Witness testimony can be a critical component of a personal injury case. Eyewitness accounts can help the judge or jury to visualize the situation in question and describe in more detail what happened. Expert witness testimony is a different category of evidence, as it provides specialized background knowledge that lends itself to an informed estimation of long-term effects.
Both types of testimony can be beneficial in helping the victim in a personal injury case to maximize credibility with the court. The jury decides the total damages and compensation, and the expertise of an expert can have a significant influence on the outcome of the case.
Witness Testimony Definition
An eyewitness in a personal injury case provides an objective account as to the cause of the accident and what really happened. An eyewitness provides additional credence to your accounting of events and your case. If you have been involved in an accident and notice an eyewitness at the scene, inquire if they would be willing to stay on the scene to discuss what they saw with the responding officers. Alternatively, you can request their contact information for a later interview if needed.
If there is no one available who witnessed the accident, you can ask for a copy of the police report to determine if there is any witness testimony that can be beneficial to your case. Eyewitnesses can provide useful and relevant testimony on fault and liability. Those who were involved in the accident are typically not the best witnesses, as they can be emotional, upset or full of adrenaline. An eyewitness may be able to offer a more accurate perspective on the accident. While two motorists may be tempted to blame one other, a third party witness can shore up the details. Eyewitness accounts can also be helpful in slip and falls, medical malpractice, and oher types of personal injury cases.
Expert Witnesses Make a Difference
An expert witness is not an observer who happened to be onsite. This witness holds specialized knowledge generally gained from expert training or professional experience. Expert witnesses may be law enforcement officers, physicians, financial accountants or scientists in a specific discipline. The expert witness is frequently used to prove that the defendant’s actions were incompetent or negligible. In addition to helping the jury to fully comprehend any specialized or complex verbiage, these experts can explain and verify the plaintiff’s injury. There may be more than one expert witness in a personal injury case. A medical expert may explain the injury and future prognosis; while a financial or HR executive may explain a loss of income potential.
No matter the details and scope of your personal injury case, witness testimony is crtical if required to negotiate a settlement or proceed to trial. If you have been hurt in a slip and fall at work, a car accident, or any other type of event during which you suffered injury, a witness who can help your case may make the difference in the outcome of the case.
Be sure to hire a professional and experienced personal injury attorney to help you to build your case. They have the required knowledge, undersand precedents, are familiar with key contacts for inormation, and will help you to find and persuade any witnesses. If someone else’s negligent actions caused injury or harm, call Probinsky & Cole as soon as you can, as the earlied the witness testimony is collected the better for your case.
