Thursday, February 21, 2019

What To Know About Engineering Expert Witness

By Andrew Stevens


The idea of having an expert witness in a case is usually supported by attorneys in a court case regardless of which side they are on. Most argue that having an engineering expert witness or any other type of expert witness is the only way to understand a technical case beyond the legalities and theories. This makes the case understandable to those listening to the arguments to pass the judgment.

An expert witness can be defined as an individual who has vast education or training in a particular subject more than the average person. He or she is likely to be a professional with a special skill who can assess and evaluate the conditions of a case and relate it to his or her specialty.

An expert witness from the engineering field needs to be acceptable in court. The person must be able to testify under oath on the technical matters of a case. Thereafter provide a technical opinion that can be used by the judge or jury to determine the case.

It is important that such a witness be willing to accept any opinions derived from his or her conclusion. He or she must have sufficient knowledge regarding the case they are witnessing to be in a position to evaluate. This is necessary information that will permit him or her to form a technical opinion and draw a valid conclusion.

The expert witness is never allowed to argue any facts regarding the case. He or she is also not allowed to provide any evidence of the case. This is a task left to the other witnesses or even the police. He or she is only allowed to clarify the technicalities and help the judge or jury understand the matters in the case better.

Either side of the court case, whether the prosecution or defense is allowed to provide an expert witness who can help them win the case. It is important for the professional to always remain loyal to the knowledge he or she is bringing to the case. This will help the judge or jury get the right assessment of the technical matter in the case. They can then make a judgment that will be fair and just.

For one to qualify as an engineer expert witness, he or she must have a strong technical relationship to the technical matters in a case. Many attorneys contend that the best expert witnesses are those that have technical experience in addition to their technical education. An academic witness may have the theory needed but would not be ideal if he or she has never been outside a classroom.

It is up to the prosecution or defense attorney to determine which of the experts should be engaged in a case to help them win it. Once an expert witness is identified, the attorney must present the expert in the case and state his or credentials including the years of experience and study in the technical field. When determining the case, the judge or jury will refer to the experience and credibility of the expert witness to support the expert opinion.




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