Types of Experts You May Use in Your Personal Injury Case

You probably understand that there are certain elements you need to prove to recover monetary damages in an accident claim, such as a car crash, truck collision, or slip and fall on property. What you may not know is that the evidence necessary to establish your rights isn?t always tangible in form. There are some aspects of a case that require input from individuals with unique skills, training, or knowledge. For these complicated issues, attorneys often retain experts in a personal injury case. Their insights can make a big difference in getting the compensation you deserve, whether you?re negotiating with an insurance company or in court.

At Lugar Law PC, our lawyers have developed solid relationships with a number of experts that we respect and trust to assist with our personal injury claims strategies. We depend upon them as we provide top quality legal services to our clients, since their participation helps us better represent you. If you were injured in an accident, please contact our firm to set up a free consultation with a Roanoke personal injury lawyer. We can explain the claims process and explain how various types of experts may play a role.

Proof in a Personal Injury Case

Before getting to the details on how experts work, you should understand the bigger picture of proof in an accident claim. These incidents usually occur because someone was careless, which means you need to satisfy the requirements of a negligence-based claim. The essential elements are:

1. A legal duty for the responsible person or entity to act with reasonable care;
2. A breach of this duty;
3. A direct link between the breach of duty and the accident in which you were injured; and,
4. Losses that you sustained because of being hurt.

Documents, pictures, video, eyewitness testimony, and other evidence is useful in proving these elements. However, tangible proof may be non-existent or fall short with respect to some. This doesn?t mean your claim will fail; it simply means your attorney will turn to other tactics to protect your interests.

How Experts Support Your Claims

By using experts in a personal injury case, your attorney can fill in certain evidentiary gaps. In both in insurance claims and litigation, the two issues most hotly contested disputes involve fault and the nature of your injuries. When the evidence is weak in either of these areas, experts can bolster the allegations with their specialized knowledge. If the proof is highly technical, scientific, or otherwise complicated for the average person to understand, an expert can explain the underlying concepts in succinct, simplified terms.

In addition, experts can play a valuable role if there are allegations of fault against you. Virginia follows the rule of pure contributory negligence, which highlights your own conduct in an accident. If you were responsible for causing the incident, you will recover nothing. The credible, knowledgeable input of an expert can go a long way in contesting accusations of contributory negligence.

Types of Experts in a Personal Injury Case

There are many different experts that may participate in your accident claim, whether through consultation with your lawyer or testifying in court. Some of the most common include:

• Medical Experts: Your injuries will be centerstage in a personal injury case, since you may be entitled to reimbursement of the costs of treatment. However, you may also be able to recover for pain and suffering ? a legal concept that describes your subjective losses. You may not have receipts to show the harm you?ve endured and how your injuries affect your life, but there are most definitely consequences. Medical experts draw from their health care background to relay the extent to which you suffer, so you?re more likely to get fair, reasonable compensation for all losses.
• Economic Professionals: In severe personal injury accidents, you may be limited in terms of employability going forward. As such, you could qualify to seek future earning capacity, i.e., the income you would have made had you not been hurt. Assessing the value of your future earnings is a complicated financial task, but economists can calculate and effectively convey the amount.
• Accident Reconstruction Specialists: Establishing fault in an accident is challenging when there are multiple causes and contributing factors. Still, the physics behind such an incident are concrete. Accident reconstruction experts apply their scientific knowledge to recreate the event, making it possible to get a firm grasp on fault.

Contact a Virginia Personal Injury Attorney for More Information

Though experts play a key role in personal injury cases, there are many other aspects of proof that are necessary for a successful claim for compensation. You must establish all elements of a negligence case, and be prepared to defend allegations that you were at fault. To learn more about how our team can assist with your claim, please contact Lugar Law PC in Roanoke, VA. You can schedule a no-cost consultation by calling (540) 384-0348 or use our online contact form. We can explain your rights and legal remedies once we?ve had a chance to review your circumstances.