Expert witnesses have become increasingly valuable when litigating a legal case. But fees can be burdensome. This is particularly true for small or midsize firms and especially during lengthy or complex litigation. Instead of forgoing a necessary component of your case—or putting it off until the last moment—check out the below three ways to keep expenses reasonable when consulting with an expert.
Conduct an Exploratory Phone Consultation
Expert Institute offers exploratory Phone Consultations. These consultations allow attorneys to speak with experts prior to retaining them. Experts in a wide variety of specialties are available for these calls. Access to these experts presents a great opportunity to learn more about the topic at issue. The subject matter of a scientific or technical case can seem daunting, especially in cases where it’s not immediately discernible the type of expert needed. A phone consultation can help attorneys assess and narrow down the issues. From here, attorneys can determine which type of expert—or combination of experts—will make their argument most competitive. Most importantly, consultations can help to initially evaluate the merits of a case by weeding out weak claims and focusing on the more meritorious ones.
Remote work-friendly
In addition, phone consultations fit seamlessly into an increasingly virtual professional world. They can help attorneys get a sense of important (but oftentimes underestimated) expert qualities: demeanor and communication skills. A phone consultation is a great final check to ensure attorneys have found a case’s ideal fit with the communication style to match. Being able to effectively explain their knowledge to the triers of fact is an indispensable quality in all expert witnesses. Whether an attorney knows exactly the specialty they want or is looking to explore a litigation topic, a Phone Consultation is a great resource for information gathering without the obligation to retain.
Validate Merit with a Case Clinic
Cases involving medical issues will almost always need expert assistance. In fact, some states require an expert’s affidavit prior to commencing a medical malpractice lawsuit. But case validation is one of the most critical parts of working up a medical malpractice case. Working with an expert to validate cases helps attorneys determine which cases to pursue and which not to pursue. Working with an expert to validate a case can help save valuable firm time and money.
But even the most seasoned medical malpractice attorneys may think a weak case is stronger than it is—or vice versa. Having separate experts provide a first touch or impression of a case runs into the thousands of dollars, especially in document-intensive files. The time and funds required to work with an expert are great enough. A Case Clinic helps attorneys avoid spending so much time and money just to find that a case is negative.
one-on-one medical support
Expert Institute’s Case Clinics offer another invaluable, cost-effective way to assess the merits of a medical case prior to retention. During a Case Clinic, attorneys are connected with a physician from Expert Institute’s in-house medical team for a comprehensive case review. Expert Institute’s team of medical doctors is also well-versed in recognizing issues of liability, causation, and damages. These are, of course, all the necessary elements to prove in any successful medical case.
Through Case Clinics, attorneys can also prepare technical or scientific lines of questions to strengthen depositions and cross-examination performance. Expert Institute physicians span over 30 specialties, including general surgery, critical care medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology. The team can zero in on a case’s strengths and weaknesses, plus offer significant insights into whether an attorney should accept the case in the first place. Case Clinics can also help attorneys tailor their case theory and craft a winning strategy accordingly—all without formally retaining an expert.
Partner with a Team of Expert Consultants
Expert Institute’s Partnership Program offers these services and more for a set annual fee. In fact, Partnership clients are able to access our full suite of services at preferred rates by locking in their firm’s agreement terms. There are never hourly charges or markups per engagement, just robust access to unmatched expert intelligence. Plus, Partnership Clients can request individual payment receipts in order to bill back costs to their clients. This means firms can potentially recover the entire cost of the Partnership and ensure overheard is never impacted.
The Partnership Program also facilitates access to Challenge Studies. These are custom research reports on the gatekeeping history of any opposing expert. Attorneys can view the outcomes of an expert’s challenges in court. They can also review the grounds on which the expert’s testimony was admitted or excluded. This is another indispensable pre-trial research tool.
Use case management tools
This is all readily available through our online portal, Expert iQ. Attorneys can manage their full case history, case documents, and submit new requests all through Expert iQ. The portal also provides real-time updates of every step of the process, plus expedites call scheduling with experts through the iQ calendar feature. Partnership clients are never without on-demand support, both from Expert iQ and from their dedicated research manager, customer success manager, and an on-call medical team.
Overall, Expert Institute provides attorneys with inimitable access to qualified expertise at flexible, reasonable rates. As experts become more and more necessary for every case, attorneys must make sure they’re engaging the best, most cost-efficient professional services.
Interested in finding more ways to save on expert consulting?
