We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Law

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Safety Expert Witness?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 3,010
Share

A safety expert witness is a person who is called to the witness stand in the course of a trial to provide professional expertise which may be relevant to the material at hand. Because expert witnesses are retained for the purpose of utilizing their training and experience, they are usually compensated for their time on the stand above and beyond the basic compensation such as mileage reimbursements offered to witnesses. There are a number of different types of trials in which a safety expert witness can be beneficial.

”Safety expert” is a rather broad umbrella term, and a safety expert witness may have expertise and training in a variety of fields. This can include equipment safety, building safety, electrical safety, sports safety, medical safety, child safety, and so forth. Safety experts may be qualified as engineers, consultants, and other members of the safety field. They are usually chosen on the basis of their credentials, experience, and qualifications and will be asked to talk about these things on the stand for the purpose of establishing credibility.

Lawyers may contact someone who is working as a safety expert and consultant to see if she or he is available to provide testimony. Safety expert witnesses can also be drawn from college and university faculty, safety teams working for individual companies, and so forth. Some people make full time careers out of serving as an expert witness, using ongoing publications and other credentials to ensure that they will be appealing as possible expert witnesses.

Both sides in a trial can call an expert witness. A safety expert witness might testify that the safety procedures observed in a given situation were reasonable and in accordance with industry standards, or might say just the opposite. The safety expert witness can also be asked to offer a professional opinion on the stand, such as: “In your opinion, did Company Xyz sufficiently investigate the safety of this product?” Both sides may call opposing witnesses if information is in dispute, and the opposition has the opportunity to cross examine expert witnesses as well.

Expert witnesses can be an important component of a trial. They are used to provide jurors with information which lawyers assume is not available to laypeople so that they can make a more informed choice when they deliberate on a verdict, and they can be used to present information which may support one side or the other.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-a-safety-expert-witness.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.