When you work with a California personal injury attorney, you should expect that they’ll work diligently to get you the best possible outcome. In many cases, that involves working with experts. In some cases, they’ll simply consult and help your attorney get the facts straight, while in others they may act as expert witnesses during the trial. Not every case needs expert witnesses but in some cases they are crucial. Here are a few different types of witnesses and the basics on how they can help your case.
Experts for car accidents
A liability expert works to prove that someone was negligent and that their negligence was responsible for your injury. These experts are typically called in car accidents. For example, consider that a car crossed a center line to hit your car. It may be true that both cars went spinning in different directions and by the time they stopped it wouldn’t necessarily be clear where the wreck occurred. An expert witness can look at the evidence and show proof of how and where the accident occurred.
Engineers, called accident reconstructionists, put together all the evidence at the scene of the accident and use physics to determine the specifics of how the accident happened. They’ll look at the site of the accident, locate gouges and skid marks, inspect the vehicles, and the specifics of the car itself. They’ll then review photos of the scene, as well as diagrams drawn by the police, and use measurements from that evidence to determine exactly where each vehicle was at the time of the accident.
Accident reconstructionists can assist with other disputes too, like determining speeds at the point of impact, determining if road conditions had anything to do with the collision, and determining how much time a driver needed to react to any hazards.
Experts for defective products
Expert witnesses are also very important in personal injury cases involving defective products. They can determine if a product was dangerous because it wasn’t constructed correctly, it wasn’t assembled right, or the design itself was unsafe. For example, a vehicle expert can determine if the occupants in a car during an accident would have been able to escape their injuries if the vehicle had been designed better. Tire experts can decide if preventable tire failure led to or contributed to an accident.
Your personal injury attorney should cover the initial cost of expert witnesses
Many people who’ve been injured, or have a family member that’s been a victim of a wrongful death, are already having financial issues and can’t afford the cost of hiring expert witnesses. The good news is that if you work with a California personal injury lawyer like Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we cover all your upfront expenses. We take your case on contingency, which means we don’t charge you for our time or any litigation costs until you win or settle your case. For your free case evaluation, call us at 909-982-0707.
