How an Expert Witness Can Help With Your Chicago Workers’ Compensation Case
After suffering an injury on the job in Chicago, you are entitled to recover workers’ compensation benefits. However, while you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits after suffering a work-related injury, you can expect that the insurance company will try to make it hard for you to recover what is rightfully yours. Insurance companies are for-profit organizations that rely on denying or devaluing plaintiffs’ claims to make profits. You can expect your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company to try to deny your claim or make you a low settlement offer.
Witnesses can be helpful if your employer’s insurance company tries to deny or devalue your workers’ compensation claim. Witnesses can establish the facts of your case and support your claims. There are two types of witnesses who you can involve in your Chicago workers’ compensation case: lay witnesses and expert witnesses. A lay witness is someone who was present when you suffered your injury. Such a witness testifies about what they saw or heard. On the other hand, expert witnesses, who are the focus of this article, are individuals who don’t have firsthand knowledge of your accident or injury but instead possess specialized expertise or knowledge in a particular field that is relevant to your case. Below, we discuss the various expert witnesses who can help with your Chicago workers’ compensation case and how they can help.
Expert Witnesses That Can Help With Your Chicago Workers’ Compensation Case
Because an expert witness has specialized skill, education, experience, or knowledge, their word carries a lot of weight. An expert witness’s testimony can help you recover the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve. Whether in settlement negotiations or court, you can highly benefit from the testimony of an expert witness.
One of the expert witnesses who can help with your Chicago workers’ compensation case is a medical expert. A medical expert may be necessary if your employer’s insurance company is disputing the severity of your injury. A medical expert can testify about the extent of your injury and how your injury is likely to affect you going forward.
The following are other expert witnesses that can help with your Chicago workers’ compensation case;
- Vocational Expert
The insurance company may argue that your injury does not impact your ability to work the way you claim it does. In such a case, you may benefit from hiring a vocational expert. Vocational experts are people whose training, education, and experience qualify them to express opinions related to, among other things, employability, earning capacity projections, and job availability.
- Financial Expert
If, for example, the insurance company is disputing the amount you are seeking for your disability claim, a financial expert can help calculate how much you should receive.
- Accident Reconstruction Expert
Suppose the insurance company argues that your injury was not caused by the workplace accident. In that case, an accident reconstruction expert can reenact the accident and show how it likely caused your injury.
- Engineering Expert
An engineering expert’s testimony may be particularly helpful if your injury was caused by defective, dangerous equipment.
Contact a Chicago Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you’ve suffered a work-related injury and need help recovering the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve, contact our qualified and dedicated Chicago workers’ compensation lawyer at Connolly Injury Law.
