What Is an Expert Witness, and Why Do I Need One for My Personal Injury Trial?

When you’re hurt in an accident, you want to provide the strongest possible case to the court to prove your entitlement to money damages. While sometimes the facts may be clear on why the defendant was responsible for your injuries, or the justification for your particular medical expenses, there are times where support from an expert may be necessary to convince a judge or jury that your claims are valid and your requested damages are necessary.

Expert Witnesses

There are two types of witness who are most likely to make an appearance in a personal injury trial: eyewitnesses and experts. Eyewitnesses were present when the accident occurred and can speak about what they saw and how they perceived the accident occurring, but they are not allowed to offer opinions. Expert witnesses are people with a specialization in a topic who can examine evidence from the case, explain it in lay terms to the judge or jury, and possibly offer an opinion on what caused the accident or injury in question.

Types of experts that may be used in your case

Accident Reconstruction Experts: These experts will—you guessed it—reconstruct the accident at issue based on testimony, physical evidence, photographs, or other information when the basic facts are in dispute. Reconstruction experts are sometimes able to determine how fast each car was traveling prior to a crash, or what effect the condition of the road had on the cars, and can even visually recreate the accident with computer models to show the court what they believe occurred.

Engineering Experts: Evidence relating to engineering can be relevant to your trial if your claim is that a roadway or signage was defective or inadequate, or if you assert that a product was defectively designed.

Medical experts: If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a crash, there may be a dispute over whether or not your current physical state was actually caused by the accident, or whether your injuries are as severe as you claim. A medical expert can provide an objective analysis of your physical condition and injuries to show the court why you need the damages you’ve requested.

For assistance in receiving the damages you’re owed for your New Jersey car accident, contact the seasoned and trial-ready Wayne personal injury attorneys at Massood Law Group for a consultation on your claims, at 1-844-4MB-HURT.