What Is an Expert Witness?

Examples of How Lawyers Use Expert Witnesses in Court

The following are some ways in which personal injury attorneys use expert witnesses in court:

• A medical expert might testify about the severity of the victim’s injuries, the likely extent of their pain and suffering, and the disabilities they are likely to endure.
• An expert medical witness might testify that the defendant’s actions fell below the generally accepted standard of care.
• A technical expert might testify that a gadget that is the subject of a product liability lawsuit contains a manufacturing or design defect that renders it unreasonably dangerous.
• If you are demanding compensation for future lost earnings, a financial expert might estimate the value of these lost earnings.
• An accident reconstruction specialist might use a commercial truck’s event data recorder to reconstruct a truck accident and state their opinion on whether the truck driver caused the accident.
• A doctor might perform an independent medical exam of an accident victim to either corroborate or dispute a medical report that the victim submitted into evidence.

The more technically complex the subject matter, the more likely you will need an expert witness. Remember, however, that the other side might call an expert witness to testify in opposition to your witness. The trial might then devolve into a “battle of the experts.”