Medicine plays an increasingly important role in the law. There are some types of litigation that explicitly require medical experts to even move forward, and there are many more that can benefit greatly from medical expert testimony. In high-stakes, high-damages cases, the right medical expert can make all the difference.
Rieback Medical-Legal Consultants has been working with America’s top lawyers since 1986, and we take great pride in providing experts across all practice areas and types of cases. Our experts can meet all of a law firm’s expert needs, including but not limited to:
Establishing medical standards of care
In medical malpractice and birth injury cases, medical expert testimony is absolutely required. In most jurisdictions, the plaintiff’s lawyer needs to get a medical expert on board before even filing the lawsuit. And on both the plaintiff and defense side, it’s essential to have medical experts to establish the standard of care and offer an opinion on whether that standard was met or breached.
While any medical professional in the same specialty as the defendant can theoretically serve as a standard of care expert, not all experts are created equal. The most effective experts have extensive experience, relevant publications, and other credentials that will help a judge and jury view them as credible.
They are medical providers who actually see patients and are familiar with the medical standards of care that actually apply in the real world. They also know how to conduct an appropriate standard of care analysis, including blind reviews of only the information available to the defendant medical provider at the time of the alleged malpractice. And they can testify credibly and convincingly in depositions, hearings, and, if necessary, at trial.
Proving (or disproving) causation
In both medical malpractice cases and other types of injury cases, a medical expert can be an important witness to establish whether the alleged negligence caused the plaintiff’s injury. On the plaintiff’s side, an expert witness can tell a compelling story about what happened to the patient, when, and why, as well as refuting the defendant’s theories. Conversely, on the defense side, an expert can explore alternative theories of causation or call into question the plaintiff’s evidence.
Establishing the extent of the patient’s damages
In all types of injury cases, medical experts can play a critical role in establishing the extent of the plaintiff's damages. A doctor can provide a prognosis and explain the medical care that the plaintiff is likely to need in the future. A medical professional can also offer compelling testimony about the plaintiff’s physical limitations, level of pain, and effects that their injury or illness may have on their ability to work and overall quality of life.
Physician life care planners have especially high value as damages witnesses. A physician life care planner can form their own medical opinion of the plaintiff’s prognosis and medical needs, then develop a life care plan that lays out the costs of future care in detail for the jury.
The right expert witness will make all the difference
Again, not all medical experts are equally skilled or experienced. The best medical experts not only have strong credentials but are also experienced in testifying and know how to tell a compelling story. Moreover, they are willing to testify on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants instead of being biased toward one side or the other.
With over 38 years of experience, the team at Rieback Medical-Legal Consultants has an extensive network of highly qualified, credible medical expert witnesses who are prepared to assist the legal community. Give us a call or contact us online today to find your expert.