Founded in 2015, NRC Medical Experts provides solicitors, barristers, and the courts access to exceptional expertise in neurological rehabilitation. NRC Medical Experts has grown into a highly respected network of medical professionals specialising in neurological injuries and disabilities, providing unrivalled medico legal reports to the courts and assisting doctors and specialists in becoming confident and skilled expert witnesses.
In this blog post, we share information for those considering a career as a medical expert witness in the field of neurological rehabilitation. NRC Medical Experts is a community of exceptional medico legal professionals, dedicated to providing the highest standard of quality and service to the legal community and, ultimately, improving the lives of those affected by neurological injuries and disabilities.
Skip to content:
- Become a Medical Expert Witness
- What Do You Need to Become an Expert Witness?
- What Does a Medical Expert Witness Do?
- What Makes a Good Expert Witness?
- Key Roles and Responsibilities when Acting as an Expert Witness
- How to Write a Medico Legal Report
- Impartiality and Integration: Your Role in the Legal Team
- Building your Reputation as an Expert Witness
- Staying Competitive: Expert Witness Training and Continuous Learning and Improvement
- Become a Medico-Legal Expert with NRC
Become a Medical Expert Witness
Many skilled physicians may be considering a transition into the role of expert witness. This career path can be both rewarding and challenging, offering opportunities for professional growth while using your relevant knowledge, qualifications, and medical training to impact the legal process through medico legal reports.
Expert witness work can be a fulfilling and enriching career choice for a skilled doctor or specialist. However, it demands unwavering commitment, continuous learning, and a strong sense of professionalism. It requires a significant amount of dedication, as you will be expected to maintain high standards of service in order to meet the requirements of the courts and legal teams involved. Your expert reports will play a crucial role in the outcome of cases, making it essential that you approach this responsibility with the utmost professionalism and care.
Being a medico-legal expert is a fulfilling aspect of practice, combining law and medicine to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals with complex injuries and disabilities. It offers the opportunity to guide the allocation of substantial financial resources from insurance companies to support their needs.
What Do You Need to Become an Expert Witness?
To become an expert witness, you need a minimum of around 10 years of experience in your field, a good reputation, and up-to-date knowledge. You need to have all the relevant knowledge and skills, understand the latest protocols and guidance, and be able to develop a medico legal report. You may also wish to explore expert witness training.
As you enter this field, be prepared to face a competitive environment. It is crucial to hone your skills and stay updated with the latest advancements to ensure you remain a valuable asset in the medico legal landscape. Continuous learning and improvement will not only enhance your reputation but also increase the number of instructions you receive.
What Does a Medical Expert Witness Do?
As an expert witness, you will be called upon to provide independent opinion evidence on the issues related to the case to inform the court and allow them to make a decision regarding things related to your particular field of expertise.
Expert witnesses assess relevant information, compile it into medico legal reports, and formulate an opinion based on the questions asked of them based on their own qualifications and experience.
What Makes a Good Expert Witness?
An expert witness must be honest, objective, and trustworthy. The official guidance from the GMC says that “you must not allow your views about any individual’s age, colour, culture, disability, ethnic or national origin, gender, lifestyle, marital or personal status, race, religion or beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, or social or economic status to prejudice the evidence or advice that you give.”
When acting as an expert witness, you must be completely impartial and focus on the facts.
Key Roles and Responsibilities when Acting as an Expert Witness
The role of an expert entails various responsibilities and compliance with legal standards for expert evidence, reports, and conduct. When giving your opinion in court, you should be sure to only offer your opinion on things that you have knowledge of and experience with.
Experts must adhere to the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), which dictate procedures and protocols for civil litigation in England and Wales. The CPR outlines duties, responsibilities, and expectations for expert witnesses in court proceedings. Adhering to these rules maintains professionalism and credibility in your medico-legal practise.
You will be expected to provide reports, including an initial medico legal report, as well as further medio-legal reports, conduct home visits, review medical records, and participate in conference calls or face-to-face meetings with instructing lawyers, barristers, other experts, clients, and their families during legal proceedings. As an expert witness, you may be required to review documents arising from the rehabilitation process, prepare further written evidence, and issue joint statements with opposing experts.
Though giving evidence in person is vanishingly rare, traditional responsibilities of an expert may include presenting expert evidence in court. In these situations, you will be required to clearly and confidently explain your findings, opinions, and conclusions.. As a witness, you could be confronted with new arguments, and you’ll have to respond appropriately to the best of your knowledge.
An important part of being an expert witness is to maintain a healthy attitude and be professional, especially when being cross-examined. Your capacity to convey intricate medical information in a way that non-medical professionals can understand will be essential in supporting the court’s decision-making process.
How to Write a Medico Legal Report
Writing an accurate report requires a combination of medical expertise, meticulous organisation, and clear communication. A good medico legal report requires a clear and concise structure, a thorough understanding of the case, and an impartial, well-reasoned opinion. You must take reasonable steps to verify the claims and opinions you present.
Read our guide to writing a good medico legal report
Impartiality and Integration: Your Role in the Legal Team
When you act as an expert, it is crucial to remember that the duty of an expert witness is to provide evidence to the court, not to be partisan for the claimant or defendant. It is crucial to deliver an impartial medical opinion while being a fully integrated team member, regardless of who gave the instruction. Keep in mind that deviating from your genuine belief risks exposure by the opposing expert and evidence.
A medico-legal expert needs to be aware of their position within the legal team that instructing solicitors have assembled as well as their significance in legal proceedings. An effective expert witness and team member should exhibit the soft skills of an excellent clinician, such as punctuality, courtesy, friendliness, attentive listening, clear communication, and appreciation for others’ roles.
Effective email communication with the solicitor is vital for being a good team member, especially when facing potential delays in meeting deadlines. Legal teams can often accommodate delays if informed ahead of time, but unexpected surprises may lead to unfavourable reactions.
Becoming an integral part of this team involves gradually proving your worth to the instructing solicitor, responding promptly to instructions, and providing good written evidence.
Building your Reputation as an Expert Witness
As you build your caseload as a medico-legal expert, be mindful of your reputation. Overcommitting and failing to deliver can harm your standing, while starting slowly and gradually increasing your workload while providing quality reports is a more sustainable approach to establishing a positive reputation.
Barristers seek out expert witnesses who are not only credible but also presentable and articulate. It is of paramount importance to make a favourable impression on the barrister, given that there exists a small probability of a court appearance for cross-examination. However, even in the absence of a court appearance, the impression you create on the barrister significantly bolsters their ability to robustly represent your viewpoints during settlement negotiations. This, indeed, is a fundamental contribution.
Solicitors in personal injury and clinical negligence cases appreciate experts who are approachable, accessible, open to discussing their opinions within the context of a claim, and able to express themselves clearly and concisely in writing. They also value experts who maintain their opinions consistently throughout the proceedings, particularly when responding to Part 35 questions or preparing joint statements.
The nature of medico-legal work means that court reports may be scrutinised, and a competent medical expert must be open to this examination. They should be prepared to diplomatically reassert their opinion when necessary.
Experts who are unavailable or unwilling to engage in dialogue with legal teams or other experts will find it challenging to succeed in this field.
Staying Competitive: Expert Witness Training and Continuous Learning and Improvement
At NRC Medical Experts, we’re dedicated to mentoring and supporting the next generation of expert witnesses with peer support and collaboration to help you thrive in your role. For those new to expert witness work, mentoring is available, and we will assist you in any way you require to ensure you are familiar with the role and responsibilities.
As a medico-legal expert with us, you’ll receive continuous professional development and training to enhance your knowledge and medico legal report writing skills.
You’ll have access to expert witness training, online training sessions, our knowledge base, other courses, and peer support and networking opportunities at annual meetings.
NRC also offers full administrative assistance, competitive fees, and flexible working arrangements, with prompt payment within 30 days of report submission.
Become a Medico-Legal Expert with NRC
As part of NRC Medical Experts, medical professionals—doctors, specialist consultants, and therapists – from diverse backgrounds offer comprehensive and well-rounded expert opinions. We accept instructions from solicitors supporting clients across the UK and increasingly abroad.
We welcome applications from experienced Consultants in Rehabilitation Medicine, neuropsychologists, neuropsychiatrists, neurologists, and neurotherapists specialising in neurorehabilitation. Interested in learning more?
Please contact us to discuss your interest, qualifications, and other relevant details.