Expert Witnesses in Nebraska Medical Malpractice Suits

Sep 9, 2015

A successful medical malpractice claim almost always requires the testimony of an expert witness. An expert witness can be defined as someone who does the same job as the defendant. This means that in a case involving malpractice against a plastic surgeon, the expert witness would have to be a plastic surgeon that performs the same procedures as the defendant, and has been performing them for just as long, or longer. In many states, the opinion of an expert witness is required before you can bring a medical malpractice suit.

Why Do We Need Expert Witnesses?

Expert witnesses are essential in claims where the average person on the jury doesn't have the knowledge, education, or expertise to understand the scientific facts of a medical professional's job duties. In the case of a traffic accident, any licensed driver is capable of judging the responsibility of a defendant. In a case involving a physician, a non-physician isn't familiar enough with medical terms to really decide on how valid the scientific evidence presented is. Expert witnesses are provided to give their experienced opinion on the decisions made by the medical professional you brought a claim against. To prove medical malpractice, you must show that the physician involved made a treatment decision that no other reasonable physician would have made in the same or similar situations.

A medical expert's testimony will address two main issues:

Did the doctor follow the same standard of care procedures that other doctors would have followed?
Did that doctor's failure to follow those standards of care procedures directly cause injury to the plaintiff?

If you feel that you or a loved one has been the victim of malpractice, you need to contact an experienced Omaha medical malpractice lawyer. Call us today at (402) 882-7080 for a free consultation.

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