The Varied and Critical Role of a Medical Expert Witness

by Kevin Smith Author

One question a lot of clients have pertains to the role expert witness services play in building a legal case. Many people think expert witnesses only testify in cases, but the reality is that they provide many more services. Here is a brief summary of the value every expert brings to the process of winning a legal case.

Case Analysis

Someone with a medical background can look at the medicine involved in a case and determine if it will hold up under scrutiny. They can speak to injury extent, likely causes, expected treatment, outcomes, and quality of life. They also can assess a case and point out its weaknesses and strengths, which helps with case strategy and preparation.

Probably the most important role they play in regards to case analysis, though, is being able to detail flaws in a case; that alone can save thousands in legal costs as well as potentially avoid a loss. Sometimes, knowing what not to touch upon is as important as knowing what to promote. Additionally, they can assess from a medical perspective where the opposing party will likely attack, which helps in witness preparation.

Case Materials

A picture is worth a thousand words and that is true with medical experts. They help prepare statements, provide clarity to witness testimony and develop visual aids that can help persuade a jury. They also create models of injuries and their likely causes as well as visual aids to help juries envision the quality of life the injured will live with as they recover or if they have an injury that will affect them for the rest of their lives.

Case Reports

Medical experts can break down a medical case into easy to understand reports that can help mold what a jury thinks. Having an expert in neck injuries, for example, can lend credence to a plaintiff’s account of how they sustained their neck injury. More importantly, they can explain what the medical terms mean and help juries understand their practical application.

Expert Testimony

This is what medical experts are best known for in their role in a case. They provide verbal analysis, projections, assessments and descriptions on the stand that support the legal case of the plaintiff (or defense.) They provide honest testimony that maps out how someone got hurt, what they hurt, the treatment and likely future prospects in regards to treatment, recovery, and quality of life.

Medical expert witness services provide much more than just testimony. They help analyze a case and build it so that in a trial, the best presentation possible can be made.