The Cassidy Law Firm Blog

Friday, May 28, 2021

Types of Witnesses in a Personal Injury Trial

Car accidents, truck accidents, slip and falls, and other injury-causing incidents are all too common. In fact, it is likely that you know someone who has brought a personal injury claim seeking compensation for harm suffered in an accident or has brought one yourself. Less common, however, is knowing someone who has been involved in a personal injury trial. This is due in large part to the fact that most personal injury claims end in out-of-court settlement agreements. The majority of the time, there is no need for a personal injury trial to take place, but it does happen sometimes. In the event that a lawsuit is needed for an injury victim to fully pursue his or her right to full and fair monetary compensation for injuries suffered in an accident caused by the negligence of someone else, it can be helpful to know what this will look like. To help paint a picture of what is involved in a personal injury trial, we will discuss one very important aspect of a personal injury trial and that is witness testimony.

Types of Witnesses in a Personal Injury Trial

Witnesses play an integral role in a personal injury trial. They are responsible for presenting and verifying crucial evidence. There are two main types of witnesses at trial. The first includes expert witnesses. Expert witnesses are able to testify at trial because they possess some specific expertise in an area relevant to an issue of the case. Witnesses must present their qualifications to the court. These qualifications may include experience, study, and education to support the fact that they are uniquely qualified to speak on a specific topic. Medical experts may be called to testify as to specific injury types and how they can impact a person’s day-to-day life. Vocational experts may be called to testify as to the impacts a certain injury could have on a person’s ability to execute work-related duties. Accident reconstruction experts may be called to testify as to how the accident actually played out and who was likely to be the root cause of the accident.

On the other side of things are lay witnesses. Lay witnesses are able to testify at trial as they possess personal knowledge of issues relevant to the case as opposed to expert knowledge of a specific issue in the case. A lay witness may be a person that saw the accident happen. A lay witness may also be a friend or family member who has witnessed the day-to-day impact that your accident injuries have had on you. These witnesses can provide critical testimony about how the accident occurred and the impact it had on you. This means witness testimony can address liability issues in the case as well as issues relating to your damages, both non-economic and economic.

As you can tell, the importance of witnesses in a personal injury claim cannot be understated. From the accident scene to your medical treatment, to the impacts the accident injuries have on your everyday life, witnesses can speak to both the validity of your claim and its strength.

New Jersey Personal Injury Attorneys

Do you have questions about the personal injury process? Knowing more can help reduce any anxiety or uncertainty you may feel about the process. Talk to the trusted personal injury attorneys at the Cassidy Law Firm. Contact us today.


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