Expert Witnesses: A Series on What You Need to Know
Do you watch any kind of courtroom television? If you do, you may already have some idea about the vital role expert witness may play in a case. Expert witnesses can be critical in both personal injury cases and for fighting DWI charges. Both sides may use expert witnesses to prepare reports and testify in court. In our new blog series, you can learn about the many types of expert witnesses that may help your case.
The Difference between an Expert and an Expert Witness
While an expert has special expertise in a particular field and can be understood by the general public, an expert witness is someone whose knowledge supports opinions and technical analysis based on evidence that will be presented in court. His or her credentials will prove important to the judge and jury.
Both sides can cross-examine and question an expert witness, regardless of whichever side called the witness. And, yes – the words expert and expert witness are often used interchangeably.
Types of Expert Witnesses
Our blog series will explore a variety of expert witnesses from different fields, including the following:
- Accounting and Economic Expert Witnesses: Using their skills and knowledge, these expert witnesses collect and interpret financial information and prepare economic damages for personal injury and wrongful death cases. They calculate how much compensation you should be awarded for loss of wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
- Vocational Expert Witnesses: These professionals provided expert witness testimonies in workers’ compensation and liability cases. A vocational expert’s testimony can be important in a job-related disability hearing.
- Engineering Expert Witnesses: Engineers can offer expert testimony in many specialized areas related to premises liability cases, such as slip-and-fall accidents. They testify on issues related to a property’s safety, maintenance, construction, and standard of care.
- Car Accident Reconstruction Experts: These specialists offer testimony in court that recreate what caused a serious car accident and help determine who is at fault. An automobile accident reconstructionist often uses forensic science to investigate physical and mechanical evidence to help a victim make a case for negligence.
- Medical Expert Witnesses: Medical expert witnesses include medical doctors called on to testify about a victim’s injuries and prognosis. These expert witnesses include general practitioners, nurses, and specialists, such as a neurosurgeon. Medical expert witnesses also include qualified medical examiners who evaluate the cause(s) of death and provide expert testimony in wrongful death cases.
- Drug Recognition Experts: Drug recognition experts are called in when someone is charged with driving under the influence. Law enforcement officials may use them at the time of arrest. Meanwhile, they are an important defense witness.
- DWI Experts: Defense lawyers use DWI expert witnesses regarding proper administration of breath tests and field sobriety tests.
When Your Case Requires an Expert Witness
At Beninato & Matrafajlo Attorneys at Law, we work with a host of expert witnesses to further our clients’ legal matters. If you have been injured or charged with DWI/DUI, an expert may be important. Contact us to schedule a free consultation to see how we can help you.
Dan T. Matrafajlo, Esq. is the Managing Member and Lead Partner at Beninato & Matrafajlo, Attorneys at Law, LLC, a New Jersey-based personal injury law firm with offices in Elizabeth and East Brunswick. With over two decades of experience representing clients in complex matters—including motor vehicle accidents, workers’ compensation, and wrongful death cases—he has recovered over $100 million on behalf of his clients and is known for securing significant results. He has also helped shape New Jersey personal injury law through notable Appellate Division decisions such as Hardison v. King and Frenklakh v. Lojek, with his litigation work featured in the New Jersey Law Journal, underscoring his authority in the field.
Mr. Matrafajlo was recognized as a Super Lawyers® Rising Stars honoree from 2012 to 2017 and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum—an honor reserved for attorneys who have achieved multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Combining deep legal expertise with a client-focused approach, he provides strategic, results-driven representation while guiding clients through every stage of the legal process. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law and is admitted to practice in both New Jersey and New York.
