In Ten Mistakes Attorneys Make Regarding Their Expert Witnesses, medical expert witness Barry Gustin, MD, MPH, FAAEP, writes:
Mistake 2: Delay It is one of the most common mistakes attorneys make: Waiting too long to locate, or once located, engage an expert. Lawyers have a mistaken belief that they will be able to find an expert quickly. They fail to consider that finding the best expert can take time particularly in a complex case and when multiple experts are needed. Once found, experts must be engaged quickly to insure that they aren’t booked by opposing counsel. Sometimes, lawyers inherit the delay when they take over a case from someone else. However, most of the time, it is easy to avoid the 11th hour time crunch simply by starting early.
How early? Start your search as soon as you have received your initial screening review and you have decided to take the case. After this initial review you should be in a position to know what specialties are involved and what kinds of expert you need. Start your search early and you will find the right expert, and you will increase your chances that the ideal experts will be available to you.