What Role Do Expert Witnesses Play in a Brain Injury Case?

If a person sustains a brain injury caused by the careless or negligent actions of another individual, entity, or company, they may be able to recover compensation for their losses. Typically, this means filing a personal injury lawsuit against the alleged negligent entity and gathering enough evidence to prove what happened. Sometimes, expert witnesses will play a role in a Portland traumatic brain injury lawsuit. Here, we want to discuss what expert witnesses do and how they could influence any potential settlement or jury verdict.

Types of Expert Witnesses for a Brain Injury Claim

Any type of brain injury claim can become a complex lawsuit that involves issues of establishing evidence, proving negligence, and determining damages. Not everyone in the courtroom is an expert on these types of matters, not even the attorneys. These cases often involve expert witnesses who can communicate with insurance carriers or provide testimony during a personal injury trial about the facts of the case.

Some of the types of expert witnesses used to help a person with their brain injury claim include the following:

• Accident reconstruction experts
• Neurologists or neuropsychologists
• Physical therapy experts
• Economic experts

What do These Expert Witnesses Do?

The role of an expert witness for a brain injury claim will depend on why they have been called there in the first place. Typically, expert witnesses are respected and established members of their fields, and they will only speak to questions related to their area of expertise.

Expert witnesses help paint a picture of the entire case. For example, accident reconstruction experts can help explain to a jury how the incident most likely occurred, which can help pinpoint liability. Neurologists, neuropsychologists, and any other medical professional can speak to the actual injury by walking a jury through how the brain was affected. Physical therapists and other medical professionals can talk about the effects of the brain injury and how the injury will likely impact the victim in the long term. Economic experts can help a jury understand how much compensation would be sufficient for the injuries and recovery process.

Do You Need an Attorney?

We strongly encourage any brain injury victim to speak to an attorney soon after the incident occurs. We have spoken about the complexity of these cases, but that should be stated again. These claims are hard, and they are costly. Brain injury cases can take some time to resolve. Brain injury victims and their family members do not have the resources or time to handle all of this on their own.

When you work with a brain injury lawyer, you will have an advocate with the resources and experience needed to handle your claim. They will seek out the specific expert witnesses needed to help bring success to your case. If you or a loved one have any questions about your particular claim, we encourage you to reach out to a Portland injury lawyer for a free consultation as soon as possible. You are under no obligation to work with an attorney after your free consultation, and you can speak to multiple attorneys until you find one that you and your family are comfortable working with.