The Role of Expert Witnesses in a Legal Case

Expert Witnesses in a Legal Case

Patrick Sanders and Charlotte Palmer were involved in a bad automobile accident when their cars collided while traveling in the same direction down an icy road. Each is alleging that the other was at fault, and the police report does not shed any light on the issue. Both parties plan on hiring expert witnesses to testify at trial on their behalf. Patrick has two experts that he plans on calling at trial. The first expert witness, Pedro Pasqual, is an accident reconstruction specialist. The second witness, Dr. Ehler, is a physician who will testify regarding Patrick's injuries. Charlotte also plans on calling two expert witnesses on her behalf. She is permanently injured from the crash and will not be able to return to her career as a dancer. Her first witness, Dr. Black, is her physician, and he will testify to the permanency of her injuries. Her second witness, Mr. Erwin, is an economics expert who will testify regarding her lost wages.

Questions from Charlotte Palmer

You work for the attorney who is representing Charlotte Palmer. Based on the above information, she has asked you to answer the following questions: If you want to interview Pedro Pasqual to find out what he plans on saying at trial, what form of discovery can you use?

The form of discovery that can be used to interview Pedro Pasqual to find out what he plans on saying at trial is a deposition. During a deposition, a witness is asked questions under oath by another party’s attorney. The questions can be related to the facts of the case, the witness’s opinion, and the witness’s qualifications. The witness’s answers are recorded, often by a court reporter, and can be used at trial. Depositions can be used to find out the witness’s testimony before the trial so that the attorney can prepare for the witness’s testimony at trial. Additionally, the deposition can be used to impeach the witness at trial if the witness’s testimony during the deposition is different from the testimony during the trial.

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