According to the Illinois Supreme Court Rules there are three categories of witnesses in civil cases. Rule 213(f) designates these three categories as: lay witnesses, independent expert witnesses, and controlled expert witnesses. The testimony and opinions of these witnesses are used to ensure that that people can substantiate their cases efficiently and fairly. It is necessary that the attorney you choose to represent you in personal injury matters is an expert in coordinating with opinion witnesses.
The categories of expert witnesses are:
(1) Lay Witnesses. A “lay witness” is a person giving only fact or lay opinion testimony;
(2) Independent Expert Witnesses. An “independent expert witness” is a person giving expert testimony who is not the party, the party’s current employee, or the party’s retained expert. (Examples of these witnesses are a police officer making an arrest or a treating physician).
(3) Controlled Expert Witnesses. A “controlled expert witness” is a person giving expert testimony who is the party, the party’s current employee, or the party’s retained expert. (These witnesses can be hired by attorneys, and they might provide an expert opinion based on their expertise, examination of the facts of the case, or even a hypothetical situation).
In the event of a serious personal injury accident, it is critical that you retain an attorney who will be able to coordinate with experts in order to substantiate your case. If you or a family member have been seriously injured, contact a Chicago personal injury attorneyat The Law Offices of Adam J. Zayed, P.C. today in order to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
my wife and I are acting as attorneys pro se in an appeal we cannot afford tohire a PI attorney--????do you need an expert witness to try a case in circuit court? we are appealing a decision that states we must and our case was dismissed before trial for that reason(personal injury) we believe that we can prove fault without an"expert" as a building code violation caused the accident--where do I find case law to support us in this appeal?
ReplyDeletethanks
ron anderson