Experts are often involved in legal proceedings. If you’re putting a case together, having an expert witness can help your cause. In this guide, we’ll explore how an expert medical witness can impact the process.
What is a medical expert?
If you’re in the process of going through legal proceedings, you’re thinking about making a claim following an accident or an incident at work, or you’re seeking advice after undergoing treatment in a hospital or clinic, it is likely that having a medical expert will benefit your case.
Medical experts are experienced professionals who meet specific criteria in order to offer advice and input for legal cases. Medical experts have the relevant expertise and training to assess cases from a medical standpoint.
They are also able to advise legal representatives who may not be familiar with jargon, terminology and the effects and impact of certain injuries or illnesses and to provide an opinion about the case based on information linked to their area of expertise.
Expert medical reports can be used by solicitors to gather information and get a better idea of the likely outcome.
How can an expert medical witness help your case?
Medical issues are often complex, and if you don’t have a background in medicine, it can be very challenging to assess the potential impact of accidents and injuries, to determine the credibility of personal accounts and statements and to determine whether or not an individual has been a victim of negligence.
Medical experts can support a wide range of cases, including personal injury and work accident claims, car and truck accident cases and medical negligence and abuse claims. There are several ways in which a medical expert witness can help a case, including:
Expert knowledge and insight
The most significant benefit of having a medical expert witness is the ability to capitalize on the knowledge, expertise and experience of the witness. The witness will use their skills, education and experience to share advice, to analyze reports and carry out assessments and to provide their professional opinion. This will carry more weight than witness statements from people who do not have formal medical training and years of experience under their belt.
Credibility
Another major advantage of having an expert medical witness is credibility. When putting together a legal case, it’s important to be able to give solid evidence and to rely on facts and figures and expert opinions, rather than making assumptions or suggestions.
Medical experts are credible and they can be trusted to offer views and assess situations based on their understanding, their training and their knowledge.
Supporting other witnesses
Expert medical witnesses can also support other witnesses that may be called to provide more detail or information to help the case.
Summary
A medical expert witness can help your case in several ways. Medical experts can share and utilize their experience and expertise, they provide credibility and they can also support other witnesses.