Tough Sell When Expert Witness Charges More Than The Doctor

An expert witness did his best to undermine the case of a plaintiff in a rear-end accident case, pointing out among other things that the fee of the plaintiff’s physician was higher than normal. But the plaintiff’s lawyer noted that the expert doctor’s charge for his opinion – $3,400 – was a hundred dollars more than what the doctor treating the plaintiff had charged. The jury issued a verdict for the plaintiff, but the award was $7,000, far less than the $62,000 his lawyer had asked for.