An expert witness offers opinion testimony to assist the fact-finder in matters that go beyond common knowledge
The expert can offer not only his opinion but also the foundational basis that supports those opinions.
Experts are often retained by high litigants in high-stakes tax cases. In both civil and criminal trials. The result is a battle of the experts. The jury often disregards both experts on the basis that they are highly paid and therefore highly biased in their opinions. In large civil and white-collar tax cases, tax attorneys are often used as expert witnesses.
Forensic experts are also used in civil matters, especially in personal injury cases like a medical pathology expert, where the cause of death might be in dispute between civil litigants. This type of expert is especially useful in medical malpractice cases where the cause of death is in dispute.
