When Medical Malpractice Strikes: How Expert Witnesses Shape the Case – And Your Reputation

In an article published by Healthcare Business Today, Woods Rogers attorney Jacob Pierce describes the critical role that expert witnesses play in medical malpractice defense. While most physicians and healthcare professionals don’t expect to end up in a courtroom, their clinical decisions and reputations are on the line in a medical malpractice litigation. Key to their success is selecting the right expert witnesses who lend credibility to the case.

“Unlike in other types of lawsuits, medical malpractice claims are almost always the ‘battles of the experts,’ in which both sides present their version of the applicable standard of care and attempt to persuade a jury of laypeople that their narrative is more reasonable and trustworthy,” Jacob writes. “When the dust settles, the verdict often hinges not on what the defendant physician says or the legal arguments made by counsel, but on which expert witnesses the jury finds more credible, likable, and persuasive.”

Read Jacob’s overview of five traits to consider when selecting expert witnesses in Healthcare Business Today.