Expert evidence

The purpose of expert evidence is to provide the Court with information which is outside the expertise and knowledge of the judge and jury. It is therefore essential that experts are instructed who are genuinely knowledgeable in the area under scrutiny as well as appropriately trained and experienced in both the relevant law as well as the skills involved in report writing, expert meetings and the provision of evidence in court.

A wide range of expertise is required by health and social care organisations for a number of different purposes. The investigation of serious untoward events, the independent review of a patient's complaint and, most notably, when adjudging the defensibility and quantum of a claim. All too often, costs are wasted on instructing experts who either lack sufficient expertise or lack the relevant skills and knowledge to produce a well written report and then go on to confidently present their opinion at expert meetings or in Court.

In MCM Associates' experience there is no one definitive source of high quality, well qualified, reliable and experienced experts to assist in the management of personal injury and clinical negligence claims . The task of finding an expert is often therefore a time consuming and arbitrary exercise.

MCM Associates are currently working to resolve these difficulties by the creation of a database of experts across all disciplines/professions. Our objective is to reduce the time taken to find and instruct a knowledgeable expert who is trained both in the production of written reports as well as the provision of evidence in Court. We also hope to exert some control over rising costs by standardising fees and encouraging succession planning and an increase in the number of professionals willing to act through a comprehensive support network and the provision of high quality and competitively priced training. Quality will be assured through the introduction of report writing templates and a simple but effective accreditation process.