In Know Who You Want To Sue, medical malpractice expert witnesses at Medical Opinions Associates write:
If you have a medical malpractice case and if you are looking for a medical expert to review and opine on the medical records, ask yourself a few questions that will save you time, effort, and money:
1) Who do I blame for the presumed medical negligence? In other words, whose errors of omission/commission led to the injury?
2) If more than one medical provider is presumed to be at fault, whose care do I principally blame [you may ultimately need more than one medical expert, but if the beginning expert opinion is supportive, then you know you have a case. If not, you will need to reassess the situation]?
3) What is the provider’s medical specialty?
When the action is personal injury, the considerations are different. The issue then becomes one of determining whether the injury in question resulted directly from the accident. The decision concerning the appropriate medical specialty in such cases is driven by the nature of the injuries and the course of treatment that followed the injury.