Bereaved families often find it challenging to confront a legal battle while enduring the profound pain of losing a loved one due to someone’s negligence. While understandable, prompt action can prevent them from missing their chance to file a wrongful death lawsuit within Virginia’s two-year allowable period.
However, surviving families can face sensitive and complex information that they may not be familiar with during the process of pursuing compensation for their decedent’s death. So, they can turn to expert witnesses to provide objective and specialized knowledge and skills that can help them establish their case.
Understanding the role of expert witnesses
An accident tends to involve multiple parties with varying perspectives about how the incident unfolded and who bears responsibility. Expert witnesses can be the neutral voice, who can leverage their credentials and experience to shed light on the case.
- Medical: Medical professionals can identify how a defendant deviated from the standard of care. They can show a direct link between the breach of care and the victim’s demise.
- Financial: Economic analysts can quantify the extent of monetary losses, such as lost income. They can reveal how such losses impact the surviving families’ financial stability.
- Psychological: Mental health specialists can determine the severity of emotional distress. Doing so can match an amount to the intangible pain and suffering that the families tackle.
- Reconstruction: With the evidence found on the scene, reconstruction experts apply scientific principles to recreate the dynamics of the crash. They can pin down factors, such as a driver’s speeding, which might have triggered or contributed to the tragedy.
This list of expert witnesses can still expand depending on how complex the case is. Their expert testimonies can discover and simplify technical details that can help the court to make well-informed decisions.
Pursuing fair compensation
Expert witnesses are also instrumental in developing a strategic plan to move the case forward. For instance, the family’s legal team can expedite or change a course of action if an expert discovers a crucial detail. Doing so can improve the family’s chances of getting the compensation and closure they deserve.