Figuring out how to approach your personal injury case is no small feat. Although proving causation and the extent of your damages may seem pretty straightforward, it can actually be complicated by many legal nuances that come into play. That’s why you need to adequately prepare your case before heading into negotiations and the courtroom.
There are a lot of steps to thoroughly preparing your personal injury claim. One of those steps is to consider which witnesses are going to best support your position. While this will certainly include eyewitnesses to the accident, it might also include one or more expert witnesses. These expert witnesses can provide valuable insight into certain aspects of your case, including the cause of the wreck and the extent of the harm that you have endured.
You might want to consider these kinds of expert witnesses
As you discuss your legal strategy with your attorney, you might want to consider whether utilizing these experts will better position you for success:
- An accident reconstruction expert: An expert in accident reconstruction may be able to help you establish liability. These individuals are skilled at applying the laws of physics to the evidence of an accident to determine the exact cause and who is to blame. This expert will assess everything from tire marks, road signs, weather conditions, vehicle resting positions, and witness accounts. The investigation culminates in a written report that you can then use as evidence in court.
- A medical expert: Your doctor or another medical professional can be a powerful witness when it comes to proving the full extent of your physical injuries. This expert can testify about your diagnosis and prognosis, giving the judge and jury a clearer sense of what your treatment will look like going forward and the physical limitations that you’re likely to face into the future.
- A mental health professional: A mental health professional can testify in an expert capacity in your case to help you establish your noneconomic damages, such as the emotional effects. This individual might also be able to testify about your quality of life moving forward, all of which can help you establish mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life.
- An economic expert: This expert can help speak to the financial losses that are related to your lost wages and lost earning capacity. This individual will know what the market looks like for a person with your skills, abilities, and limitations, which can be indicative of what expected financial damages you’re about to face.
Testimony from these experts can be extraordinarily powerful in your case. But remember that they only make up a portion of the evidence that you’re going to need to present in your case. With that in mind, you need to ensure that you’re thoroughly preparing your case by subpoenaing witnesses and gathering all documentation that supports your claim.
Securing an advocate to help you argue your case
There are a lot of moving parts to your personal injury case. If you want to maximize your chances of finding those who are accountable and recovering the compensation that you deserve, you have to know how to competently navigate the legal process. That can be complicated, which is why you might benefit from having a skilled legal advocate on your side. If you’d like to learn more about what an experienced attorney can do for you, continue to research your representation options and what they have to offer you.