Integrity Law Group PLLC

The Role of Expert Witnesses in Building a Strong Personal Injury Case

Personal injury cases are often challenging to navigate, and they can be very complex. A very important element that can drastically change the outcome of your case is the use of expert witnesses. The testimony of expert witnesses is used as evidence, and it can provide critical insights that clarify the facts and strengthen your case. When working with a Houston personal injury lawyer, you will have access to their network of experts who can provide the crucial evidence you need.

Who are Expert Witnesses?

Expert witnesses are professionals who have specialized experience, knowledge, or skills in a specific field that is applicable to the case. The role of an expert witness is to provide the court with an informed opinion that can help judges and juries better understand complicated issues such as financial losses, accident reconstructions, and medical diagnoses.

Expert witnesses differ from eyewitnesses. Eyewitnesses can only testify about what they actually saw happen. Expert witnesses do not have to see the accident or be involved in it at all. Instead, expert witnesses rely on their expertise and professional knowledge to clarify certain facts of a case.

Types of Expert Witnesses

There are a number of different types of expert witnesses used in personal injury cases. Each provides valuable insights into different elements of personal injury claims. Personal injury lawyers have a vast network of expert witnesses they rely on, with some of the most common including:

  • Accident reconstruction experts: Accident reconstruction experts are used in personal injury cases to determine how an accident occurred. These professionals analyze evidence such as damage to vehicles, skid marks, witness accounts, and more to provide a detailed explanation of the accident, which helps prove liability and fault.
  • Medical experts: Medical experts are often called on in personal injury claims. These professionals can describe the nature and severity of different injuries, the treatments necessary to help patients recover, and the possible impacts on your health now and in the long term. The testimony of a medical expert can also prove the direct link between the act of negligence and the accident, which is critical when proving your case.
  • Vocational experts: Vocational experts can testify about how your injuries affect your ability to return to work and perform the tasks related to your employment. They can also outline any future prospects for employment and whether you need additional training, education, or accommodations. This is an important part of valuing the damages you suffered regarding a loss of earning capacity, particularly if you cannot return to the same line of work.
  • Economic experts: Economic experts evaluate the financial losses associated with your injuries, which may include medical expenses, lost wages, and your future earning potential. Their evaluation can help determine the total economic losses you have suffered so you can receive the full compensation you deserve.
  • Life care planners: Life care planners can testify about the future medical needs you will require, as well as the cost of that care.
  • Engineering experts: Engineering experts can provide testimony about how a product was defective and caused injury or the structural failures of a property in a premises liability case, such as a slip and fall claim.
  • Mental health experts: Many accidents involve psychological trauma or emotional distress. Mental health experts offer testimony regarding the impact of the accident on your mental and emotional state. This testimony can establish the non-economic losses you have suffered, such as loss of enjoyment of life or pain and suffering.

Your case may require some or all of the above expert witnesses. A Houston personal injury lawyer will be able to advise on which experts will be most helpful after reviewing the facts of your case.

How Can an Expert Witness Help with Your Case?

Expert witnesses can help with your personal injury case in a number of ways. These include:

  • Clarifying complicated issues: There are often complex factors involved in accident cases. However, educating juries and insurance companies is critical so they have a better understanding of your injuries and how they are impacting your life. Expert witnesses can simplify these complicated issues and provide context and clarity so your case is stronger and more compelling.
  • Calculating damages: It is not always easy to determine the full extent of damages accident victims suffer. An expert witness can help judges, juries, and insurance companies understand the nature of injuries and the economic impact they will have on you. This helps ensure that you receive the fair compensation you deserve.
  • Proving causation: An expert witness can clearly show the direct link between the accident and your injuries. This can prove liability and help you secure compensation.
  • Providing credibility: Expert witness testimony can boost the credibility of your case. Expert witnesses are objective and will provide insights based on evidence to support your arguments.
  • Refute other expert opinions: Expert witnesses are not only used by accident victims and personal injury lawyers. They are also used by the defense. Insurance companies often pay expert witnesses in exchange for providing an opinion that favors the insurer. Having expert witnesses on your side can refute the claims made by professionals on the other side, so you have the best chance of a successful outcome.

Many people do not know where to begin when looking for an expert witness. When working with a Houston personal injury lawyer, they will already have a network of professionals they can reach out to and get the help your case needs.

Our Personal Injury Lawyer in Houston Can Provide Expert Witnesses

Expert witnesses have a very important role in many personal injury cases. In many cases, their testimony and expertise are the difference between successful and unsuccessful outcomes. At Integrity Law Group, PLLC, our Houston personal injury lawyer, you can reach out to our network of experts so you have even more professional help on your side and a better chance of winning your case. Call us now at (832) 384-5207 or fill out our online form to schedule a consultation with our experienced attorney and get the legal help you need.

Essential Steps in Estate Planning: Securing Your Family’s Future

Financially speaking, the laws in Texas regarding the bequeathal of assets are relatively forgiving. In the Lone Star State, there are no estate or inheritance taxes, which can make things easier for your loved ones after you pass away. Still, do not be fooled into thinking that because of this, it is not worthwhile to put time and effort into planning for your estate. Nor should you think the process is always straightforward. Below, our Houston estate planning attorney outlines the most important steps to take when planning for the future.

Create an Inventory of Your Tangible and Intangible Assets

Estate planning begins with taking a comprehensive inventory of your tangible and intangible assets. It may be obvious that you include certain types of property, such as valuable jewelry, real estate, bank accounts, art, electronics, and vehicles. However, there are also certain types of intangible property that you should also consider and include within your inventory. Intangible property you will have to account for includes cryptocurrency, social media accounts, and life insurance policies and annuities.

Create an Inventory of Your Debts

Just as you should create an inventory of all of your assets, it is just as important to create an inventory of your debts. Your debts may include credit cards, mortgage and auto loans, other open lines of credit, and other types of debts. Along with the different types of debt you currently carry, you should also include contact information for creditors and other holders of debt, as well as any relevant account numbers.

Name Your Beneficiaries

When you name beneficiaries, you designate the individuals or entities who will receive your tangible and intangible property as part of their inheritance. You should carefully consider who you want to name as your beneficiaries. While loved ones are the obvious choice for many people, you can also name friends, charities, trusts, and organizations. Along with naming your beneficiaries, you should also specify the tangible and intangible assets you want them to receive.

Meet With Your Financial Planner or CPA

Meeting with your Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or financial planner early in the process can make it easier to review your earnings and optimize them, consider additional savings tools, and consolidate accounts. Meeting with a financial professional can also help you determine if you want to take more advanced steps in the future, such as setting up a revocable or irrevocable trust. When taking these steps, it is always recommended that you speak with a Houston estate planning attorney.

Outline Your Goals for Estate Planning

Different people have different goals for estate planning, and it is important to determine yours early in the process. You may want to use your estate plan to avoid family disputes in the future, make sure your property is passed on to your heirs and beneficiaries, or provide financial security for your family members. Whatever your goals are, define them early, and they will guide you through the rest of the process.

Name Your Fiduciaries

Your fiduciaries are individuals or entities who will manage you, your property, or your money in the event that you pass away or become incapacitated and cannot manage them yourself. Your fiduciaries may include:

  • A guardian of your children
  • Financial power of attorney
  • Medical power of attorney
  • Executor
  • Trustees

The above entities have a legal duty to manage you, your loved ones, or your assets for your benefit and not for theirs. Due to this, it is critical that you are very cautious when naming your fiduciaries and that you only name people whom you deeply trust and who you know will respect your wishes.

Meet With an Attorney Who Can Help You Create an Estate Plan

To ensure that your estate planning documents are legal and enforceable, it is critical that you work with a Houston estate planning attorney who can help you finalize your plan and draft legal documents. The tasks an attorney can help with include, but are not limited to:

  • Drafting legal directives
  • Naming beneficiaries in transfer on death (TOD) deeds
  • Drafting your last will and testament
  • Assigning powers of attorney (POA)
  • Creating medical directives
  • Creating trusts
  • Understanding the business entity and asset protection
  • Forming a family limited partnership

Working with an attorney can also make sure you fully understand all of your legal options. A lawyer can also help you create important documents that will protect your loved ones from challenges during the probate process. When your documents have been drafted by an attorney, it will be easier for your beneficiaries to prove the validity of them.

Execute Your Plan

After completing the complicated process of planning your estate, there is just one more step you have left to take, and that is to execute your estate plan. This step can involve many details, which may include:

  • Signing documents
  • Funding trusts
  • Transferring assets
  • Updating beneficiary designations

An estate planning lawyer can help you with the above tasks and identify anything else that must be done to execute your estate.

Periodically Review Your Plan

Many people think that estate planning is a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ type of task. It is not. The purpose of estate planning is to get your affairs in order before you pass away or become incapacitated, and those plans may very well change in the future. You should review your estate plan any time there is a significant life event such as a birth, death, divorce, or marriage. Even without these important life events occurring, it is still advisable that you review your plan every two to three years to ensure it still reflects your wishes.

Our Estate Planning Attorney in Houston Can Help

Estate planning can be complex and overwhelming. At Integrity Law Group, PLLC, our Houston estate planning attorney can help reduce the stress when creating your plan and make sure it includes everything necessary to make sure you and your family are protected. Call us now at (832) 263-1828 or contact us online to schedule a consultation and to get the legal help you need.

Back to top