Expert witnesses have become increasingly valuable when litigating a legal case. But fees can be burdensome, particularly 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 allowing attorneys to speak with experts prior to retaining them. Experts in a wide variety of specialties are available for these calls and present 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 is not immediately discernible the type of expert is needed. A phone consultation can help attorneys assess and narrow down the issues in order to determine which type of expert—or combination of experts—will make your argument most competitive. Most importantly, consultations can help you initially evaluate the merits of a case by weeding out weak claims and focusing on the more meritorious ones.
In addition, phone consultations, especially in an increasingly virtual professional world, can help one get a sense of an important (but oftentimes, underestimated) quality of an expert: their demeanor and communication skills. Experts connected through Expert Institute are prequalified and fully vetted before being presented to you. A phone consultation is a great final check to ensure you have found your 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 you know exactly the specialty you want to retain or are 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 the assistance of an expert. 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 you save your firm from losing money on an unwinnable case. 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 you need to work with an expert are great enough without having to spend so much time and money finding out the case is negative.
Build stronger cases with critical expert insights.
Expert Institute’s Case Clinics offer another invaluable, cost-effective way to assess the merits of a medical case prior to retaining an expert. During a Case Clinic, attorneys are connected with a physician from Expert Institute’s in-house medical team for comprehensive case consultation and record review. Expert Institute’s team of medical doctors is also well-versed in recognizing issues of liability, causation, and damages—all 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 are trained in 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 to 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 you can potentially recover the entire cost of the Partnership and ensure your 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 and the grounds on which the expert’s testimony was admitted or excluded—an indispensable pre-trial research tool.
This is all readily available through our online portal, Expert iQ. Attorneys can access and manage their full case history, case documents, and submit new requests all through their Expert iQ dashboard. 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 to have in your case, make sure you are engaging the best, most cost-efficient professional services.
Interested in finding more ways to save on expert consulting?
Speak with a member of our team
The post 3 Ways to Save Money When Consulting with Experts appeared first on Expert Institute.