Seeking orthopedic expert witness services is an absolute necessity in orthopedic malpractice cases. Be it shoulder or ankle injury, retaining an expert witness is important because their testimony can make or break your case. Remember that malpractice cases are technical in nature, therefore it is important to find expert witnesses having thorough knowledge, expertise, and other skills to offer convincing testimony to the judges. In this article, some of the top qualities have been discussed which should be present in an expert witness. This will also give an idea on the factors to look for before choosing an expert witness for your case.
With the rising number of malpractice cases, the demand for orthopedic witnesses has also gone up. This is also one of the reasons why you may find too many expert witnesses in your city. However, not all of them are reliable and suitable for your case. An experienced medical expert witness should be able to evaluate the pros and cons of a surgery and determine how these surgical procedures can affect a patient’s life. Accordingly, the case facts should be evaluated and reports should be prepared. Below mentioned are some of the important things to look for before obtaining orthopedic expert witness services.
Check their experience and qualifications–
Before hiring an orthopedic expert witness, it is important to check the qualifications and the experience. The surgeon should have proper degree from a reputed institution as well as should be board certified. Moreover, they must have testified in similar cases like yours. You have to ensure that the facts presented by the medical expert are digestible and acceptable by the jury. Before choosing an expert witness, it is important to check their professionalism and their way of answering. Ask them questions and see how they respond to you.
Communication skills–
Apart from checking out their educational qualifications and experience, the expert witness should have an excellent communication skill. This includes their capability to explain the things in a simplified manner for better understanding. The decision makers have no knowledge on the technical part of medical malpractice cases. They’ll decide after listening to the testimony of the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s orthopedic experts. Hence, your expert witness should the capacity to handle the counter-questions in a wise and efficient manner.
Ask them to show their previous transcriptions and reports–
If you are considering finding an orthopedic expert witness who has previously testified in a case, then there must be reports of the same. It is a wise decision to opt for expert witnesses who have had testified earlier. This allows you to get an idea on how well they did their job. So go for the ones that have previous experience in testifying similar cases like yours.
Just by keeping in mind the above factors, you can choose the right expert witness for your case. Though it is the job of the attorneys to retain an expert witness, you may want to work with your lawyer in finding the right expert witness. These factors can help you to retain the most experienced lawyer for your case.