Expert Witnesses in Atlanta Medication Error Cases
Under Georgia state law, there are specific legal requirements that determine who can serve as an expert witness in Atlanta medication error cases. In most such cases, however, it is important to have an expert witness who is not only qualified to testify based on those requirements, but who can also be effective in communicating to a jury.
It can sometimes be difficult to find a qualified expert witness for a medication error case in Atlanta because many doctors, nurses, and pharmacists do not wish to testify against colleagues and say that they did something wrong. Fortunately, seasoned medication error attorneys should have a great deal of experience with these kinds of issues and often have access to many trustworthy, qualified experts who could review cases and testify for them. It logically follows that you should choose to work with a team of attorneys who have at their disposal an in-house doctor and cutting-edge presentation technology.
What Are the Qualifications to Be an Expert Witness?
An expert witness is someone who has sufficient knowledge, education, and training in a specialized area of expertise that is beyond the knowledge that an average juror would have. Expert witnesses’ roles are to bring some specialized knowledge necessary for the finder-of-fact—which in most cases is a jury—to understand an important issue in a case.
People become experts by virtue of their education, their training, and their experience. Accordingly, the expert in medication error cases is usually someone who has had medical training, as a doctor, a nurse, or a pharmacist, has worked or taught in that profession, and has therefore developed specialized knowledge that he or she could impart to a civil jury.
Role of Expert Witnesses in Atlanta Medication Error Cases
The quintessential role of an expert witness is to determine whether a patient has a valid claim based on a violation of the applicable standard of care, and whether that violation is what directly caused the patient’s injury. Once that initial determination has been made, these experts sign an affidavit, a sworn statement, to be filed with the medication error lawsuit that affirms the case’s validity. Finally, they may provide expert testimony during the case itself, in order to establish for the jury the violation in the standard of care that caused the patient’s injury.
How Much Sway Does Expert Testimony Hold?
The weight placed on expert witness testimonies varies case by case. Attorneys are told often by juries that a good expert who explains things clearly and convincingly so that people can understand it can make a huge difference in the case.
Alternatively, an unclear or unconvincing expert could significantly hamper a victim’s efforts at recovery. Therefore, while Georgia state law requires every medication error case in Atlanta to have an expert witness, testimony from the right expert who is credible and has a good deal of experience carries significant weight.
The Benefits of Having an Expert Witness for an Atlanta Medication Error Case
While lawyers do have the legal authority to bring a claim on behalf of a victim and accuse an alleged wrongdoer of negligence, it is the expert witnesses’ arguments that hold weight.
Expert witnesses in Atlanta medication error cases are supposed to look at the facts independently and come up with their opinions without being swayed to one side or the other. That being said, having that testimony is often very beneficial for a filing party, so it is usually wise to talk to a medication error lawyer about how one could bolster a particular claim. Reach out today to speak directly to an attorney who takes calls after hours, can answers your questions, and is willing and ready to provide a free case evaluation.
