Under certain circumstances, expert witness testimony may be necessary to get the compensation you deserve.
Sometimes, car accident cases are very straightforward. The other driver admits fault, you negotiate on compensation, and you settle the matter quickly. This is often rare, as there are frequently disagreements between the parties. In these cases, speaking with a St. Louis car accident attorney is an excellent idea. Under certain circumstances, expert witness testimony will be necessary to get the compensation you deserve. Consider the following.
Your Physical Health is Questioned
One tactic that your opponent might use in a personal injury case is questioning your injuries. This can be done in two ways. First, they can target the extent of your damages. This might mean they will claim your back pain is embellished and therefore deserves less compensation. Second, they might question the legitimacy of your injury by accusing you of lying. In both of these cases, you can confirm your damages by using a medical professional as an expert witness. What they will do is allow you to have a respected professional backing up your injuries.
Your Emotional Suffering is Questioned
In a car accident case, you are not forced to solely pursue compensation for your injuries. Another area you can target is emotional suffering. An extreme example of this would be a person who was severely injured in a collision, and as a result, is experiencing PTSD. Given that this is a serious mental condition, it may warrant compensation. If you try to obtain these benefits and your suffering is questioned, you may strengthen your case with expert testimony from a mental health professional.
The Conditions Surrounding Your Accident are Unclear
If you are in an accident where the primary cause was the other driver making an unsafe maneuver, you can argue that this is negligence and they should be at fault. One thing that they might do in this situation is claim that the maneuver they made was actually safe and not worthy of negligence. If a dispute like this comes up in your case, you can hire a traffic safety expert.
Your Story Conflicts With the Other Driver’s
Sometimes, a driver who is at fault will have a different perspective on the accident than you. Though this can be an honest disagreement, it is usually because they are lying. An example of this would be a driver running a red light and colliding with the side of your car. In this case, they could claim that you ran the red light and they did not. To prove your side of the story, you can hire an accident reconstruction specialist to give their expert opinion.
Determining Lost Wages
A type of benefit that is frequently pursued in severe personal injury cases is lost wages. This refers to compensation you receive because of an inability to do your job effectively or at all. Depending on the nature of your injury and profession, this could be a significant sum. In some instances, you may decide to hire an accountant to give an accurate estimate of how much you deserve.
If you want to get fair compensation after a car accident injury, your best shot is speaking with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney, who can then assemble a team of experts, if necessary. If you have been involved in a St. Louis automobile accident, give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE case evaluation.