A person having knowledge or information about a particular subject or event.
Ethical Requirements for Expert Witnesses
Requirement | Rationale |
Experts should testify only about those aspects of care for which they have direct knowledge, specific educational background, and clinical experience | Limits the likelihood that generalists will provide testimony outside their areas of specialization or expertise |
The testimony should be based on a complete review of all the facts of a case | Decreases the chances that the medical record will be misinterpreted as a result of bias or incomplete study |
The testimony must be scientifically up-to-date and its conclusions must be verifiable using evidence-based scholarship | Prevents the witness from relying on subjective impressions, ideas, or personal experiences |
The payment that the witness receives must not be contingent on securing a victorious outcome at trial | Limits the motivation to alter testimony purely for financial gain |
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