Unethical Medical Expert Witnesses

A medical expert should be an indifferent arbiter for the truth. But, as a hired gun, he assumes the role of second chair to the attorney—making the case for the plaintiff—as a zealous advocate.

That’s when you are likely to hear garbage spewing forth from the lips of the expert. He’s there to make a buck. He’s there to help the attorney who hired him get a large payday. And if he does his job “well,” he can expect to be a regular on the testifying circuit.

I’m often asked why I have such little faith in the current medico-legal system. I’m also asked why doesn’t the system, by and large, get it right?

Well, frequently, it does not get it right. And even if it does, the process is time-consuming, stressful, and associated with substantive collateral damage.

We Have Experience with Medical Expert Witnesses Who Spout Garbage

I’m a neurosurgeon who was sued one time for what I perceived to be a frivolous reason. The single expert who testified against me had previously been expelled from our professional specialty society for delivering frivolous testimony. Yet, there he was, on the circuit, testifying against other neurosurgeons. In my case, he had neither seen nor performed the case at issue.

The case was dropped a few weeks before trial. I never felt as if I won anything. Just lost less.

Medical Justice can Help Protect Your Practice—and Your Reputation

I started Medical Justice in 2002 to level the playing field. Thousands of your fellow physicians have joined our organization to benefit from our protection plans, one of the many benefits of which is that we provide the funds and methodology for filing countersuits or counterclaims against meritless malpractice lawsuits. Who hasn’t wanted to countersue a lawyer who propelled a frivolous case?

Learn about our legal protection plans and online reputation management to proactively protect your practice and address threats like unethical expert witnesses as they come.