The Role of Expert Witnesses in Huntsville Car Accident Lawsuits

Even if you have a wealth of evidence to support your claim for damages, it might not be easy to make the connection between the facts and the crash. Additionally, you might have severe injuries, but the true consequences could be challenging to prove. For example, how can you demonstrate the impact of a brain injury if it didn’t leave physical signs? Or, how can you help a jury understand that the chemicals used in an airbag were flawed and caused an unexpected explosion? The answer is often to hire a credible expert witness. These individuals have specialized knowledge that they can use to help everyone in the courtroom understand complex issues.

At Martin & Helms, we know when to lean on the insights of expert witnesses to prove complicated cases. In high-stakes claims, hiring someone to offer professional opinions and testimony can prove invaluable to our clients. Here’s an overview of how expert witnesses help attorneys build successful car accident claims.

Understanding the need for expert witness testimony

Car accident cases often involve technical elements that may be unfamiliar to the average person – including jurors. An expert witness can effectively translate specialized knowledge that supports your claim.

Expert witnesses may help the court understand issues like:

• Medical diagnoses
• Technical aspects of accident reconstruction
• Financial calculations and economic losses of ongoing medical treatment

Experts can testify about issues that other witnesses cannot. For instance, if your family witnesses changes in you since the accident, they may be able to testify regarding their observations. However, they cannot explain the medical reasons for those observations. In a complicated case, such as one involving a brain injury, an expert might be able to add credibility to your claims of an injury, which could help you recover more fair compensation.

What kinds of expert witnesses testify in car accident cases

Depending upon the specifics of your claim, your legal team may call multiple expert witnesses, each specializing in a different field, to strengthen your case. Here are some of the key types of expert witnesses commonly called to testify in car accident cases:

Economic experts

Economic experts can help the judge and the jury understand that your compensation claim is fair and not an attempt to overstate the damages. Their role becomes even more crucial if you have suffered long-term injuries requiring ongoing medical attention. By accurately calculating economic trends over time, they protect against the potential loss of value that inflation may cause in the years ahead.

Accident reconstructionists

While CCTV footage is sometimes available for car accidents, there are cases where no footage exists, making it difficult to prove the liability. In such cases, accident reconstructionists play an instrumental role in demonstrating what truly happened.

They conduct a thorough investigation by gathering evidence such as:

• Real-time data from both vehicles’ black-box
• Both drivers’ mobile records
• Pedestrian witness accounts and police reports
• Weather conditions at the time of the accident
• Accident scene photographs
• Any available video footage

Using this evidence, they recreate an objective account of the accident, helping determine how it occurred and who is liable.

Doctors and medical experts

Car accidents often involve unique injuries, and the judge and jury may struggle to comprehend the extent of the pain and long-term consequences. However, when a medical expert or a doctor explains these injuries, it becomes much easier for everyone to grasp their severity and impact.

Highway safety experts

At times, highway design can be a contributing factor in an accident. Suppose your case involves holding a state agency accountable. In that case, a highway safety expert can provide a clear and detailed analysis of the design flaws or hazards to establish liability against the responsible party.

Car safety experts

In cases involving defective parts or manufacturing faults, your legal team may call upon a car safety expert to help establish liability. Their testimony can help jurors understand the potential technical issues that contributed to your injuries.

How expert witness testimony makes a difference

Expert witness testimonies are invaluable in car accident cases. Here are a few ways they help:

Making scientific facts easy for the jury to understand

Medical and scientific jargon can make it challenging for a layperson to grasp the key details of a case. Expert witnesses can simplify complex topics, breaking them down in a way that helps the jury understand the accident scenario and the contributing factors that led to it.

Providing educated opinions on who is at fault

Determining liability in car accidents can be complex. Expert witnesses use various techniques—such as accident reconstruction, medical evaluation, car safety analysis, and road safety assessments—to help the jury identify the at-fault parties with clarity and precision.

Interpreting evidence

Scientific medical knowledge can be difficult for an average person to understand. Expert witnesses analyze evidence such as black box data, dashcam footage, and accident reports and interpret them to help the jury and all parties involved make an informed decision.

Challenging the defense

Countering the responsible party can be challenging when insurance companies are backing them. These companies fight tooth and nail to protect their bottom line, hiring teams of lawyers to build a strong defense against the victim’s claims. Without credible expert witnesses, the jury may lean in the defense’s favor—an outcome that you want to avoid. Your best chance of winning lies in hiring a legal team that not only understands the value of expert testimony but also knows how to bring in the most qualified experts to testify against the at-fault parties.

How to get an expert witness after a car accident

Your lawyer can secure an expert witness based on the specifics of your case. Trial lawyers have connections with experts, which helps them coordinate with the right people to prove your claim.

Have you been in a car accident?

An experienced car accident lawyer will understand the impact of expert witness testimony and can leverage these specialists to strengthen your case.

If you or your loved one has been in a car accident, don’t hesitate to reach out to Martin & Helms, Alabama, car accident lawyers to advocate your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve. Call our office or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation in Huntsville or Decatur today. We also assist clients in Madison and Athens.