Part 6 – Meet With Your Safety Expert to Help You Prepare to Cross-Examine the Plaintiff’s Safety Expert
In this 8-part blog series, we will explore tips for preparing an effective cross-examination of trucking safety experts.
Last week, we discussed the importance of reading and dissecting the Plaintiff’s Safety Expert’s opinions. This week we discuss the importance of calling in your safety expert to assist in your preparations.
Well before you depose or cross-examine the Plaintiff’ safety expert, spend time with your expert (either consulting or testifying) to help you craft your cross-examination of the Plaintiff’s safety expert.
We have found that it is useful to meet with the defense expert and ask them the following 6 questions:
1. Where is the Plaintiff’s safety expert strong?
2. Where is the Plaintiff’s safety expert weak?
3. What three points do we want to leave the jury with when we end our cross-examination of the Plaintiff’s safety expert?
4. Where is the defense strong?
5. Where is the defense weak?
6. What three points do we want to make on our direct examination of our safety expert?
Spending time with your own expert to help you get answers to these questions will pay huge dividends not only when you get the Plaintiff’s safety expert on the stand, but when you put up your own expert to testify.
