injury lawsuit
In each of the situations, the attorney will ensure that the specialists they hire meet the conditions of Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence with regard to the admissibility of their expert opinion.
Now, let us discuss the types of expert witness whose opinion is usually needed in a personal injury case:
1. Accident Reconstructionist
Car accidents represent a significant proportion of all personal injury cases and a reconstruction expert is often necessary to prove your case. These professionals specialize in recreating the circumstances of a crash as a 3D video presentation.
They use all the evidence available, such as the police report, eyewitness statements, photos and videos. Also, the presentation will be accompanied by a report detailing the accident reconstructionist’s opinion on how the accident is likely to have happened.
2. Mechanical Expert
A mechanical expert may be necessary to prove that your accident was caused by a malfunctioning piece of machinery. This type of expert witness may be needed if you were injured in a car accident or by any kind of mechanized device.
These experts know how to find even hidden design or manufacturing faults. By proving the existence of the fault, your attorney may hide the producer or distributor liable under the product liability tort.
3. Life Care Expert
Many injured people who hire a Hardeeville personal injury lawyer are likely to remain with severely limiting impairments or disabilities as a result of their accident. In this situation, the attorney will hire a life care expert in order to:
- Identify your needs for long term nursing care
- Explain how your disabilities can be managed
- Evaluate the average life care costs
- Give a professional opinion on the disability’s impact on your quality of life and ability to enjoy life
Armed with these data, the attorney will calculate your future economic damages, as well as the non-economic damages, with precision and reliability.
4. Vocational Specialist
A vocational expert will analyze the type of job you’ve been doing for the last decade (or since you started working if it is a shorter period of time) and the types of injuries you suffered in the accident. They will form an opinion whether you can go back to your job or you need to retrain for a less physically demanding type of work.
5. Medical Expert
Finally, a lawyer may need a medical expert to justify the treatments you need and prove the level of pain and suffering you are experiencing. This type of expert witness is necessary because many insurance adjusters will downplay your injuries.
They use this tactic to justify why they refuse to compensate you for certain therapies and treatments and to reduce the value of your non-economic damages. However, a medical expert will set the record straight.
For example, a brain surgeon will detail how TBI usually impacts a person at a physical and mental level and what types of long-term effects it may leave.
Let a Skilled Hardeeville Personal Injury Lawyer Win Your Case!
Some personal injury cases are more difficult to prove than others. But an experienced Hardeeville personal injury lawyer at McDougall Law will not shy away from a difficult case. Using knowledge of the law, experience and expert witnesses, the attorney will not stop until justice prevails and you receive fair compensation for your injuries and economic damages.
Call us to schedule a free case evaluation as soon as possible after your accident at 843-588-1795!
