Whether you’re a part of a civil or criminal case, situations may arise where you need an expert to explain technical aspects of the case. The expert you choose is extremely important, as their testimony will be heavily considered by any jury. You’ll want to ensure that the person testifying for you does so in a way that will help your case, as opposed to hurting you.
Choosing the right expert could make all the difference in helping you win the case. Here are some tips on finding the right medical expert witnesses.
Start Your Search Early
As with most things, the earlier you start the search for your medical expert, the better the result will be. If you’re not sure whether or not you’ll need an expert, you should begin the search before the trial so that you give yourself the amount of time necessary to ensure success.
Starting your search early will allow you to look at a variety of medical experts and compare them against each other. It will also give the expert the amount of time needed to learn about the case and be a successful witness for your cause.
Examine Their Qualifications and Experience
When considering whether or not you should hire a specific medical expert, you should look into their qualifications and experience. You need to be sure that the jury will trust the expert and that the opposing attorney cross-examining them will not tear down their expertise.
The expert you hire should have experience in the field as well as experience testifying. This will ensure that they are an expert on the subject and that they won’t have any trouble on the stand. Make sure that they have testified in similar cases so you know they’ll be successful for your particular cause. It’s also important to choose someone that has testified on behalf of the plaintiff and defense. This will provide the appearance that they are unbiased and are providing accurate information to the court.
Retrieve Reports, Transcriptions, and Publications
If the medical expert that you’re considering has previously testified in court, there should be reports and transcriptions of the event. Examining these will allow you to determine whether they did a quality job and helped the side that hired them. It will also allow you to ensure that they have worked on similar cases.
Most medical experts will have published pieces of work, which may give you information on their opinions regarding certain topics related to your case. You want to hire an expert that has a similar point of view as you so that they will be much more likely to help you.
Meet the Expert
The best way to determine whether or not a medical expert is genuine and trustworthy on the stand is to meet them in person. When you speak with them, they should be approachable, kind, and comforting in their manner. If they seem shy, nervous, or arrogant, they may not be ready for such an occasion or the jury may not trust their testimony.
When you meet the expert, you should consider everything about them, including attire, grooming, speech, demeanor, and body language. All of this could have a significant impact on the impression the expert makes in court.
Medical expert witness services may make or break your case. These tips will ensure that you find the right expert to help you achieve the result you desire.
