What Kind Of Expert Witness Are You?

Importance of Specialization

Are you ready to share your expertise and help solve a case? Then be an expert. An expert witness is someone who holds valuable expert opinion about a particular subject. He is called to the witness stand to give expert opinion about a certain piece of evidence, fact, or information related to the case.

So if you have been working as a medical practitioner for years, you might be qualified to become an expert. Lawyers who represent clients in courts usually employ experts, so if you want to help solve a case, get listed in expert directories and get hired.

But remember, being an expert witness entails specialization. Specialization is that one narrow and particular area that you must have expert knowledge of. If you have specialization, this will make a great foundation for the case. It will give either the defendant or plaintiff higher chances of winning their case.

Types of Expert Witnesses: What Is Your Specialization?

Expert witnesses are classified according to different classifications. One of these classifications is based on their field of expertise. They are as follows:

1. Accident and Injury

Experts classified under this category are summoned to provide information related to injury valuation, severity of damage, and other factors that may help shed light to the accident or injury. For instance, in a personal injury case, an expert may be called to determine up to what degree the victim's injury is.

2. Business and Financial

In this category, expert witnesses are called to make expert testimony on matters related to the following: business, trade, commerce, taxes, fraud, inaccuracies in accounting, and other related matters.

3. Civil Litigation

Experts called to provide expert opinion on civil litigation matters are expected to give information that can solve civil cases, or cases between an individual and an organization (such as banks and lending corporations).

4. Construction and Architecture

Construction and architecture experts are tasked to provide relevant information related to breach of contract cases, faulty designs, and other construction issues.

5. Criminal Litigation

Experts under criminal litigation provide expertise on forensics, identification, and other procedures to solve criminal cases.

6. Medical and Psychological

If you're hired as a medical and psychological expert, you are to provide useful information related to medical malpractice, mental health, insanity, and other areas related to the medical field.

7. Science and Engineering

Science and engineering expert witnesses are called to testify in court to provide expertise related to product malfunction, engineering (whether civil, mechanical, or other fields of engineering), and electrical concerns.

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Automobile Appraisal Expert Witnesses For Litigation

According to the latest US census data, there were 10.8 million traffic accidents in 2009, with similar numbers seen in other years. Those are a lot of auto insurance and personal injury claims, each one requiring expert auto appraisers to evaluate the vehicular damage. If the insurance company has reason to reject any claims, the same experts could be asked to take the stand as auto appraisal expert witnesses.

Unfortunately, too many auto accidents are also the result of criminal negligence. Such cases usually involve serious charges, such as DUI, speeding, reckless driving, and even vehicular manslaughter. During the trail, lawyers will often rely on automobile appraisal expert witnesses to help prove their interpretation of the facts.

When is an auto appraisal expert needed?

Broadly speaking, an accident can be caused either by a mistake by one or more drivers, or due to some malfunction or failure in one of the vehicles. Since vehicles are often badly damaged and torn apart in the aftermath of a high-speed crash, how can the court decide what was responsible for the accident?

A qualified automobile professional can look for tell-tale signs of common problems, even in the worst damaged vehicles. Experience is also important, and a senior auto appraiser can use accumulated practical knowledge to analyze an accident scene.

Some cases require auto appraisal expert witnesses with a narrow focus of expertise. For instance, if a lawyer is convinced that her client's accident was caused due to a particular car model's faulty design, she will look for auto experts with long-term experience of that brand and model. Such expert witnesses can give first-person testimony based on real, practical experience.

Finding the right automobile expert

Really, it depends on the case. However, good lawyers follow some basic guidelines in selecting auto appraisal expert witnesses to support their side. This is because a court trial is an adversarial situation, where both sides will try to bring the better, more qualified expert.

When it comes to vehicular accident cases, both lawyers and juries seem to prefer practicing professionals from the automobile industry over non-professional and academic experts. Lawyers also look for auto experts who have the highest industry qualifications. It helps if the expert is also able to demonstrate an ongoing interest in updating and improving professional skills.

Lawyers are also interested in the candidates' personality and appearance. In court, the experts have to be able to communicate complicated concepts, present their own opinions and conclusions, and defend them against cross-examination (which can get quite forceful!)

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