The Role of Expert Witnesses in Car Accident Cases

When you suffer injuries in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you might be ready to file an injury lawsuit with the help of our Minnesota car accident lawyers. One of the roles our attorneys fulfill for you is collecting evidence that shows that the other driver is at fault. Without proving fault and negligence on the part of the other driver, you cannot win your financial claim. When the facts and evidence are in dispute between your lawyers and the other driver’s insurance company, you might need an expert witness in a car accident case to give your testimony the extra boost required to win your lawsuit.

Expert testimony in a car accident claim is not always necessary. However, when it is, it’s important to find the right experts who can strengthen your case. Learn more about how our attorneys work with a variety of experts to give your claim a better chance of being successful.

Reasons for Expert Testimony in a Car Accident Injury Claim

Our attorneys might call on expert testimony for a car accident injury claim for multiple reasons.

Proving Your Side of the Story

If the insurance company is disputing the evidence you gave about the accident, experts might be able to show that you’re telling the truth. Having an expert who looks at the facts regarding the crash and echoes your version of events can deliver a powerful advantage for you.

If the other driver was only exceeding the speed limit by 5 mph at the time of the crash, for example, the insurance company might try to argue that this minimal speed violation didn’t really contribute to the severity of your injuries, but an expert could provide insights and facts that show why even a little bit of extra speed can be devastating in a crash.

Providing a Deeper Understanding of Confusing Situations

If your car accident involved multiple vehicles, the reasons behind the accident can be unclear. It may take an expert who can look at the photos of the accident and the final position of the cars to determine exactly what happened.

Understanding Rare or Complex Injuries

If you suffered a complex injury in the car accident, juries may struggle to understand how the injury will affect your life going forward. They might not understand the pain you’re in or any hardships you have with living your day-to-day life. Although you can testify about these issues, it can be helpful for a jury to hear from a medical expert who verifies what you are describing.

Delivering an Opinion Instead of “Only the Facts”

When we bring in an expert to testify about your car accident injury claim, we may want the expert to provide an opinion about your future earnings potential.

If you are testifying about your job prospects, you can only discuss how your past job experiences are less relevant because your injuries probably won’t allow you to do the same type of job anymore. Your family members can talk directly about the financial hardships you are experiencing when you can’t work because of the severity of your injuries.

An expert witness can then take that information and form an opinion about your future. If this opinion convinces a jury or the insurance company that your financial hardships will extend for several years into the future, you could win a larger financial award. The expert might be able to provide an opinion on the amount of money you deserve, too.

Types of Expert Witnesses in Car Accident Cases Who Can Be Helpful

Some of the most common expert witnesses in car accident cases include the following.

Medical Experts

Because the amount of money you could win in your lawsuit depends heavily on the severity of your injuries, many lawyers rely on medical experts to explain your medical conditions and hardships. Medical terminology and jargon can be difficult for non-medical professionals to understand, but an expert can break it down in easy-to-understand language. The medical experts can discuss the treatments you’ll need to have and how long you may need them.

Financial Experts

Determining the exact financial losses you’ll have because of the injuries suffered in the car accident is a tricky process. If you cannot work for several months or may need to work in a different type of job, a financial expert can attempt to project your financial losses using data and past situations that are similar to yours. This testimony can be vital toward receiving the financial award you deserve to have.

Psychological Experts

If you are seeking a pain and suffering award in your car accident injury lawsuit – and nearly all victims do – having a mental health professional or a psychologist provide expert testimony may be helpful. This expert can discuss the emotional hardships you may face for months and years into the future, such as sleepless nights, bouts of PTSD, or an inability to get behind the wheel of a car again. Emotional trauma related to a serious car crash can be difficult for people to understand when they have never been in a car accident, so the expert could play a key role here.

When You Need an Expert Witness in a Car Accident Case, Our Attorneys Will Find the Perfect Person

Our St. Paul car accident attorneys have the experience required to present the evidence in your injury accident claim in the most convincing manner. Sometimes, though, we know that the basic facts in the accident case are in significant dispute. The insurance company is not likely to budge from its argument that its client is not at fault with the currently available evidence. That’s when we may suggest bringing in expert testimony for the car accident claim. An expert can look at the facts of the case with fresh eyes, hopefully finding new ways to present the evidence to strengthen your claim.

You can trust our team at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law to use every potential technique to try to win your case. When we can find an expert witness in a car accident case who will deliver the key piece of evidence that convinces the insurance company or a jury to decide in your favor, we’ll gladly take this step. For a free review of your case, contact us today at (651) 259-1113.

Attorney Isaac Tyroler

Attorney Isaac Tyroler has been a strong advocate for injured people his entire legal career. He has a passion for righting wrongs, and he deeply cares about representing injured clients who may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about how to navigate the legal system. He is compassionate toward clients and aggressive with insurance companies and defendants. He is on the elected Board of Governors of the Minnesota Association of Justice (MAJ), the top personal injury lawyers’ group in Minnesota. And is currently the chair of MAJ’s legislative committee. [ Attorney Bio ]