When Might I Need an Expert Witness for a Personal Injury Case?

 Posted on August 24, 2022 in Personal Injury

Some personal injury claims are relatively simple. You were stopped completely at a stop sign when a drunk or speeding driver rear-ended you. There is video footage of a grocery store employee spilling a drink and then walking away a few minutes before you slipped and fell. Your injuries are fairly minor and you will be able to return to work within a few weeks. These cases are more likely to result in a settlement and a fair payout that covers medical expenses, lost wages, and maybe the cost of a totaled vehicle. Other cases are much more complex. You have sustained a life-altering injury and will always need a home health aide. There is a disagreement over whether what your doctor did caused harm to you. The truck driver who hit you claims that you caused the crash. In these cases, one tool your attorney may use is the expert witness. 

What is the Role of an Expert Witness?

An expert witness is someone who can provide credible testimony about what they believe is true in your case. They step in when there is a factual, rather than a legal, dispute that the parties cannot agree on. There is no specific certification that an expert witness must hold, but they must be regarded as an expert in the topic matter they are going to testify about. In Illinois, an expert witness must be qualified by their “knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education.”

An expert witness will look at the evidence itself and apply their particular set of professional skills to the investigation. For example, if the fact in dispute is whether your tire blew because it was defective or because you installed it wrong, you would look for a tire expert. This person should be well-versed in accident reconstruction and tire design–ideally they should hold an advanced degree in this field. The expert witness can perform a skilled analysis of the accident and draw a conclusion about what most likely happened. 

The purpose of using an expert witness is to help convince the judge or jury that your version of events or your claims are backed by scientific evidence. Judges and juries are more likely to believe the testimony given by someone who is an expert in the topic at hand. Additionally, an expert witness can often bring new insights to the case by discovering very technical facts that a layperson may have missed. 

Call a Cook County Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have a complicated personal injury case, Adler Law Offices, LTD is the right firm for the job. Our skilled Rolling Meadows personal injury lawyers will use every tool we have to fight your case. Call 312-236-2700 for a free consultation. 

Source: 

https://www.testifyingtraining.com/expert-witness-rules-laws-procedure-illinois/