Expert Testimony in South Carolina Medical Malpractice Cases
Expert testimony is required in malpractice cases to help the average juror make sense of the provided information, indicating if the physician did or did not meet the acceptable standard of care. These experts must be proficient in the field of which their opinions are requested and be able to go over the details of a malpractice case in comprehensible terms for the jurors and court to easily understand.
The duties of a physician, in a nutshell, are to have the same knowledge of all other physicians who would be qualified to practice in a similar situation and to execute in a way that other physicians would as well execute in any similar situation. They must use their best judgment to carry out what they were employed to do with reasonable attentiveness.
The expert witness who informs the jury and the court must assess what the alleged physician did or did not do regarding the harm done to the injured party, and determine if the physician’s actions varied from the acceptable medical standard of care.
Expert testimony often provides the court and jury with other informative insight as to what caused the damages or harm and if they were a result of the physician’s error and if so, how they physician’s acts caused the damages or harm sustained by the plaintiff. The expert should also assess the damages the plaintiff sustained.
If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of medical malpractice, contact the Strom Law Firm 803.252.4800 today for your free consultation.
