When you’ve been seriously injured in an accident, knowing what goes into building a successful case can help you better understand the claims process and give you peace of mind. At Johnson and Taylor, our personal injury attorneys in Salem, Oregon, help injured victims and their families pursue the justice and compensation they need to recover and move past challenging times. Here, we walk you through the roles of personal injury experts and why solid evidence is crucial to achieve a successful outcome.
What Is an Expert Witness?
An expert witness is a professional with specialized knowledge, training, or experience who provides testimony to explain complex issues in a personal injury or other case. Experts also assist our personal injury attorneys with investigations to help us determine what happened and who may be at fault.
Types of Witnesses in Personal Injury Cases
Medical experts – Doctors, surgeons, and other specialists can explain the severity of a victim’s injuries, necessary treatment, and the short- and long-term impact an injury may have on their life.
Mental health experts – Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals can testify about the emotional trauma a victim has suffered and how it has impacted them.
Accident reconstruction experts – Engineers and other transportation industry experts who analyze crash evidence like skid marks, vehicle damage, and road conditions can help demonstrate how a motor vehicle accident occurred.
Highway safety and human factor experts – These specialists study signage, lighting, road design, and driver behavior to identify contributing factors in an accident.
Digital forensic experts – These experts extract and interpret call logs, text message metadata, app usage, GPS data, and other digital information to prove or disprove critical facts, such as whether a distracted driver was texting when an accident occurred.
Product safety experts – These professionals use their specialized knowledge in areas like engineering, manufacturing, or product design to determine whether a defect caused an accident or injury.
Vocational Experts – These professionals evaluate how injuries affect a person’s ability to work and earn a living.
Financial experts – Economists, life care planners, actuaries, and forensic accountants can provide critical testimony that demonstrates just how much an injury will cost throughout a victim’s lifetime. Our personal injury attorneys often consult with these experts to ensure your claim is accurately valued.
Oregon Law and Expert Testimony in Personal Injury Cases
In Oregon, expert testimony is allowed when it can help the court or jury understand the evidence or clarify a fact at issue. Experts must be qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education. Judges apply certain legal standards to determine whether an expert’s knowledge, methodology, and opinion are relevant and reliable enough for them to testify. Our personal injury lawyers ensure any expert witnesses are highly respected, well-versed in their field, and able to offer relevant, compelling testimony.
Why Expert Witnesses Matter
Expert witnesses can significantly strengthen various aspects of a personal injury case, including:
Establishing liability – Accident reconstructionists can show how another driver’s negligence and other factors caused a crash.
Proving damages– Economists and vocational experts can accurately calculate how much income you’ve lost and will continue to lose in the future because of your injuries.
Explaining medical evidence – Medical experts can explain your diagnosis, treatment, future medical needs, and how an injury has impacted your health and quality of life in terms a jury can understand.
Experts also play an essential role in countering insurance company tactics designed to downplay the seriousness of injuries, minimize payouts, and deny claims. Professional, objective assessments and opinions that challenge an insurer’s assertions often resonate with juries.
How Our Salem Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
Hiring a knowledgeable personal injury attorney backed by trusted experts can mean the difference between an uphill battle and a successful outcome for your case. Effectively working with expert witnesses takes preparation, skill, and the right connections.
Our firm has a proven track record of helping injured victims seek justice and compensation. We don’t make empty promises about huge payouts—we focus on delivering tenacious legal advocacy to obtain the settlement or award you truly deserve. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win your case. We’re proud of our reputation for honesty, dedication, and results. We put our experience and resources to work for you and fight for your future.
Our personal injury lawyers serve clients in Salem, Eugene, Bend, the Oregon Coast, Medford, and throughout the state of Oregon. Our attorneys also handle cases involving estate planning and probate statewide and divorce and family law in Marion, Linn, and Polk counties. Our team also provides quality legal representation to our Spanish-speaking clients.
Contact Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Salem, Oregon
If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident, our team at Johnson and Taylor is here to stand by your side and help you find the justice and compensation you deserve. To schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer near you in Oregon, contact us or call 503-990-6641 today.
