To prove negligence in a medical malpractice case, a plaintiff will almost certainly require testimony from an expert witness. Testimony from another medical professional allows the jury to understand how and why the defendant’s medical error or omission failed to meet proper standards, causing the plaintiff’s injury.
Expert witnesses in a Glastonbury medical malpractice case are often expensive, but they are a crucial part of a successful case. An experienced attorney could help identify and hire a strong, compelling expert witness for a potential plaintiff’s civil claim.
Who Can Be an Expert Witness?
Somebody becomes an expert witness by having the proper qualifications to render an opinion. An expert witness should be a similarly situated provider who has experience, training, and skill in the field about which they are testifying. That person would then be hired by the plaintiff to render an opinion.
An expert witness in a medical malpractice case must be a similarly situated medical provider. If the defendant is a board-certified orthopedist, for example, the expert would also have to be a board-certified orthopedist to provide the most compelling testimony.
Medical malpractice attorneys might use an expert witness such as a doctor, a nurse, or an APRN. The expert witness could even be one of the medical professionals who treated the patient but is not on trial, although that would be unusual. In most cases, an expert witness is another doctor nurse or APRN who has the position, training, and credentials of the person who was alleged to have committed the malpractice.
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Importance of an Expert Witness in a Medical Malpractice Case
In a medical malpractice case, an attorney will use an expert witness to testify and render an opinion. In many cases, an expert witness is the only way that the plaintiff can establish the standard of care.
It is entirely up to the fact-finder, whether it is a judge or jury, to determine how much weight, if any, to give to the expert’s testimony. Almost every malpractice case is going to have a different expert, and it is important that a plaintiff finds an expert that a jury or judge would find credible. The effectiveness of an expert witness will vary from case to case based upon the quality and strength of their testimony.
Without an expert witness testifying on someone’s behalf during the trial, a plaintiff almost surely will lose their medical malpractice case. An expert can explain to a jury what happened in this case, why it was wrong, how the harm could have been prevented, and explain the damages that have arisen from the negligence. No other witness could provide similar evidence in a medical malpractice case.
Reach Out to a Dedicated Glastonbury Attorney
Potential plaintiffs should understand that expert witnesses in a Glastonbury medical malpractice case are often very expensive but are nonetheless a necessity. An experienced lawyer could work to find and hire the best expert witness for your particular medical malpractice claim and build a case around that expert’s testimony. Give us a call today to get started.
