Experts occupy a unique position in the litigation process. The law and the courts give them automatic authority and credibility at the outset. But the greatest challenge for experts as they navigate the court process is to preserve that high level of credibility going forward. In The Expert Expert, author Douglas L. Field presents detailed information to help an expert professional become an effective witness—and keep intact one’s reputation as a capable and credible expert witness.

Geared toward physicians, architects, accountants, engineers, and many other professionals, The Expert Expert contains a comprehensive discussion of all aspects of professional expert witness practice—from the history of experts in court to current practices. It discusses how to

• understand the anatomy of a tort case;

• write a good expert report;

• contend with contention;

• deal with the opposing attorneys’ questions;

• give a good deposition;

• succeed at trails;

• avoid common pitfalls;

• ensure getting selected;

• deal effectively with social media; and

• handle financial and money issues.

Including helpful and meaningful illustrations, The Expert Expert offers everything that either the veteran or aspiring expert needs to attain and maintain success as a professional expert witness.

THE EXPERT EXPERT

THE PATH TO PROSPERITY AND PROMINENCE AS AN EXPERT WITNESS

iUniverse, Inc.

Contents

Preface....................................................................
xi
Acknowledgments............................................................
xv
Introduction: First Things Firstx..........................................
vii
Chapter One Turning Experts into Expert Witnesses Preliminary Principles...
1
Chapter Two The Care and Feeding of Legal People: How to Work Together 
Effectively................................................................
7
Chapter Three What Is an Expert Witness?...................................
19
Chapter Four The Common Law: The Heartbeat of Anglo-American 
Jurisprudence..............................................................
25
Chapter Five The Anatomy of a Modern Tort Case.............................
30
Chapter Six Discovering Discovery..........................................
43
Chapter Seven The Claims Continuum: The Process of Case Evaluation.........
58
Chapter Eight Party Down! Managing Risk and Reducing Exposure: A Primer on 
Insurance..................................................................
70
Chapter Nine Reporting for Duty: The Essentials of Writing a Good Expert 
Report.....................................................................
79
Chapter Ten Contending with Contention.....................................
93
Chapter Eleven A Trip to the Islands: What Will the Opposing Attorney Try 
to Do to Me?...............................................................
98
Chapter Twelve On the Playing Field: How to Give a Good Deposition—General 
Considerations.............................................................
106
Chapter Thirteen On the Playing Field: How to Give a Good 
Deposition—Principles of Giving Good Deposition Testimony..................
114
Chapter Fourteen On the Playing Field: How to Give a Good Deposition— 
Predictable Attack Lines and Cross-Examination Techniques..................
120
Chapter Fifteen The Big Show: Succeeding at Trial—A Successful Direct 
Examination................................................................
132
Chapter Sixteen The Big Show: Succeeding at Trial—Winning on Cross.........
146
Chapter Seventeen Avoiding Common Pitfalls.................................
159
Chapter Eighteen Impedimenta: Addressing Some Roadblocks to Undertaking 
Expert Witness Practice....................................................
165
Chapter Nineteen How to Ensure Getting Picked..............................
168
Chapter Twenty The Question of Finance: How to Ensure Getting Paid.........
172
Chapter Twenty-One On Record Keeping: A Case of Competing and Conflicting 
Considerations.............................................................
179
Chapter Twenty-Two The Internet, Social Media, and Expert Witness 
Practice...................................................................
183
Chapter Twenty-Three The Case for Expert Certification.....................
185
Chapter Twenty-four And Last Things Last: Concluding Thoughts..............
189
About the Author...........................................................
191
Index......................................................................
195

Excerpt