Whether from high profile court cases or a TV drama, most people are familiar with the concept of expert testimony. While you might think that only medical malpractice or criminal trials require expert witness testimony, they are often used in car accident cases as well. An expert witness can help with car accidents, motorcycle or truck accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death, and even other various personal injury cases.
While some car accident cases are relatively easy to work out, there are often arguments regarding who was at fault. Even a simple rear end collision can result in disputes regarding who should pay for damages and injuries. In these cases, expert testimony may be an important factor in deciding the case.
What Does an Expert Witness Provide to the Case?
An expert witness offers valuable information about your particular case. These witnesses typically did not witness the accident, and are not to be confused with eyewitnesses.
An expert witness is a professional who can provide specialized knowledge, education, experience or training that will give insight into the situation. Their testimony is geared towards backing up your claim in court or with the insurance companies.
Experts may further explain the extent of your injuries, speak to the true cause of the accident, or estimate what future medical costs may be. When a personal injury case is disputed, the expert testimony can provide needed leverage with insurance companies and juries. They draw educated conclusions about the cause of the accident, as well as develop physical or computer models for jury presentations.
Did You Know? An expert witness is especially useful in cases where there were no eyewitnesses to the wreck. Even if the case doesn’t end up in court, an expert opinion can influence the insurance company when deciding on damages and compensation.
Car Accident Case Expert Witnesses
Accident Reconstructionists: Car accidents happen suddenly, making it seem that no one can really know what happened. Accident reconstructionists are trained professionals who recreate accidents to determine how the accident happened. Using knowledge and technology, they provide simulations which help explain and assign fault based on establishing a chain of events for the incident.
Economists: There are both economic and non-economic damages which can be awarded after a car accident. These include lost wages and the effect the accident had on your ability to continue to earn a living. While those particular damages are easier to quantify, pain and suffering are harder to assign a number to. An economist can assist your lawyer to calculate the value of your past, present, and future losses.
Highway Safety Experts: A highway safety expert tracks all of the yearly traffic accident data to better understand how car accidents occur – taking into account driver behavior, various road conditions, relevant traffic patterns, and weather and road conditions. These experts offer valuable insight into the various factors that might have contributed to the accident.
Mental Health Expert: If you are suffering emotional distress or loss of enjoyment of life due to the car accident, a mental health expert could be an essential witness for your case. Mental health experts help to quantify emotional damages and can also verify and validate your claims of pain and suffering.
Medical Expert: Medical expert testimony is most often used for medical malpractice claims, however in the case of a car accident, they can provide opinions on the impact the injury could have, the prognosis and recovery time, the severity of the injuries, and validate that the injury occurred as a result of the car accident.
If you need help building a strong case after your car accident call the personal injury attorneys at Probinsky & Cole. We help Sarasota area car accident victims get the compensation they deserve.
