The Expert Witness Defined in
Auto Accident Cases

The process of recovering a fair settlement in the aftermath of an injury-causing car crash can seem all but impossible. Although your subjective reporting and accompanying documentation may take a vital position within some cases, various other situations call for more of an expert viewpoint. Here is where an expert witness can be very beneficial.

These experts can simplify complex matters, deliver convincing evidence, and explain to a jury or insurer the real-life ramifications of your accident. Understanding the qualifications which allow a person to testify as an expert witness in car accident cases will help you get a leg up when building your case with your attorney.

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What Is an Expert Witness?

An expert witness is a person with advanced training, education, or experience in a particular field who has been asked to provide their opinion on a legal issue. An expert witness, as opposed to an eyewitness who only testifies about what they saw or heard without interpreting, provides interpretations of evidence, explanations of technical concepts, and conclusions regarding matters that ordinary people lack the expertise to give.

Typically, in a car accident case expert witnesses could be retained to help with reconstructing the accident and explaining how injuries happened, estimating future medical needs related to the crash or determining long-term financial consequences that will result from it.

Key Qualifications of Expert Witnesses

You must go through an extensive and tedious process before you can appear as an expert witness in a court of law. Although the specific eligibility requirements may differ according to jurisdiction, factors that are commonly evaluated include:

Education: Degrees, licenses or certificates that are relevant to their profession

Experience: Years of hands-on work in their area of practice

Accolades: Professional awards, executive positions, or membership in prestigious organizations

Publications: Research, articles, books on the topic, showing your authority

Historical Testimonial: Prior testimony as an expert in any court or proceeding

Nonetheless, the better expert witnesses are also able to clearly explain highly technical information in lay terms so that judges and jurors may grasp their testimony more readily.

Types of Expert Witnesses in Car Accident Cases

Depending on the facts of the case, car accident cases may also include a variety of experts. Most commonly used are:

Road Traffic Accident Reconstruction Experts: Investigate the physical evidence, vehicle damage, and crash data to determine what happened in the accident.

Medical Experts: Nature of Injuries, Treatment Required and Future Medical Needs

Biomechanical Experts: Research how crash forces have led to certain injuries;

Economic Experts: The types of damages they typically calculate are financial loss (lost wages, reduced earning capacity, etc.)

Counselors, Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals: Emotions and psychological injuries such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety caused by the accident

In this way, expert witnesses can help optimize settlements. Insurance companies frequently work to reduce settlement amounts by denying the extent of your injury or arguing that it is your fault.

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Importance of EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY

An expert witness can offer powerful testimony based on facts that can counteract these strategies.

A qualified expert can:

Synthesize technical evidence in a meaningful way

Write an analysis, supported by facts that clearly show YOUR side of the story!

Rebut false or misleading defense assertions

Demonstrate damages that may not be apparent right away, such as future medical expenses or reduced capacity to earn.

Auto Accident cases typically have many complexities, and insurance companies will do anything they can to push blame on to you. A credible expert witness can provide proof which makes it difficult for the other side to lessen or deny your settlement.

Selecting the Right Expert Witness:
How to Collaborate With Your Attorney

Hiring an expert witness is a strategic process that you and your lawyer should discuss. Ways to Help Ensure You Get the Right Fit

You will need to be 100% open with your case so the attorney knows exactly what expertise is called for

Examine the expert's: the education, job and past testimony

Answer how the expert will be used: trial, settlement or both?

Determine cost of keeping an expert vs the possible increase to your settlement

The testimony of a top expert witness can make the difference between receiving a bare-bones settlement or full compensation in car accident cases. You need them to explain intricate matters and present your case in the strongest way possible.

So, after a car accident and you are wondering if your case could do with expert testimony, find the perfect professionals with Beverly Hills Injury Firm to help create an unbreakable case on your behalf. Call us today for a free consultation so we can work to obtain the full compensation and justice that you deserve.

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Note: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

FOUNDER & TRIAL ATTORNEY

Meet Shawn Mangoli

“Shawn Mangoli, the founder of Beverly Hills Injury Firm, is a distinguished trial attorney specializing in personal injury law. With a decade of experience in civil litigation, Shawn has successfully championed the rights of those injured due to negligence, securing numerous multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts. Recognized consistently by Super Lawyers and a respected member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and American Attorneys for Justice, Shawn’s commitment to justice is profound and unwavering.”

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