Articles by Expert Witnesses

An expert witness is often vital to a criminal or civil case, and his or her role in the investigation or testing may provide a better understanding of the situation and if the defendant is either liable or committed a crime. The important on expert witness testimony increases or decreases based on the claim or case and who is liable or responsible for the arson.

Social workers have a vital role as expert witnesses in certain types of cases and using such professionals in the courtroom or behind the scenes is essential. The claims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault or battery and issues with custody or guardianship are all important subjects that a social worker may become necessary.

There are certain unique factors within a pediatric case that involve either the child affected or the circumstances surrounding the case that need exposure. Some of these factors may center around the medical aspect while others have a greater concern about behavior patterns, and there are some situations that require a psychological evaluation.

The expert witness has several duties to perform before he or she will testify in the courtroom before a jury or a judge, and some of these duties involve the testimony review before the courtroom event. Some experts may need to create a report that the judge or opposing legal counsel will have access to before the trial starts.

Expert witness testimony is often crucial to enlightening a judge or jury of certain matters or removing confusion about a case or claim with numerous or confounding factors. There are several ways that improving the testimony may provide a better picture of the matter or increase the chances of success in either a criminal or civil case.

Medical malpractice suits have a great connection with the standards of care as these are what incur violations when the physician is not performing to his or her best or engages in negligence. The claim generally requires the expertise or knowledge of an expert witness to provide additional details or remove confusion about the situation.

Evidence collection, handling, transportation and laboratory analysis in any fire and/or explosion plays a critical role in all aspects of an investigation and litigation. Ensuring the quality of evidence collected and analyzed in the laboratory is essential for origin and causation determination and also in litigation and case strategy.

Medical certainty affects what possible surgical procedure, treatment or medication a person would receive for a condition the patient possesses that could harm him or her. However, these words do not necessarily define a standard or require certain reference materials for the medical expert within his or her field of study.

A financial expert witness in a money laundering case may provide the best details and explanation of accounting and financial books for the prosecution in convicting the defendant of these criminal acts. However, for an expert to remain within the case, he or she must possess certain requirements in his or her credentials that prove he or she is up to the case.

The duties and roles of a computer forensic expert witness often revolve around a criminal investigation where a computer is part of the illegal activity. However, these same experts may also have a use in a civil litigation case, for hacking purposes and when a person commits a white-collar crime, and the expert may become invaluable in proving the activity behind the computer.

Challenges to the testimony of an expert witness occur often when the opposing legal team wants to try to disqualify the expert for the case, and in bankruptcy litigation, this is often important for the company. However, the rules work primarily the same for each case where the expert must have relevance in the subject matter and reliability in testing methods.

Communications, drafting, reviews and expert reports may all consist of attorney work product, but this could depend on a few different factors and may affect lawyer and client privilege. Knowing what work product protections cover may help the those involved understand better everything that may remain safe between the professional confines.

To tell the difference if a patient takes his or her medication is important for a doctor, but if the person experiences an injury or problem from a malfunction, an expert witness may need to weigh in on the matter in the courtroom. For litigation cases, the expert’s position on these situations is important for the judge or jury.

Dental malpractice cases often involve negligence. This factor is difficult to prove in a lawsuit without the use of an expert witness or other corroborating evidence to point to the defendant as responsible for the injury. With the help of a professional in the claim against the dentist, it is possible to show the judge or jury that the patient has an entitlement of compensation for the incident.

Drone accidents occur when the person flying the drone loses control or is not as responsible for the movements as he or she should ensure when the machine flies over a private or public space. When an incident occurs, an expert witness may need to discuss the liability matters with the courtroom, so the matter is better understood.

Influencer marketers may cause problems with a select group of individuals where an expert witness’ testimony becomes important to unravel the confusing issues of the case. Through the expert witness, the issues with the form of marketing that only targets influential people may become clearer to the judge or jury.

Defective products harm clients and customers alike and understanding the factors that lead to these incidents is important and also where the expert witness becomes invaluable in clearing up confusion and providing the necessary details. Through his or her testimony, it is possible to demonstrate to the courtroom why compensation is important and why the defendant is responsible.

In the fall of 2017, a social media campaign swept the nation which forever changed the perspective on sexual harassment in the workplace. This viral campaign included the stories of countless individuals who shared their personal stories of sexual assault, harassment and other misconduct. The #MeToo campaign helped break the silence on this proliferate misconduct.

Expert witnesses can provide significant value in employment litigation, including in cases involving claims of sexual harassment. Expert witnesses in sexual harassment claims have different backgrounds and may provide different services. If you think that your case may be aided by an employment expert witness, be sure to contact an expert institute for assistance. You may prefer to vet several expert witnesses to find the right fit for your particular case.

Employment litigation is often complex. Expert witnesses are often put on retainer to assist with these types of cases. Understanding the role that these experts serve is important so that you can see if you need an expert in your case.

Autonomous vehicles are relatively new inventions, and the law has not quite caught up with them. Autonomous vehicles may be self-driving without a driver behind the wheel. Others do have a driver for emergency purposes. Some rideshare apps have begun using these vehicles, and legal experts have opined as to who will bear the liability of such accidents.

When there is a problem with an expert witness such as a conflict of interest or he or she loses qualification as a designated expert witness in the case, the professional’s replacement must occur. This could happen with the previous expert as a consultant to assist in discovering the next best fit for the case in the courtroom before the trial begins.

In insanity pleas, a medical expert witness may need to explain and discuss mental illness with the courtroom to remove doubt or confusion about the matter and how the brain’s effects may cause criminal activity. In usual circumstances, the expert’s knowledge of behavior and the brain may assist him or her in detailing what the illness causes and how it affects the individual.

The Americans with Disabilities Act may involve a person with low vision in a claim or case where an expert witness is necessary to help the courtroom understand why the person needs assistance. If the person faces discrimination, injury or a lac/k of benefits due to his or her condition, the expert may need to explain the matter through medical and disability details.

Patent applications and processes are sometimes confusing and complicated situations with one person needing to hire an expert witness for the claim against a company or individual that violates the stipulations of the patent owner’s claim on the item or design in question. Additionally, it may require the knowledge or experience of an expert to clear up any confusion about eligible patent protections.

An expert witness may become part of a school shooting case to help remove confusion about the evidenced or reconstruct the incident, so a criminal case may progress or a lawsuit for compensation may happen with a clearer understanding of the circumstances. Through his or her experience and knowledge, testimony about the case may hold less fear and lack of comprehending.

Sometimes, a lawyer has the opportunity to hire the opposing expert witness for his or her case when the professional is no longer part of the process. However, these situations must involve certain circumstances before the expert may change lawyers that generally includes any lack of conflict of interest and knowledge of the opposing lawyer’s case.

Every fire and explosion scene has the potential to contain crucial evidence that is hidden or elusive. This evidence may be physically hidden under debris and ashes, or may be masked in the samples taken for laboratory analysis.

Two recent court rulings addressed fiduciary requirements relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

When an expert witness becomes part of the courtroom proceedings, he or she may need additional technology to explain the issue to the judge or jury panel, and this could lead to unorthodox processes. When these items become necessary to demonstrate certain issues, the professional may need permission from the courts to accomplish this feat.

When cryptocurrency is part of a claim either for illegal activity or to when the plaintiff needs compensation for online transactions, an expert is necessary to explain what this type of online currency is and how it affects the case. The role of this expert witness often has a greater impact in clearing confusion about what and how cryptocurrency is and works.

A forensic accountant expert witness may become necessary to unravel a confusing issue with a claim or case within a company such as when the bookkeeper or accountant hired for the business engages in illegal activity either alone or on behalf of the owner. Through the professional’s specialized experience, it is possible to understand and determine if a claim is valid or has sufficient evidence.

Experts have the task of proving that a claim has merit through an Affidavit of Merit, and this may have a direct connection to a medical malpractice suit or when the medical device used causes injury to the patient. Through this affidavit, the expert explains that the claim has sufficient strength to proceed through trial or to a hearing with a judge.

For a medical malpractice suit to have sufficient strength to proceed to the courtroom stage, the healthcare practitioner attached to the claim must either breach his or her standard of care to the patient or engage in negligence. An expert provides testimony and explanation about how either could affect the patient and lead to injury.

Proper evidence gathering, documentation and sample preservation is critical to a successful fire/explosion investigation.

Menthol causes and endothermic reaction overtime and reduces the product to a slurry or paste form of the product beginning to occur after the first 72 hours of manufacturing.

The seized crack cocaine in this case had diminished in weight by a significant margin, the cause was proposed and later determined to be as a root cause of adding Menthol to the produced product. See " Mentholated Crack Cocaine".

Sampling procedures, collection procedures and testing procedures should all be evaluated when there is a question in the results.

This is a case report of an actual occurrence. The needs of our services included evaluating the amount of seized product, the rate of production, and an evaluation of proposed hazards to the outdoor area and surrounding lives of the area of manufacturing.

Effective expert witnesses are often difficult to locate and harder to retain depending on the facts and subject matter of a case, and this could provide a much more complicated situation for the legal team. The lawyer or assistant contacting and interviewing experts in the case or claim will need to know what to ask, where to look and when to seek help.

When looking for an effective and qualified expert witness of a case, the lawyer or legal team should find someone that matches the case and has a relevant and reliable testimony and methods. The important skills necessary to provide significantly higher chances of success in the case have a basis in what type of expert is necessary.

For an expert witness that will face a high-profile lawsuit, it is important to know what to expect and how this differs from other similar or entirely different litigation cases. There may also exist additional requirements for the lawyer based on the circumstances, the defendant or plaintiff and how the expert will corroborate or help the details of the story.

Forensic experts will provide a clear picture of what happened during the incident or crime, and through evidence or recreating the situation, the professional may have enough details to demonstrate how the defendant is at fault. Knowing how to show responsibility to the defendant and increase the awareness of the courts is important.

The beginning of a case may involve an expert witness, and he or she may need to ensure the expert testimony has enough preparation to pass scrutiny. There must be a profound integrity of evidence, a conclusion the expert supplies, competent methods and reliable information that will increase chances of success through testimony and methods used.

For both criminal and civil cases, camera footage may capture the perpetrator in the act of harming another or engaging in illegal activity. Through recovery of footage, a video forensics expert may discuss how this will prove that the defendant is guilty of either participation or the intentional committing of criminal behavior.

The need for a forensic pathologist arises in the understanding of death in certain situations, how the person died and when there is confusion about the circumstances of the passing. While some cases use medical examiners, others rely on an expert witness to discuss and detail out certain aspects that are confusing or lacking in more specifics.

Formal documents are important for numerous reasons both legal and personal, and when one or more of the papers has a forged signature, the person affected may face severe negative consequences. It is imperative to hire a forensic handwriting expert to demonstrate to the courts and discuss how the plaintiff suffers harm from the action.

When a customer that purchases a cell phone suffers injury due to the case or a defect in design or materials, he or she may need to raise a claim through the courts for compensation. With the help and use of an expert witness, he or she may provide sufficient evidence that the defendant is responsible and owes damages to him or her.

There are rare occurrences where a defendant in a criminal case of possession of child pornography may have a defensible strategy, and these situations often lead to the hiring of a computer expert witness to corroborate. With the expert witness, the defendant may prove that he or she has no intention of obtaining such material, and the circumstances will excuse him from the charges.

The wide variety of computer and electronic issues that need explaining in the courtroom usually lead to the hiring of a computer forensic expert witness to provide understanding and knowledge of numerous matters. The key features in looking for these professionals are one part of looking for the right fit for the case.