Articles by Expert Witnesses

Discrimination against someone based on age is a common occurrence, but employers are able to get away with these actions due to the lack of proof. Expert witnesses are necessary in these claims when the company discriminates for someone either too young or too old to demonstrate evidence to the judge or jury.

Plane crashes are extremely horrendous incidences where many individuals die, sustain injury or leave traumatized from the crash and events leading to it. Expert witnesses are hired to explain the causes and how the issue started which led to the eventual crash.

Experts witnesses are often indispensable in criminal cases because they provide services that no one else can such as explaining complicated matters and confusing details. New evidence is discovered, guilt is easier to observe and a reconstruction of the incident is possible using an expert witness.

Police practices have become aggressive and brutal in the age of electronics where everything is recorded and broadcast to the public. Expert witnesses are necessary to explain these situations and how the individual officers are either at fault or are innocent of the actions he or she has been blamed for.

Trade secrets protect the business revenue of a company by securing the recipe, ingredient or process the owner has created or developed. Through keeping these intellectual properties confidential and secret within the company, the business is able to progress through the market with a competitive edge.

The lawyer and expert witness must maintain a professional relationship as they are employer and employee while attempting to build a strong working relationship for the case. By keeping the work-related matters ethical, both must push aside other personal issues so that ethical concerns do not harm the client.

Wastewater that has contaminated drinking or ground water is dangerous to the public if it mixes with the primary drinking source. Environmental engineering experts are tasked with explaining in the courtroom how this happens and who is to blame for the problems.

An agency may be utilized in hiring expert witnesses for a variety of reasons, and the lawyer may find this situation more beneficial than seeking each one out individually. The company that connects the professional to the lawyer does all the grunt and background work to provide the best experience for the pay given in exchange for the services.

It takes research, dedication and long hours to discover if an expert witness has provided contradictory testimony in a previous case or a connected claim to the current issue. Revealing these matters could disqualify an expert that has been hired to by the defendant or plaintiff, and it could lead to further scrutiny of the case which may lead to other discoveries.

Expert witnesses may need certification and additional training to keep up with the wants and needs of lawyers that hire these professionals for various cases. However, what is considered qualified to one lawyer does not necessarily follow to the next, and this could lead to problems with what types of certification is needed and which training should be pursued.

Anti-fraud technology and procedure has failed to stop liar buyer fraud practices and processes against others, and because of this it is perpetuated through the years. There are methods that could reduce the losses caused by these actions, and expert witnesses are hired to explain both these and how the victims are owed damages to those that have caused economic and financial injury.

Virtual reality is through devices, software and online interfaces which make cases and claims against these crimes difficult to pull off with the strongest evidence. However, some expert witnesses have been hired to testify either on behalf of or against those using these virtual reality interfaces where a crime has occurred or where injury was sustained.

The Daubert factors are important for expert witness testimony, and when followed appropriately or applied to an expert, it may reduce or eliminate the possibility of a Daubert challenge from occurring. Reliability and relevance to the subject are the two most important categories, and the five factors that fall under these affect the case from various angles.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs are often used in various medications, and even pregnant women are prescribed these with a 2.3 percent frequency. Most of all babies to those few women that take SSRIs are born without any complications, but there is enough evidence to suggest that there are birth defects and other problems due to these medications.

Human factors deal with how a person or multiple individuals interact, use and misuse products, objects, tools, equipment and the environments these situations occur within. For an expert’s hire, he or she must explain how the interactions affect the mental, perceptual and physical capabilities and limitations relevant to the case.

When an expert witness is hired for a generic or common issue, it is easier to discuss similar experiences that are encountered both in the field and with other experts. These situations are important to gather information, exchange details and to become a more experienced expert witness to create reports and present testimony.

The more complicated and complex types of injuries and medical conditions require the hire and use of an expert witness, and these professionals are able to explain and confirm diagnosis of these ailments. Joint injuries, diseases and medical complications necessitate additional experts that understand how the workings of the body lead to or are damaged by medical professionals.

The lawyer and the expert witness often built a strong relationship to progress through the case and succeed with hard work and determination. However, when the professionals are unable to work together, the client may suffer, and the effect upon the case itself is often negative with severe consequences.

The numerous processes needed to get through a case take more time than is frequently provided, and any saving time when selecting and hiring an expert witness is a blessing to the lawyer. There are various websites, other professionals and individual consultants that may provide a means to save time when selecting an expert witness, but each could either cut down or increase the time taken.

When an expert witness is hired, he or she may have various tasks that must be completed before he or she becomes part of the courtroom and testifies on behalf of the plaintiff. If he or she is a psychologist, social worker or other person that is hired for the mental or physical health of the client, he or she may assess and help with the psychological or bodily harm caused by the defendant.

A medical expert witness is hired for cases where the plaintiff suffered stroke to explain the effects of these conditions, how they harm the person that was a patient and how the hospital or doctor may have been to blame for the situation. His or her expertise is needed so the judge or jury are informed of matters they may have no information on and why they are important.

When a person has created a will, there are often challenges to the document and terms and conditions held within by family or other dependents. However, an expert may be needed in the event that the plaintiff was left out of the will when the estate owner that has died was not of sound mind in finalizing the clauses and persons to inherit.

Multiemployer pension plans in the aggregate have a funded ratio of 81 percent as of June 30, 2017, which represents an increase from a 77 percent funding ratio as of December 31, 2016. The improvement reduces the funding deficit by $21 billion.

Local expert witnesses are necessary based on the claim, the state and the specific location of the legal issue that is being dealt with through a lawyer. Hiring a local expert is essential in certain situations where the requisite experience, trainings, scope and education all revolve around the area where the claim is taking place.

For medical expert witnesses, the National Practitioner Data Bank or NPDB is a great source of information about events, those involved in the issues and malpractice for the healthcare world. Through the databank, these experts are able to coordinate details, problematic events and errors that are made by others.

The report that an expert witness is tasked with creating provides the court with various details, processes and information about the evidence and incident. Through his or her knowledge and expertise, the expert is able to recreate, reconstruct or better understand the activity that lead to the injury and then places this data in the report.

Expert witnesses with a background of accounting are needed when the issue in the courtroom deals with numbers, financial information and accounts at a company or small business. However, selecting the best professional for the entity is important so that the relationship between client, lawyer and expert are in sync for a more beneficial association.

For various issues within or about a family, a lawyer may hire a family law expert witness to assist with explaining numerous complications and problems that are related to a case. The hiring of these professionals should be relevant to the incident, and this could lead to hiring a professionals with a different background than would be expected such as a psychologist or medical professional.

Diagnosing an illness is essential to ensure the right treatment is applied to the patient before the cause of his or her ailment progresses beyond that which medicine is capable. When there is a delay in these diagnoses, the individual could proceed to the last stages of the condition where there is no possible treatment available, and then he or she may die.

Defamation complications affect both standard persons and celebrities, and it is difficult to undo the damage simple words or print may cause to these individuals. When a defamation case is complicated and difficult to understand, an expert witness is hired to unravel the mystery and explain the relevant details to the courtroom.

Sexual assault and sexual discrimination are rampant in the United States due to a lack of understanding of both genders and how these issues affect the targets. The attitudes and belief of what is considered assault and discrimination is severely confused, and this has led to even the most morally outstanding person confused about what these subjects mean.

The dangers of inpatient suicide are often observable when the individual has little hope, appears depressed, has symptoms or is too happy. However, it is important to first assess the risk that suicide is possible, and then the professionals attempting to help the patient may avert the disaster before it occurs.

Police practices when confronting someone that may have perpetrated a crime should be reasonable and have guidelines to prevent consequences that lead to litigation. However, when law enforcement officers are unable to rein in emotional outbursts, physical violence against others and similar incidents, an expert witness is needed to explain how these standards should affect the scene.

When an expert witness is giving testimony, it is important to ensure everything is consistent and well prepared for the case. However, if the testimony is inconsistent when presented initially and then there are changes noticed in the information, it is possible this could harm the case of the plaintiff when he or she is noted as explaining different things.

Copyright infringement is a rampant crime in the age where technology rules over these matters, and the issues with copyrighted works being copied and distributed increases each year. However, the need for an expert witness arises when similar works are fashioned from the original that are similar enough to lead to infringement claims against the author.

Medical expert witnesses are often hired and used for various cases in prosecution and defense alike, and these professionals are able to explain various pieces of evidence. Through an understanding of the subject matter, these individuals are capable of explaining things to the jury or judge that were confusing or misunderstood previously.

Medical expert witnesses are hired for a variety of reasons, but their most often used expertise is to explain medical treatment procedures and processes for a case where someone has been injured. Professionals in the medical world provide services to a courtroom by explaining how an injury occurred and why it is so important to obtain compensation.

Before a medical malpractice case may proceed in the courts of law in Florida, the state has a requirement of an opinion being obtained by a qualified medical expert to explain that the claim has merit. If those in the case do not follow the correct procedure, the expert witness could be disqualified, and the case may be thrown out.

Police brutality cases are often experienced when officers are not trained properly, have been subjected to pressure or abuse in their lives or have certain views such as racism or sexism. When these incidents occur, it is generally important to hire an expert witness that is able to explain why they actions occur and how the victim needs compensation to recover.

Expert witnesses are hired to provide an understanding of various pieces of evidence for a case, but they must have reliable methods and testimony must be relevant to the case materials. However, there are five factors that could lead to a challenge that removes the expert’s testimony reliant upon Daubert standards for these professionals.

Injuries due to gastric balloons are still being researched due to this newer alternative for weight loss, and because it is still a surgery, internal damage is still likely outcome. When an individual is seeking compensation for incidents with gastric surgery, he or she may require the services of an expert witness that has performed these surgeries or understands the medical procedure.

When someone has fallen from a horse while riding, the incident could have occurred due to improperly maintained equipment, inappropriate training of the animal or through a similar issue. When a claim for the injury arises, an expert witness is often necessary to explain and assess liability so that compensation claims are possible and understood better.

Expert witnesses are hired to provide details, remove confusion or connect certain evidence and persons to the incident where someone has been wronged or injured. However, sometimes these professionals are disqualified because they have bias with the other party, a conflict of interest or a bias with the case itself.

The Equifax data breach caused several million individuals complications when private information was released online to various locations with free access. However, with the rise of private and class action lawsuits against the company, experts have been hired en masse to assist with these issues and explain why certain evidence corresponds to actions and behavior.

Opioid usage, abuse and prescription issues have become such a problem that some persons are addicted and may become injured through use and abuse. Because these drugs are both used in the medical world and through illegal personal purchase, many are harmed when the drugs are not consumed properly.

Agreements are often difficult to handle without the use of a lawyer or other professional to make the paperwork understandable and easier to comprehend. However, billing and retainer agreements have other terms, conditions and stipulations that may require a greater degree of detail and descriptions for those that are not experts in these matters.

Economic expert witnesses may be relied upon in a variety of cases. They may help determine the amount of damages that an architectural defect caused, how much income a personal injury victim will suffer because of the injury or devise the lost expected business revenue due to a breach of contract, among many other tasks. For one side to effectively depose the opponent’s economic expert, he or she should consider doing the following,:

A legal nurse consultant can help in litigation by serving as an expert witness. In this context, the legal nurse consultant can help analyze and explain information to the jury or trier of fact. Because of their important role, many law firms have a legal nurse consultant on their team. Others may choose to retain the services of a legal nurse consultant on an as-needed basis.

Forensic engineering projects often lead to litigation as parties try to avoid being liable for damages when confronted with technical allegations. An engineering expert witness may prepare a forensic engineering expert report after he or she completes an investigation. This report may be shared with interested parties after its completion.

The State of Texas tackled pension plan reform for many of the Lone Star state’s first responders and municipal workers when Governor Greg Abbott signed H.B. 3158 into law on May 31, 2017. The recently passed legislation provides long-term funding relief for separate municipal pension plans sponsored by both the cities of Dallas and Houston.