Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Find Expert Witness Personal Injury Damages Orange County

By Douglas McDonald


Personal injury lawsuits often require witnesses to support the allegations made by the party filing the suit, the plaintiff. This party must present evidence that the other party in the action, the defendant, was negligent and this negligent behavior caused the plaintiff to suffer damages. In this type of lawsuit, the plaintiff will very likely need at least one expert witness personal injury damages Orange County.

Truth is stranger than fiction, and the underlying facts of these cases runs the gamut from expected to outrageous. The plaintiff must present evidence that the injury in fact occurred, and that the defendant is the party responsible for the harm because he or she was negligent.

There are expert witness in almost any field imaginable. The case may call for a finance expert or a medical expert, or it may call for a very narrow field of expertise. In many cases, the expertise needed is that of a physician to attest to the medical damages. The physician might further testify that there were no preexisting medical conditions that could be responsible for the harm.

The very same case may require a finance consultant to assess the dollar amount for the losses suffered. If the harm is permanent or if a full recovery is expected, will have bearing on the calculations. This may sound odd, but the worse the damages are, the stronger the case for the plaintiff.

The age, past income and future earning potential will factor heavily into these calculations. For example, if a young professional athlete with lucrative endorsements and multi million dollar contract sustains a permanent injury, his lost income will be in the millions. If an elderly woman living on a fixed income is permanently injured, her lost income will be significantly less. These facts are relevant to the losses.

The expert witness in this instance is only attesting to the amount of lost income. He or she is not in a position to attest to negligence on the part of the defendant. These witnesses fit into certain categories of expertise, and they are not qualified to venture out of those categories.

These witnesses charge an hourly fee. The range of fees is very broad, as low as two hundred fifty and as high as one thousand dollars per hour. If the plaintiff prevails, the witness fees will be deducted from the settlement or award. Experts are expensive, but it is impossible to bring a matter to trial without the use of at least one expert witness. In many cases there are several expert witnesses.

Orange County is somewhat famous. There was even a television show named after the County. Many of the cities that are in the County are upper middle class to wealthy. The residents tend to be well educated. These characteristics sometimes equal litigious. Orange County has many law firms that have a roster of expert witnesses for almost any type of opinion needed. Typically the initial consultation is free, and a personal injury attorney will be happy to meet with you to discuss your case.




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