Expert Witnesses

Because medical malpractice cases often involve complex procedures and protocols that may not be familiar to the average person, it is important to consider the use of expert witnesses.

An expert witness can look at what happened from a professional standpoint, determine what happened and where any errors or breaches occurred, and then explain exactly what went wrong in both technical terms and layman’s terms. This can have a substantial effect on the jury as it provides a detailed account of what went wrong and how it should have been prevented, or what steps should have been taken to prevent the injury or error.

Expert witnesses can be so crucial to a case and a jury’s understanding of events that they are subject to their own rules of evidence. For example, while there is a general rule against an attorney or lawyer using leading questions during direct examination, this is not always the case with expert witnesses. This is so because there is a general theory that an expert witness will not allow him or herself to be lead about by a “layperson” lawyer in his or her field of specialty.

In medical malpractice, it can be difficult for ordinary people to comprehend how the error that occurred could have happened or even if it could have been prevented. This is where expert witnesses, who often doctors in medical malpractice cases, come into play to help guide the jury through the whole procedure that went awry.

Contact a Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you have been the victim of a doctor’s error or negligence, contact the Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams at 610-667-7511.