The process of going through a car accident lawsuit may be foreign to you. So when your Alexandria car accident lawyer starts talking about experts, you may wonder what that means.
Any kind of personal injury case, including car accidents, is well-served in having expert witnesses and accounts. These witnesses can explain intricate details from a level of expertise that others just don’t have.
By calling in experts, your car accident lawyer is able to better solidify details of your accident. This will help your case in moving forward or negotiating a settlement. Experts can show the opposing party that your case is well researched and informed, which might encourage settling outside of court.
With all that in mind, let’s learn more about experts and their use in car accident cases.
Defining an expert
Throughout your personal injury lawsuit, your lawyer will likely be gathering witnesses. These witnesses can be broken into two categories – lay and expert. Lay witnesses are those who witnessed the accident but have no specific expertise in analyzing the situation.
An expert witness generally has specific credentials to leverage and prove their knowledge on a topic. These specialists could be from the medical field, traffic laws, car maintenance, etc.
Finding experts
If you have a good attorney, the responsibility for seeking out experts will not fall to you. Your attorney has vetted individuals who he or she works with and knows are credible.
There may be experts out there willing to testify with what you want them to say for a fee. These are not the sort of witnesses you’re looking for as the opposing party will likely have an expert actually doing the investigative work. That’s why having a strong car accident lawyer that knows your area, such as Alexandria, is so important to your case.
At Gore and Kuperman, our team includes legal assistants, accident investigators, and claims and legal nurse consultants. This ensures that we get the job done right and best present your case to ensure a strong outcome. While you may be counseled for more information, we won’t make you go out and prove your case alone.
Our 35 years of experience in the field of car accident lawsuits show that these experts can have a significant bearing on the outcome of your case. That’s why we pride ourselves in our outside relationships and legal team.
When experts may be used
Each case is unique and your attorney will determine if experts are needed and what types of experts are best. There are a variety of reasons to bring in experts. These include:
- Proving injury: a doctor can help explain your injuries. While you may have documentation from your doctor as to the injuries you sustained, more explanation can be beneficial. Doctors can go into how you sustained the injury, what the recovery time looks like and long-term effects of your injuries.
- Pain and suffering: a mental health professional can showcase how the accident has altered your mental health. Some injuries are not visible, and an expert can bring these to light. Without an expert, mental health injuries are difficult to prove.
- Traffic professional: a traffic expert can recreate the accident and prove the other party is at fault. Proving fault is crucial to your case and may not be easily be seen simply from the police report.
- Engineers: in the case of poor roadways, design or signage contributing to your accident, an engineer can help prove your case. An expert can make it clear how your accident could have been prevented with better roadways.
- Economist: an economist will be able to show the impact the accident has had on your personal finances. Expenses are not always clear cut like hospital bills. There can be other affect such as long-term injuries that change your earning potential, health benefits and more.
Gore and Kuperman Alexandria car accident lawyer
At Gore and Kuperman, our clients are at the core of what we do and why we do it. We’re flexible attorneys that make your case easier on you. We handle your case from start to finish, including bringing in experts where needed.
Additionally, we make working with us simple by allowing you to reach us via different channels to meet your needs. We’ll meet with you at our office or handle your discussions over the phone.
We’ve handled cases just like yours in the area and are prepared to see yours through successfully.
This blog post is not legal advice, nor is it intended to be used as such. Specific case facts should be discussed with an attorney.