As a healthcare professional providing expert witness testimony as part of a legal case, you will play an important role in helping to determine the outcome of the proceedings. And it can also be a rewarding role for you too.
It’s a role in which you can help elevate the standards of the practice of medicine – your testimony and expert opinion may help in the defence of those who have been unjustly charged, or uphold the integrity of medicine by identifying breaches in standards of care. Many experienced healthcare professionals also view expert work as a way of giving something back to the profession.
But it can also be a daunting experience. You might be concerned about providing testimony against your peers, having your evidence challenged during a hearing, or maintaining the integrity of your opinions under questioning from legal teams.
With the four Bars of the UK joining together last week to state that face-to-face hearings should be the default position, and as more and more restrictions on in-person gatherings are eased, it is likely that the number of in-person hearings will gradually begin to increase once again. And that means healthcare professionals may be called upon to provide expert testimony to help move medical cases forward.
At MDDUS, we have extensive experience in working with experts, in both regulatory and civil cases, as well as Fatal Accident Inquiries and Coroner’s Inquests. And we are here to help you get ready to undertake expert witness work confidently.
On 2 June, we’re going to be looking at how you can get the most out of being an expert witness, and navigate safely any challenges which might come up in our brand new course 'An Expert’s Journey: how to avoid traps'.
Together with our in-house MDDUS lawyers Lindsey McGregor and Sara Foster, external legal experts Steve Love QC (Compass Chambers) and Vivienne Tanchel (Barrister with 2 Hare Court), and experienced medical expert Dr Niall Cameron and dental expert Tom Timmons, we’ll cover topics which will help you undertake expert witness work with confidence. We’ll look at all aspects of all the journey of being an expert witness, right from the initial stage of accepting instructions, through to writing an expert report, and good practice both when you are giving evidence and under cross-examination.
If you’re thinking about undertaking expert witness work, our course is for you.
Book to attend here.
This page was correct at the time of publication. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.