It may genuinely take a team of supporters to help make your personal injury claim successful. Namely, there is your legal team who will guide you through how your claim proceedings will work. But then there is your team of witnesses who will vouch for you and further prove your claims as facts. Specifically, you may have a team of lay witnesses and expert witnesses alike. That said, please read on to discover the point of testimonies made by expert witnesses and how a seasoned Hillsborough County personal injury lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help you retain their services.
What is the difference between lay witnesses and expert witnesses?
Simply put, lay witnesses and expert witnesses play different roles and therefore hold different rights within your personal injury claim proceedings. On the one hand, lay witnesses may be comprised of the individuals who saw your personal injury accident play our first hand. For example, a pedestrian who was walking on a neighboring sidewalk at the exact time of your auto accident. Therefore, in your claim proceedings, they hold the right to relay what they saw or heard you and the other involved parties say or do at the time of your accident event.
On the other hand, expert witnesses are made up of people who have specialized education and experience in a specific field relevant to your case. For example, a medical professional who specializes in treating the injuries you incurred from your accident accident. With this, they are allowed to evaluate the evidence submitted with your claim to offer their expert opinion on who was at fault, how much damage you experienced or will be experiencing, etc.
What is the point of testimonies made by expert witnesses?
Sticking to the same example, say that your personal injury claim pertains to your being made the victim of an auto accident. Well, an accident reconstruction expert may look into the police report, captured photos, etc. recreate a model of your accident event to better help the jury visualize how it played out.
Then, say that your auto accident resulted in your incurring a serious back injury. In this case, a medical expert in orthopedics may evaluate your diagnosis, records, etc. to emphasize the extent of your injury and how long and intensive your treatment journey will be. Further, a financial expert may take the medical bills you have received thus far, along with the type and approximated timeline of your treatment plan, to calculate the cost of your incurred economic damages.
Last but not least, based on the diagnosed seriousness of your back injury and the nature of your previously held job position, a vocational expert may be able to offer their objective opinion on whether you will be able to return to the same field of work or the workforce at all.
To learn more about handling your legal claim, please contact a competent Hillsborough County personal injury lawyer from Merricks Law Group, P.A. Better yet, schedule your initial consultation with our firm today.
