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What Does a Medical Expert Do in a Personal Injury Case?
When someone is seriously injured, whether it be something straightforward like a car accident injury or something more complicated like industrial or railroad accidents, it can often be challenging to get insurance companies to cover the full and true costs of recovery. They frequently make low settlement offers in the hopes that accident and injury victims accept the money when they need it most, preventing them from ever getting further compensation for what they’ve been through and how they will be financially impacted in the future.
That’s why it’s vital for anyone who has been in an accident that led to injuries to speak with an attorney. They can help you communicate your actual needs to the insurance company, both the medical and financial ones. Insurance companies often still do not counter with a substantial or even reasonable offer. When that happens, the injury sufferer has no choice but to proceed to face the insurer in court to get what they deserve.
That’s where medical experts come in. As professionals in their field, medical experts can provide the court with a knowledgeable and balanced perspective on the impact of accidents and injuries on future well-being, earning potential, and quality of life. All those factors make an important difference in what the court decides should be the amount that an insurance company pays you for your injuries.
Do All Personal Injury Cases Need Medical Experts?
There are certain kinds of cases for which a medical expert may not be needed. For example, if a doctor’s misconduct in a medical malpractice case was obvious, extreme, or egregious, it may be possible that a simple presentation of the facts will show that they violated a required standard of care and no additional medical expertise is needed.
Another possibility is that the kind of harm or injury you received could not have been caused by anyone other than a doctor, nurse, or other medical practitioner. For example, if a piece of surgical equipment was left inside a person’s body after a procedure, that is only something that a medical practitioner could have done. In those cases, a rule known as res ipsa loquitur applies. That rule means that the circumstance itself is enough evidence of the negligence, and no additional medical expertise is needed.
However, those types of cases are far more rare than the ones for which a medical expert is vital in establishing the extent of injuries and their perceived compensation. Especially in the case of catastrophic injuries, it’s always the best decision to speak with an attorney if you’ve suffered any kind of injury where someone else was at fault. They can advise you on the nature of your case and whether or not a medical expert would be right for you.
Are There Many Kinds of Experts for a Personal Injury Case?
While most non-attorneys have heard of medical experts, they are definitely not the only types of experts attorneys use when building a strong case for their injury clients. For instance, in the case of someone who was hit by an 18-wheeler truck, there may be the need for multiple types of experts: engineering experts who can explain the abilities and weaknesses of the vehicle that caused the accident; road safety experts and surveyors who can speak to the circumstances of the environment; and technology experts who can report on certain guidance, steering, and automated braking programs that are supposed to aid in preventing truck accidents.
Another type of expert is a financial expert. Their primary task is to evaluate all the short-term and long-term impacts of injuries, loss of work hours, reduced capacity, and other factors to come to a clear and demonstrable dollar amount that will make the injured party as close to whole as possible given what they have suffered and lost.
Even within the field of medical expertise, there are multiple kinds of experts as well. Some medical experts focus on aspects of extended care, such as if the injured party will require home assistance for a brief time or potentially the rest of their life. When the injured party has suffered catastrophic injuries such as the loss of limbs, attorneys may bring in a disability expert to give the court proceedings a proper framework regarding the lifelong impact of those injuries. The same is true for traumatic brain injuries, which may need the presence of a TBI expert in the courtroom to advocate for injuries that are devastating and long-lasting but do not always have external symptoms that are easily witnessed or quantified.
How Can a Houston Personal Injury Help Me With Finding Medical Experts?
One of the most important aspects of connecting medical experts to a personal injury case is knowing which types of experts are best for helping your case. The average accident or injury victim doesn’t have the industry awareness necessary to know who can best help them explain their injuries and what type of value and compensation the court should place on them. However, an experienced attorney like The Alfred Firm knows which kinds of expertise provide context and value to the court and have the best potential for getting you the best possible outcome.
Another aspect attorneys can help with is finding the right expert in their field. Many medical experts offer their services, but not all are credible, have a long and distinguished history, and do well with presenting testimony. Because of The Alfred Firm’s years of experience with these cases, we have a roster of medical contacts and can find the ideal person for your case.
Finally, there is the cost of paying for that expertise. Medical experts can be expensive, though they are worth the investment for the outcome of your case. The good news is that if you reach out to The Alfred Firm, they cover all out-of-pocket expenses during the case, including medical experts, and you don’t pay anything unless we recover compensation.
Don’t leave your injury case and any medical expert decisions that may need to be made up to chance. Give us a call at 713-489-1875 so we can help you answer the critical questions that will get you the best possible result.
