To prove your case, your legal team may need to retain medical expert witnesses who can testify to specific facts and provide their expert opinion. One category of experts commonly used in personal injury cases is medical expert witnesses.
Experts are often given greater consideration due to their objective testimony, skill, and experience. When it comes to personal injury cases, medical experts can play a crucial role in demonstrating the extent and impact of your injuries, providing insights into recovery options, treatment plans, and how your injuries affect your quality of life, whether temporary or permanent.
In layman’s terms, medical experts explain technical information to the judge, jury, and your legal team in “plain English,” using terms everyone can understand. They are considered objective parties, someone who provides unbiased testimony, unaffected by the case’s outcome.
Medical experts might explain:
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Medical experts will review medical records and conduct an independent examination of the injured patient’s condition. Their testimony may cover the extent of your injuries, diagnosis, long-term prognosis, permanency, severity, the need for ongoing/specialized care, and how the outcome could impact your livelihood. This testimony generally includes one or more of your treating doctors.
The type of medical experts retained will depend on your situation.
Mental Health Experts: If the accident has had a lasting emotional impact, a mental health expert can testify about your psychological condition, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, or depression. They can explain how these conditions impact one’s ability to function daily or enjoy life.
Pain Management Experts: When your injuries involve chronic pain, a pain management expert can testify about the extent of the pain, treatment options to reduce/relieve and manage it, and how it affects your quality of life, including future treatment costs.
Neurologists: For injuries involving the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, a neurologist may be needed to provide testimony on issues relating to things such as herniated discs, partial or total paralysis, concussions, PTSD, and more. They can explain your level of disability and ongoing treatment plan.
Plastic surgeons may be needed if you suffer permanent scarring. A plastic surgeon can discuss the nature of the scarring, the need for surgery to reduce its appearance, or the requirement for revision surgery.
Orthopedic surgeons, commonly used in personal injury cases, can explain complicated medical information, surgical procedures, recovery and rehabilitation, and your level of disability to the judge and jury.
Questions? Contact us at (877) 284-6600.
Your attorney must prove that your injuries were caused by another’s negligence. Expert witnesses can help substantiate this claim. Your attorney will determine the types of experts needed to support your case.
Experts possess special experience, training, knowledge, skill, and/or education that extends beyond the experience of those in the general public.
Expert witnesses are typically categorized as either consulting or testifying.
When you have been seriously injured in an accident due to another’s negligence, you need an experienced personal injury attorney who will collect all the facts about the incident, assess your injuries and answer your questions. Call us at (877) 284-6600 or contact our office online. We have a successful track record of helping accident victims collect the compensation they deserve.
In the Kansas City area and across Missouri, the Nash & Franciskato Law Firm will fight for your rights. Contact our legal team today. One of our experienced staff will speak with you personally and will provide you with a free, no-obligation review of your case.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on October 22, 2021. It was reviewed on July 17, 2023, and March 4, 2025, and updated for content and accuracy.
